China's rapid rise spurs Americans to learn Chinese

[UrbScotty]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050731/lf_afp/uschinaeducation_050731221938

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China's dramatic rise to near superpower status and its telling effects politically, economically and culturally are driving the interest to learn the language, experts say.

From kindergartens to high schools, studies by the Asia Society show, there is a "rapid rise" in interest among pupils to study the Chinese language.

This is despite the fact that most of the schools lack qualified teachers or do not currently offer the language in their curriculum.

"The Chinese rich cultural traditions and blossoming economy mean that is now essential for all of our students to be better prepared to engage them and seize opportunities together," said Michael Levine, Asia Society's executive director of education."

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[enigma000]

1. Good language to learn

Mind you, if I recall, in the 1980s there was a growing interest in learning Japanese. . .