Most kids in China learn English. So why should our kids learn Chinese?
Many, many children learn Chinese
As rising numbers of young kids learn Chinese in American schools, the hottest new language trend may leave some parents scratching their heads. Why should our kids learn Chinese, when so many children in China are already fluent in English?
Reuters estimated in February 2006 that there are over 500 million English speakers in China and India, a figure which exceeds the number of "mother-tongue" speakers from the United States and Britain. Within the next decade, the number of foreign students studying English as a second language is projected to peak at around 2 billion.
While English may be the language everyone is listening to and learning today, within the next 10 or 15 years, it will likely find itself sharing the world's spotlight. Whether or not kids learn Chinese today, experts predict that they will face a different world—with a changing linguistic landscape—by the time they reach adulthood.
"English Next" recommends children learn Chinese now
Last year, a research study commissioned by the British Council concluded that the lack of students fluent in a foreign language in both Britain and the United States will eventually weaken the competitiveness of both countries. The report, entitled "English Next," positively brims with reasons why kids should learn Chinese.
The report highlights the economic advantages of more and better language education and the risks of remaining a largely monolingual culture and nation. Because of the current boom in the Chinese economy, the British Council is encouraging kids to learn Chinese today, expecting that their greater knowledge and broader experience may give them significant advantages in the globalized workplace of tomorrow. David Graddol, the main author of the "English Next" report, observes that in a world where everybody speaks English, being a native speaker from Britain or the United States does not, by itself, carry much weight. (This explains, in part, the loss of US jobs to international outsourcing.) However, the ability to speak several languages could prove to be extremely advantageous, and kids who learn Chinese will put themselves at the top of the multilingual list. Today, nearly 1.4 billion people speak Chinese—nearly three times the number of English speakers.
Valuable lessons for kids who learn Chinese
But the advantages of learning Chinese, or any other language, are about much more than numbers—these benefits are not limited to an edge in geopolitics or economic competition. Michael Levine, director of the Asia Society in New York, stressed the tremendous value of teaching Chinese to children, during an interview with The Christian Science Monitor. Referencing the impact of rapid globalization and the economic rise of China, he suggests that our educational system has a responsibility to prepare children for the demands of their future.
"The question is when, not whether, the schools are going to adjust," Levine said. The Asia Society has helped to launch five Chinese language immersion programs in New York public schools.
When kids learn to speak Chinese, Levine notes, they benefit from an expanded cultural awareness. "Language is a look in," he told The Christian Science Monitor. "One doesn't need to be proficient in Chinese languages in order to do business in China. But the exposure and the motivation to show that one understands and respects the Chinese culture is really half the battle won."
In Chicago, the municipal school system has proven very ambitious in launching Chinese language immersion programs in over 20 public elementary schools, an initiative that has drawn considerable attention.
The investment firm Goldman Sachs has demonstrated its commitment to "putting the world into world-class education" by joining with the Asia Society in awarding prizes for Excellence in International Education, a number of which have gone to programs focused on teaching Chinese language and culture, including one to Newton North and Newton South High Schools in Massachussetts, the nation's longest-running student and teacher-exchange program with China.
Stephanie Bell-Rose, the president of The Goldman Sachs Foundation, stresses the necessity of enriching young Americans' knowledge of and exposure to other cultures and languages. She says, "If young Americans are to take on challenging global leadership roles, they must possess a deep understanding of and appreciation for other cultures, economies, history and languages."
The rapid changes around the globe represent new needs and new directions for children of all ages (as well as adults), and new opportunities for bringing children to a broader and a bigger world—and that big, broad world to them. Kids who learn Chinese and English will be ready to join the global conversation and take advantage of all the world has to offer.
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