The Chinese Language Wave

My friend Jen W. sent me the following article from the NY Times. Looks like we won't be alone in our attempts to learn Mandarin.

October 15, 2005

Classes in Chinese Grow as the Language Rides a Wave of Popularity

By GRETCHEN RUETHLING

CHICAGO, Oct. 14 - The future of foreign language study in the might be glimpsed here at Louisa May Alcott Elementary School, in a classroom where lanterns with cherry blossoms and pandas dangle overhead, and a paper dragon, an American flag and a Chinese flag hang from the wall.

One recent morning, a class of third graders bowed to one another and introduced themselves in Chinese, and a class of fourth graders practiced writing numbers in Chinese characters on marker boards. Chinese classes began at Alcott in February, but more students are already choosing it over Spanish.

"Chinese is our new baby," said David J. Domovic, the principal at Alcott, on the North Side, one of 20 public schools in the city offering instruction in Mandarin. "Everybody just wants in."

With encouragement from the Chinese and American governments, schools across the United States are expanding their language offerings to include Chinese, the world's most spoken tongue, not to mention one of its most difficult to learn.

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