My question is broader than it might seem, so I believe that asking the question may both get specific information, as well as opening some interesting discussion on improving US global competitiveness and multilateral relations.

A young friend, now a high school senior, wants to be an Arabic linguist, although she isn't all that interested in working outside the US. She's running a 3.5 GPA, straight A's in French and Spanish, and, while not doing some of the classic extracurriculars, is doing a tremendous amount of work earning money for college -- she has a superb work ethic not really challenged by her high school.

My impression is that the US has assorted programs to encourage high school and college students in becoming proficient in the languages we need. I'm having trouble finding information on relevant scholarships, and indeed finding mentors while someone is still in high school.

The best writeup I've found is NSA's, which really wants people that both are proficient in languages but have additional engineering or science skills. She has taken a forensic course (CSI strikes the educational system), doesn't like the bloody part, but did like the computer forensic parts. She is also decent in math, although at the high school level without outside work.

I can mentor her in computer forensics and security. As far as Arabic, I could guide her more about the culture than the language, but she doesn't yet see the linkage between understanding the culture in which a language is spoken. My Arabic is limited to a few polite and useful phrases, although I understand there is a magnificent curse I would like to learn, which translates to something like "may the fleas of ten thousand camels infest your armpits."

Any suggestions? Are there really programs, reaching down to high school level, encouraging language study in general as a critical national need, but especially the "hard" languages such as Arabic, Farsi, various Chinese dialects, Hindi, Urdu, etc.? Given that she is fluent in French, I might advise Swahili as well as Arabic.

Thoughts? We did get her an Arabic CD course for Christmas, which I'd enjoy studying with her. So far, she hasn't opened it.