Mandarin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is in private school and in the 5th year of Chinese. The class meets 4 times a week. DC will go into full immersion for four weeks at a sleepaway camp that specializes in languages. Next year, DC will take advantage of the numerous immersion trips to China.
....
there are many government and private companies that would welcome non-immigrant speakers of Chinese. Companies doing business with China in Africa strongly recruit African-Americans who speak Chinese. And some government agencies actively recruit non-immigrants who are fluent in foreign languages.

With that said, I think learning any foreign language is to one's advantage especially starting young. There are numerous early language programs in this area outside of school.

It is fantastic your DC started so early and is committed to spend the time cementing the language. Since so many expats are leaving China these days (esp. due to pollution and various types of nonsense) your child may end up with a good job there, or elsewhere. But your make PP's point exactly ... it is a very long slog to having language skills good enough to use, and takes a big commitment from students and schools. Starting early helps, but also spending time "in0country" cannot be underestimated, even compared with the Middlebury or other such program. There is nothing so painful as getting off the plane and realizing that you really don't know as much as you thought!

[Anonymous]

Studying ANY language is an investment in time especially the non-Romance languages. No one should ever be discouraged from studying a language whether it's Chinese or pig Latin, period. It can only add to your academic and cultural experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Studying ANY language is an investment in time especially the non-Romance languages. No one should ever be discouraged from studying a language whether it's Chinese or pig Latin, period. It can only add to your academic and cultural experience.

Agreed. While it would be optimum to study or reinforce language skills in another country, having any type of exposure is good. You can go to many countries, and its inhabitants speak some English even though they have not been abroad.

[Anonymous]

10:45, are you aware of what the Chinese are doing in Africa? Basically stealing minerals and other precious natural resources? Ripping off governments left and right? They are employing African-Americans as they need middle operators to extract the goods. The Chinese have become toxic in many countries.

FWIW, US companies and multinationals also commit these horrendous practices. The Chinese are now also getting in on the action.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10:45, are you aware of what the Chinese are doing in Africa? Basically stealing minerals and other precious natural resources? Ripping off governments left and right? They are employing African-Americans as they need middle operators to extract the goods. The Chinese have become toxic in many countries.

FWIW, US companies and multinationals also commit these horrendous practices. The Chinese are now also getting in on the action.

It was just a matter of time before this forum got hijacked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10:45, are you aware of what the Chinese are doing in Africa? Basically stealing minerals and other precious natural resources? Ripping off governments left and right? They are employing African-Americans as they need middle operators to extract the goods. The Chinese have become toxic in many countries.

FWIW, US companies and multinationals also commit these horrendous practices. The Chinese are now also getting in on the action.

So are you saying that no one should study languages other than their own because of the evil that men do?

[Anonymous]

I would love to hear where the Mandarin immersion camps are. I have a third grader who started Chinese in first grade in public school and has since continued it at a weekend Chinese school.

[Anonymous]

Primary Day includes Chinese into their foreign language curriculum. The students have it once/week starting in prek just to give them an ear for another language (they also have French and Spanish). Not sure this is what you are looking for though.

[Anonymous]

If you're looking for something in the summer, look at the Concordia Language Villages camp. They also have a family camp.

[Anonymous]

On Africa, I suspect the PP's claim that they are hiring African Americans who speak Chinese is a bit of an overstatement - I'm sure it is done, but the supply and demand are likely small. I'm in that world, and think I know what I'm talking about. So in agreement with the other PP, to end of hijacking this thread would be appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Folks, the bottom line is that you or your DC can study whatever language they desire regardless of whether you study in the native country or whether someone is in that world so they, supposedly, know what they are talking about.

It's a big world. Embrace the languages. Learn and enjoy. Welcome opportunities, big or small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mandarin is great fun for a couple of years (that is, a couple of years after a child has really started studying, not just dipping in toes the way so many early foreign language curric. do). But it gets very rote after that. One thing to think about is how many years of teaching these early-start schools can handle. Also, it is pretty hard to actually "get" the language without spending time in China/Taiwan, so think about whether you are interested in opportunities for DC to study overseas and what age.

How is it more rote than any other language? Not disagreeing, genuinely clueless and interested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also get the sense that the resume value of it, for older kids, is declining. One interesting tidbit: at Blair the highest SATII score is Mandarin, and they do not offer it. Why? Because so many of the kids there, of Chinese background, speak at home and go to weekend school (something that seems just fine to me, so not looking to start a row about that). There are a lot of advanced Mandarin speakers in this country already ... children of immigrants.

Unlike... Spanish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mandarin is great fun for a couple of years (that is, a couple of years after a child has really started studying, not just dipping in toes the way so many early foreign language curric. do). But it gets very rote after that. One thing to think about is how many years of teaching these early-start schools can handle. Also, it is pretty hard to actually "get" the language without spending time in China/Taiwan, so think about whether you are interested in opportunities for DC to study overseas and what age.

How is it more rote than any other language? Not disagreeing, genuinely clueless and interested.

Mostly vocab acquisition (with correct tones). The grammar is not that hard - much easier than English or other romance languages.

[Anonymous]

I am the PP in re Africa and China. I have two kids enrolled in Mandarin. Like any skills or education they put to use, I will strongly encourage it is for the good of humanity. And the example starts at home with our own paid and volunteer work.

I don't really see how the observation was a hijack. There was some back and forth on which schools offered Mandarin when, and then a few more posts on opportunities. I did not weigh in until someone posted about speaking Mandarin in Africa on behalf of Chinese companies - as opposed to speaking French, English, Portuguese, Arabic or Kiwsahili. Then I commented.