The Hill – Kristin O’Rourke and Klaus Mladek 
Americans are commonly assumed to be uninterested in foreign languages unless their national interest is at stake (Russian or Arabic). But this may be only part of the story. Across the country, bilingual schools and language immersion programs are currently booming, while online language apps like Duolingo have exploded, showing that in fact many Americans are eager language learners. The free, game-like app boasts 27 million active users per month studying over 30 languages, including hard to come-by languages such as Swahili, Czech, and yes, Norwegian. Underfunded public school districts make up a portion of their users, as well as refugees and immigrants learning the language of their new country. Although many researchers doubt the effectiveness of language apps, their success indicates a real need and desire for language learning across the US. (more)