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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As somewhat of an aside (specifically to 12:52) I work with a gentleman who is fluent in Mandarin and spent the past few years in China.  He told me he has several friends who have had difficulty finding jobs when they returned to the States, partially because there are more English speakers in China than in the US.  (didn't say what industry)

I would think there would be a benefit to learning any language spoken on the continent of Africa (including French) because many countries have growing economies and by the time our children become adults there will be many jobs available at companies that conduct business there.  [/quote]

We think alike. I initially wanted YY for my child, but realized that Chinese and Chinese-American kids can take those jobs alot easier in the future. We're opting for French immersion this coming school year for precisely this reason (emerging markets in Africa).[/quote]

+1. I was thinking the same thing about Mandarin immersion for my kids ( YY). My cousin teaches English in China and told me Spanish, Farsi, French or just plain ol' English is a better option for the future. Sure, it sounds cool that your 6 year old can speak Chinese but the Chinese students will be able to speak better English. Yes, there is a huge Ethiopian and Eritrean community in DC. There are some at my DC's schools. If I didn't know there parents, I would have never guessed they were Ethiopian or Eritrean. [/quote]

Not here.  The (many) girls I've met from China have exactly zero interest in Spanish, Farsi, and French.  English though - specifically American English - yes.

Now, you have no idea how well individual Chinese will speak English.  I can guarantee that everyone in China who is learning English is not learning from a native English speaker, and that everyone who learns some English is hardly fluent and certainly not automatically better than a student who  is studying Chinese through immersion.

In my experience communication works best when both parties are adept in both languages.  I only speak three languages though, so YMMV.  [/quote]

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