English language learners are growing in number and scope.  As the interactive map found here displays, more and more ELL students are located in small towns and suburban districts.  Most of these areas are ill-equipped to handle the essential, but difficult, transition to a new language.  However, as challenging as it may be currently, for the students and teachers, both will benefit from the experience in the long run. How many times have you been in a situation and heard someone say "I wish I spoke Spanish" or French or Chinese?  Frequently Americans lament of their lack of language knowledge but rarely are we motivated enough to do anything about it.  Americans tend to be language-lazy.  We believe, as a culture, that everyone else ought to learn English before we attempt to learn a second language.  I can remember, to my horror, being in an airport in France and hearing an American speaking very loudly, very rudely, and very ignorantly to an airport employee, saying "why don't you speak English?  I know you can, everyone can!  Do you understand me, I can't find my luggage?"  Of course, the employee probably did speak some English but the point is that if someone from France landed at Dulles and demaned that everyone spoke French, we would simply laugh at the notion.  How ridiculous!  Yet, with English it is exactly what we think.  Everyone ought to speak English. This situation with English Language Learners invading the otherwise mono-lingual areas could be a great thing for out country!  Imagine, Americans who could speak more than one language, and fluently!  How easy it would be to integrate second language learning opportunities into the classroom where students from all backgrounds could benefit.