Why are American choosing Arabic over Spanish as a second language?

I would dispute that information. Arabic is a very difficult language to speak and to write. I cannot see too many Americans going very far with it.

It's a simple answer: You can make more money from an oil-rich Arab than you can from a poor Hispanic immigrant. It's got nothing to do with "language of our enemies" and everything to do with simple economics.

But I am skeptical that Arabic is the most common second language now. That would mean that thousands of high schools across America had hired Arabic teachers and fired their Spanish teachers. The statistic must only be counting a very specific kind of language school and not the tens of thousands of US high schools across the country that still teach Spanish and not Arabic.

Didn't the president say something a couple years ago about the importance learning Arabic or something?

The point is, if Arabic is the language of the "enemy", then naturally, it would make since to know the language. If people can speak right in front of you, and you have NO clue what they're saying, but they know what you're saying, then you're at the disadvantage. So it actually makes since for it to be more important now for Americans to learn Arabic then it was in the past.

I'm an American Muslim, i don't speak Arabic, but that's the most logical reason i can see that many Americans, especially in politics, would take an interest in the language

I'm an American who prefers studying Arabic over Spanish. I think it's a beautiful language that could give you a much better world perspective than another occidental language. The Arabic language is much older than Spanish and has a rich literary and poetic history.

I in no way think we should give up our study of Spanish in the United States, but I don't think we should shout down the study of Arabic and other eastern languages.

A lot of business comes out of the "middle east" and Arabic is a common language there. Most of the people learning a second language are doing so to help their job prospects, Spanish would not necessarily help them.

Beacause Arabic is the Mother language that is used to unite all Nations of Adam & Eve's children from every culture and background.

Maybe we want to know what our enemies are up to. Learning a hard language is the best way to do it.

And last time I checked Spanish is the most studied language for US citizens. Your blowing smoke.

I'm studying German because I was born in Stuttgart and I want to be able to speak the language.

Spanish will be next language.