Eiden’s mom is planning to join Mandarin Chinese classes. “Why?” I asked. “A lot of people I know are learning Chinese,” she said. “When I make my trip to China, it will come in useful.” She said that as if she was going on a pilgrimage.
Chinese-language instruction is spreading in American schools, according to newspaper reports. The program is funded by the Chinese government. We have had language fads before – remember people buying Learn Arabic books immediately after 9/11? Will interest in Chinese language instruction last?
Agreed, learning a new language is a welcome move to keep your intellect sharp. It may give you a better understanding of a country that is occupying increasingly larger space in world affairs. But when our own educational standards are in dire need of repair and upgradation, where do our kids find the time for a difficult tongue?
Again, what are we aiming at? Knowledge of a particular language or knowledge of Chinese alone? Is Chinese necessary for us to compete in global economy successfully? I mean “learn the language of the chief competitor”? Don’t forget these classes are taught by teacher-ambassadors and are paid for by the Chinese government.
If it is all about markets, isn’t India too a rising country? And this country attributes its economic success to British rule and a strong grounding in the English language.
Then is it cultural sophistication? Then what should be the allocation percentage for, say, Arabic-Middle East studies in our beleaguered budget?
Americans are not naturally inclined (9%) to learning a foreign language. The one alien language that now interests us is Hispanic, for obvious reasons. Yes, we should make foreign language learning opportunities available for our future diplomats, spies and business people. It’s bad that states have had to drop foreign language requirements for high school graduation.

But you know what tight ed budgets have done for our regular elementary, middle and high school education. Eiden’s sister comes home crying that she has no science teacher. Eiden’s friend Kush complains of poor computer equipment in school.

I am all for learning a second language from elementary level. Our kids can only benefit from it. But thinking about a foreign language is to miss the basic building blocks of the educational structure – our science, math and English standards are pretty wobbly now. And that is where the international competition lies. Let us strengthen those areas. Let us prepare more kids for international Math, Biology and Geography Olympiads, ensure their success.

Let foreign cultural academies promote language learning (French, German, Japanese, Korean) and organize the time and the place for informed learning. There is no point in exposing our kids to a foreign language in school and not make proficiency mandatory.
Let us first improve the standards of our dumbed-down education.

While we go gaga over friends who say “I love you” in Chinese, let’s remember that many non-English-speaking countries are spending big money to teach their citizens to interpret and speak idiomatic English.