>> No more so than any other language. Ideographic languages aren't
>> necessarily more difficult than alphabetic languages; in some ways
>> Chinese
>> is simpler than English -- e.g. grammar.
>
> Have you actually tried learning Chinese yourself? Or Japanese?
I've picked up a few words and phrases. They're not impossible to learn - just different. I think it's more a question of what is taught in the secondary schools -- which in the US is still mostly Spanish, French and German:
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d03/tables/dt057.asp
> How many American students take and complete degrees in these languages
> compared with European languages?
Don't know about completion, but enrollments are up:
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0905275.html
The job market for foreign language teachers, on the other hand, remains appalling.
-- DRR