There are also a few high schools that teach Arabic, but they are only in regions that have high concentrations of Arab-Americans such as Michigan and California. The main goal of ALIF is to have Arabic offered in high schools in the same manner that Spanish, German and French languages are normal parts of the high school curriculum. While we clearly acknowledge the importance of teaching Spanish, we must question why Arabic courses aren't at least as prevalent as German and French, given the large number of countries where Arabic is the primary language. An estimated 1.2 billion people including 22 Arab countries revere Arabic, as opposed to roughly 100 million German speakers around the world. The American educational system gives you an option of learning a language as a high school requirement.
Students take two to four years of a foreign language in order to graduate.
We should take advantage of the system to include Arabic as part of that repertoire. Accordingly, the school systems should reflect that diversity in their curriculum. As Arab nations gain more of a global presence, especially in non-oil related economic areas, knowing Arabic and understanding the Arab culture will be more valuable for American businesses seeking to tap that growing market. In the Middle East a lot of jobs, especially in banks, require knowledge of Arabic. Europeans are closer to the Middle East and have been ahead in terms of teaching Arabic.