Kids Should Learn Chinese
China will inevitably be a major economic, political, and cultural force in our children’s future. We should prepare our students to engage, collaborate, and compete with their Chinese peers.
Any diplomat or international business professional will attest to the tremendous advantage that speaking and respecting a counterpart’s language brings to any negotiation or partnership. Increasingly, that colleague across the table will be a native Chinese speaker.
By teaching Mandarin in U.S. public schools, we are making a wise investment in one of the many vital skills our children will need to compete for high-skill jobs and thrive in the interconnected 21st-century economy.
We also need to prepare our kids to navigate a global workplace in which knowledge of languages and cultures other than our own will provide a key competitive advantage for higher-paying jobs
Learning any language is a multi-faceted process that demands patience and effort, yet is rewarding in so many ways. If you’re committed to the idea of learning Chinese alongside your children, you’ll be able to share this special experience with them now and reap the benefits of knowing the language throughout life. The long-term rewards of learning Chinese will add to the richness of your children’s lives and give them the opportunity to explore a beautiful culture and make new friends.
One of the ways to help your children learning Chinese is by making the process fun whenever possible. While it is critical to set structure around the learning process, such as establishing a schedule of classes each week, it is also important to keep your children engaged and interested by introducing Chinese into their lives in fun ways they can enjoy.
Schedule a movie night.
Spice up your family’s next movie night by choosing a popular Chinese film to watch. Younger kids will enjoy animated flicks like 2014’s smash hit “Meet the Pegasus.” (This movie is based on a popular animated series called “Pleasant Goat and the Big Bad Wolf,” so if your kids love the movie be sure to find episodes of the show online that they can watch as well.) Teens and adults will be glued to the screen for one of China’s recent intense fantasy films like “The Monkey King” or the critically acclaimed 2013 drama, “So Young.”.