The process of adding such programs varies enormously from one state to another, but the commitment of school districts is crucial for their development.

The necessity of foreign-language education could not be clearer right now. The future in America, and everywhere, is multilingual. And so is the present.

The association says these changes are most likely a direct result of the 2008 recession, which hit foreign-language degree programs harder than many other humanities programs

French offers both great professional potential and access to the vast and growing Francophone community, which could reach 700 million by 2050.

According to a Pew study from last year, only 20 percent of K-12 students in America study a foreign language (compared with an average of 92 percent in Europe), and only 10 states and the District of Columbia make foreign-language learning a high school graduation requirement.

According to the Modern Language Association, enrollment in college-level foreign-language courses dropped 9.2 percent from 2013 to 2016.

More states need to enforce language-education requirements. Colleges need to recognize the importance of their foreign-language education programs. In turn, more parents, students and teachers need to lobby for language programs.

Some universities have restructured programs to emphasize the ability to work, socialize and research across languages, offering dual degrees in which students’ language education is directly tied to its application in their other fields of study. Georgia Tech, for example, has devised programs aimed at developing language skills that allow them to work more effectively in, and to be more attractive to, international companies and organizations.

rom 2013 to 2016, colleges across the United States cut 651 foreign language programs. French was the hardest hit, losing 129 programs, followed by Spanish with 118, German with 86 and Italian with 56. Once these programs close, they are very hard to reopen. According to a Pew study from last year, only 20 percent of K-12 students in America study a foreign language (compared with an average of 92 percent in Europe), and only 10 states and the District of Columbia make foreign-language learning a high school graduation requirement.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is Spanish-English bilingual, recently tweeted,

The French government has long played a role in the support of French language programs in the United States.

If Americans want the next generation to be active participants in a multilingual world, dual-language and multicultural education is crucial.