New focus on Arabic.

With much of its military, intelligence, and diplomatic energy focused oil the Mideast, the U.S. needs more Arabic speakers, and it is getting them. Scores of colleges have added or expanded Arabic course offerings, and a new study shows more students studying Arabic. The Modern Language Association survey of 780 colleges in 2002 found that 1.4 million students were studying at least one foreign language, more than in any year since 1972. The survey found that 10,596 students were studying Arabic, nearly double the number in 1998. Still, fewer than 1 percent of all students enrolled in a foreign language course were studying Arabic. Nine of 10 universities do not offer an Arabic course, the survey found. Even ancient Greek is taught at more than twice as many colleges as Arabic. The Foreign Service Institute at the State Department puts Arabic in its "super-hard" category, along with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The institute estimates that bright students need at least 88 weeks of full-time training to reach entry-level professional proficiency.