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Alarmguy · 12-01-2005, 08:58 PM

Saw a news story about schools starting to teach Mandarin Chinese as early as elementary grades. The thought is to do business with China you need to speak their language.

Guess that means more American children will be eliminated from jobs in their own country in the future, those that don't speak Chinese. It is already happening , especially in the south west with those who do not speak Spanish.

Terry

Alarmguy · 12-01-2005, 08:58 PM

Saw a news story about schools starting to teach Mandarin Chinese as early as elementary grades. The thought is to do business with China you need to speak their language.

Guess that means more American children will be eliminated from jobs in their own country in the future, those that don't speak Chinese. It is already happening , especially in the south west with those who do not speak Spanish.

Terry

Radarr · 12-02-2005, 03:48 AM

That's strange, I read where the Chinese have been teaching English in all grades for quite some time. I suppose, if a child was planning it's carrier for life now and they knew that speaking Chinese was a pre-requisite, it certainly wouldn't hurt to learn it early in life, but I think it should be voluntary. Not everyone is going to China to do business.

Radarr

FatDog · 12-02-2005, 05:09 AM

I read that as well, that more children are being offered Chinese in school these days.
When we were kids the choices were French, German, or Spanish.
And I think that I also read that soon the Chinese language will be the most spoken language on the internet, or at least a very substantial second to English.

Does learning Chinese make sense ??

For a kid who is being steered aggressively for a successful business future, like how sometimes Dad's push their kids into sports or pre-med or pre-law,
... what do you think would be more beneficial these days ..... learning French or Chinese ??

I think one of those will be a significant language to learn.

Alarmguy · 12-02-2005, 05:23 AM

If I had a kid in school today, especially on the west coast I would want them to learn Spanish. Not that they will get rich from it, but if they want a job as teens or early 20s in any place where they have to deal with the public, it is a requirement that they speak Spanish. Maybe not a written requirement but if 2 kids are applying for a job and one doesn't speak Spanish, the one that does will get the job.

Terry

Fxrscotty · 12-02-2005, 04:17 PM

When I was a kid it was french only. Never had used it a work situation. Wish I had learned spanish instead. scott.

chasfm11 · 12-02-2005, 05:11 PM

I, too, had taken French in high school. My first international assignment turned out to be Italy and I had to start all over. I wasn't bad after a year. Then, I got sent to France and couldn't remember a word. If something came out of my mouth and it wasn't English, you guessed it, it usually wasn't French either. Out of self defense here in Texas, I started to learn Spanish a couple of years ago. I suspect that in a couple more years, you will hardly be able to get along here without it.

Our kids and grandkids are going to be multi-lingual because that is the way that the world is going. I just hope that we can figure out a way to keep them in practice after they learn until they use it.

Rich & Zara · 12-02-2005, 08:54 PM

It was the same when I was in school, it was mainly French & Spanish being offered as another language. In the 50's, French was a major language throughout the world. That ceased to be a when France started to let go of many of their outlying possessions, several of those being in or close to Africa, islnds in the Pacific, etc.

I think it is a great idea for our schools to offer the Chinese language in addition to the ever popular Spanish. I have been to China many times (still going) and wished I could speak more than just a few of their basis words.

Speaking of school subjects, one of my most appreciated is TYPING and one that I use EVERY day. And to think, the only reason I signed up for the typing class was to be in the same room of a girl I had my eye on.

Rich

Vegascpl · 12-03-2005, 05:35 AM

Just when you begin to think that all is lost in our school system there is a breath of fresh air. Teaching Chinese is a great idea! A few years ago Las Vegas casinos built several hundred high roller suites (many of them 15,000 square feet) to attract Chinese. In order to there you had to have Chinese as a second language. Instead of 12 million in their major cities there are 200 million. That's a lot of customers eager to buy. China has a major impact on world markets and it may not be long before they surpass us.

A few weeks ago I attended an awards ceremony at my granddaughter's elementary school. I would say that 85% of the class was white the other 15% Mexican, Asian, and Black. Virtually all of the non white kids received multiple awards for grades and citizenship. Only one white boy received multiple awards. Frankly I was shocked!

I think the thing that scares me the most is the current move to eliminate science from the schools and teach religion instead. When it comes to math and science we are quickly falling behind many other countries.

Like many of you I just wish that I had paid more attention in Spanish class! I'm now struggling to pick up the language on our trips to Mexico. Like Rick I have to thank my dad for insisting that I take typing. Who would have known that we would spend so much time at the keyboard?

Rich & Zara · 12-03-2005, 09:05 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Vegascpl:
<snip> .....I think the thing that scares me the most is the current move to eliminate science from the schools and teach religion instead. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Are you sure? I have never heard this one before and curious as to where you got the information?

Rich

mamaloya · 12-04-2005, 04:22 AM

Chinese? When I was in high school everyone was convinced that Japanese was going to be required to do business so our school offered Japanese. I took French though. My dh's family speaks Spanish. LOL! I homeschool my children. I will actually be teaching them latin first. From what I have read, learning latin increases your vocabulary and science skills. Most scientific and medical terms are latin based. My dh also says that latin will help them learn other foreing languages easier as a lot are latin based. I am rather ignorant when it comes to languages. My dh however is great. He knows english, spanish, a little german, italian and french, and can read greek and hebrew. The greek and hebrew is from seminary. It amazes me how quickly he can pick up other languages. He can also listen to someone for only about a minute or so and tell you where in the world they are from.

Anyway. If any of you are interested in learning a foreign lanugage, there is a software system call Rosetta Stone. You can google and find their website and request a free demo disk. The demo disk has the first few lessons of about 15 languages. It is a great intro. Then if you want to concentrate on one, it costs somewhere between $100-200. Which reminds me that I have to order a new one.

Oh and on the chinese thing. I have a friend who homeschools her 4 children, and they are learning chinese. She has chinese singalongs like head shoulders knees and toes in chinese. The kids are picking it up pretty quickly. Their reason for learning chinese is that they want to go there to be missionaries. They thought it would be 5 more years, but may be there the end of next year. The only chinese my kids learn is what is on the back of the fortune from their fortune cookie at our weekly visit to the local chinese buffet.

Vegascpl · 12-04-2005, 09:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rich & Zara:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Vegascpl:
<snip> .....I think the thing that scares me the most is the current move to eliminate science from the schools and teach religion instead. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Are you sure? I have never heard this one before and curious as to where you got the information?

Rich </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I seriously doubt you really don't know the answer to your question. This debate has been going on since the 20's. However, recently the extreme religious right wing has been successful in getting school boards to mandate teaching of religion rather than science. Do you remember seeing headlines in the last couple of weeks about a small conservative town in the North East throwing out the entire school board?

The down side is that the US is loosing ground against many other countries in scientific education. Many Americans are basically illiterate when it comes to science and don't understand basic scientific principles. I'm sure you've read those surveys where a high percentage of Americans have no idea how long it takes for the earth to revolve around the sun. Therefore, when scientists warn of impending disasters like New Orleans, we don't listen.

We are fortunate to be a country with vast natural resources and that has made us Number 1! If our future is in our children, and we continue to place economic, political, and religious limits on their education, how long will we remain the world's only superpower? China is coming on strong and arguably we are going backward! There may come a day when we might all wish that we spoke Chinese!