Is English Enough for the US?

Even though I am in the business of teaching my ESL students more English, I like to tell them to be very proud of themselves, on account of their bilingualism. I point out the fact that most Americans don't bother to learn another language. These days, even many institutions, policy makers, and  lawmakers seem to accept the lingua franca status of the English language all too readily. They cut foreign languages departments. They ban the use of Spanish in classrooms and at work. They pass English-only laws. You can say they are arrogant. You can call them complacent. You can call them myopic. For what these people are doing bodes ill for the leader of the world. Already, many rational scholars have been expressing their concerns about this troubling trend. Below, I gather and present a small sampling of some well-thought-out arguments against those who get locked into a sense of self-security, thinking the future of our nation needs English only.

• http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2010/11/23/berman ("Foreign Language for Foreign Policy?")
• http://chronicle.com/blogs/worldwise/deficiency-in-foreign-language-competency-what-is-wrong-with-the-u-s-educational-system/27558 ("Deficiency in Foreign Language Competency: What Is Wrong with the U. S. Educational System?")
• http://genomebiology.com/2010/11/10/138 ("A Faustian Bargain")
• http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-research-english-next.pdf ("English Next")