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Quoted Text

Foreign language deficit

   More than 200 million Chinese elementary and secondary students are studying English, a required course in all primary schools. Meanwhile, just 24,000 American students are studying Chinese.
   The languages the Bush administration says are critical to national security and economic development — Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Japanese, Russian and Korean — combined enroll less than 1 percent of U.S. high school students.
   Schools will respond to higher state requirements, but there’s a critical role for American businesses as well. Offering targeted financial support for teacher recruitment and training, curriculum and testing development, and language enrichment programs would be a great way to help grow a bilingual and culturally sensitive work force.
   --The Kentucky Enquirer  

  
  
  

Hence the fact that Schalmont now wants to start teaching Chinese, I'm sure.  Your tax dollars at work.  BTW, how many of you have run into somone speaking Chinese here in town lately?

I agree, however, they are almost using 'language' as a power thing. Like who's language will be spoken the most in all the other countries? I don't really see the need for it in this country on a day to day base..but from the economic standpoint, and being that we are global whether we like it or not, the need for speaking and understanding other languages during a business deal would be essential.

It is a culture/economic war....the only way to win a war is to "know your enemy".....

It's very common, thousands of students studying aboard in China university, working or running business in China large cities
It's a global village and we are facing China's great growing in her power and economical, we need to watch and learn and be prepared of ourself !

Always be prepared to take care of yourself...even if that 4bedroom home with central air is taken away or lost....no tears, just change....move on, it's not a dead loved one.....