strabo wrote:

How many Americans do you know who would understand a German speech?

Lots around Milwaukee.



99% of Americans live out their entire lives without ever confronting
a German speaker, or Swahili. Why would an American bother to learn
Urdu?

Until 1917, the Milwaukee public schools taught in German, with
mandatory English as a second language. Although neither my hearing
nor my German is good enough to follow a long speech, I can get the
gist. No Urdu, though.

David