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It is my belief that almost all top graduate economics programs have 
eliminated their language requirement. They also don't have a math 
requirement; it is integrated into the core.  As to whether this is 
good--obviously it is best to know many languages and many cultures, but by 
convention the language of economics is English, math, and statistics and 
if one wants to communicate with economists, one had better know their 
language, and that means English.  Top U.S. schools recruit a majority of 
their students from abroad because they know the language of economics 
better than do U.S. students.   
 
I've argued that the international convention of English in business and 
academia is one of the last major comparative advantages that the U.S. has. 
If I am advising someone to prepare to become an economist, I advise them 
to take math and stats, not a foreign language. I advise them to take a 
foreign language for their own personal development.  
    
David Colander 
 
 
 
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