Finding Arabic or Chinese as class offerings in area school systems is rare.
But some Arlington parents want the schools to take a more forward-looking approach with foreign language instruction.

The Arlington school system is adding Italian to the curriculum next year — the first new foreign language it has added since 1988, according to The Washington Post. The school system says a survey revealed that Italian would be the most popular new language to offer.

But parent Peter Rousselot is worried that the schools aren’t really preparing students for life in the 21st century where Arabic and Chinese may be in higher demand.

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