I studied Chinese in the 1980’s when there was zero financial support for foreign language study from the US government. After retirement from a career in the business world in Asia, I worked for a DC-based non-profit that received State and Defense Dept. funding for all kinds of national-security related foreign language study. I was thrilled to see it. Dismaying to see it all disappear even as, as you say, the increasing complexity of the world demands more not fewer students with knowledge of foreign languages and culture. Thanks for highlighting this calamity.
I studied Chinese in the 1980’s when there was zero financial support for foreign language study from the US government. After retirement from a career in the business world in Asia, I worked for a DC-based non-profit that received State and Defense Dept. funding for all kinds of national-security related foreign language study. I was thrilled to see it. Dismaying to see it all disappear even as, as you say, the increasing complexity of the world demands more not fewer students with knowledge of foreign languages and culture. Thanks for highlighting this calamity.
Clear description of an ongoing catastrophe. Appreciated.