"Language ability" and "American" are not two things that are often thought of as being linked, but in a sign that bodes well for America's linguistic future the
New York TImes and
USA Today are reporting that a record number of U.S. students are studying abroad in a wide variety of places.
CNN reports on the reverse of that: foreigners are coming to study in the U.S. in record numbers as well, topped off by India and China. So whether it's immersion abroad or a native-speaker tutor at home, it appears that linguistic experiences are becoming easier to get.