becoming more marketable???
Growing up, I have always had an interest in learning things about other cultures. I know as a young child I thought it would be pretty cool to have the opportunity to also learn a second language. Although, for me this chance never came until high school, and when I did decide to learn Spanish as a second language, I was distracted by thoughts other than studying for that. So today, I can’t remember enough of it to have it be much of a use to me, other than potentially making it easier for me to relearn it.
Along the lines of this, a phenomenon that seems to be rising in popularity is the interest in Chinese culture and language. Many parents seem to want to get a jump start on getting their kids involved in this. In a world where China is becoming a big part of the international economy, parents view this as an opportunity to make their children a bit more marketable.
“It’s going to be a big advantage for them,” Mrs. Carlson said. “I think no matter what you do in life, if you have some kind of specialty that sets you apart from other people, that makes you more marketable.”
This particular quote came from an article out of the New York Times talking about the popularity of parents enrolling their students in classes to teach them Mandarin Chinese. This overall experience allows the students to learn a little bit more about a culture other than their own, as well as involving the parents to some degree.
Ms. Chiang, the school’s spokeswoman, said parents like Mr. Patterson gamely participated in celebrations like the Mandarin speech festival, public speaking contests in which students read in Mandarin something they have written or an excerpt from a book. “The parents sit and patiently listen,” she said, “supporting their children even though they don’t understand a word.”
Overall, I think that allowing students this opportunity gives them the chance to become more aware of cultures outside of themselves and what they know and to have some strong experiences interacting with that culture, and maybe ultimately becoming more sensitive to dealing with various cultures.
Non-Asians Show a Growing Interest in Chinese Courses
By NATASHA DEGEN
Published: November 29, 2006
First off, kudos for being cooler than me and not writing about No Child Left Behind. Second, This is interesting. I wonder if this cultural focus should be on cultures which traditionally American students know less about (like Mandarin Chinese) or if this could apply for any culture. Taking foreign language classes is a good start. This allows a brief glimpse into another language and therefore culture. I think that looking at foreign cultural literature could be another way to improve tolerance and understanding, as well as a great item in an English curriculum. Reading Native American or African folk tales, for example, could improve understanding of American poetry and tall tales. If we work in lower income / funded schools we could introduce different cultural literature into our lit classes. Especially if foreign languages classes are minimally offered.
Hi! I was really excited when I saw this post in my Google Reader. I’m a Spanish major so foreign language education is something which interests me a lot. I agree with what you said at the very end. I think that it is very important for students to be able to appreciate cultures that may be very different than their own. I suppose this ability makes them more “marketable” too, especially with so many businesses being spread out all over the world. I also think that it is important to start foreign language education early. There are many studies that show that it is easiest for kids to start learning another language if they are exposed to it before they are 18 monthes old! (PBS series, The Brain) I look forward to seeing what else you have to say on this subject,
Lauren
I think that this is an interesting topic and one that is not really looked at very often. I think more and more parents are wanting to be able to expand their child’s experiences and knowledge. I believe that it is easier for a child to learn a new language at a younger age rather than waiting for high school or college. One thing that I find interesting about this article is that the parents want to get their children started on Chinese because the economy is getting to be bigger and will someday maybe become a part of our business world as well. But what about here in our country? If I had children and I wanted them to start learning a second language this early I think that I would want it to be Spanish. Here in our country and even her in West Michigan more and more people are coming from all over the place that only speak Spanish, maybe a little bit of English to get them by. I would want my child to have more experience in a language that is right here right now rather than learning a language that way down the road they will have to possibly deal with.
I think that your post is really interesting and I completely agree with what you had to say. I am a staunch supporter of people being aware and knowledgeable of other cultures. While American culture may be a dominant one throughout the world, it is one of hundreds. It is important for people to know about other cultures, not only to be more marketable but also to be able to make informed decisions. It seems that so often today people make judgments about other people or cultures without knowing any factual information about them. No one should be able to criticize someone from another culture without first having background information in that culture. In addition, I think it is highly important that children learn a second language early in life, whether it be something traditional like Spanish or French, or something different such as Chinese or Arabic. I have taken a lot of classes on the Islamic Middle East this past year, and it floors me how little of this information I knew beforehand. The Middle East is such a huge part of discussions in the media and American life in general, and many people know nothing about it. They make ignorant comments but can’t back it up with any palpable facts. Schools need to start teaching students more about world cultures and helping them to have a more universal outlook on life.
Hi Dana!
This post is really interesting, and so unbelievably true. Although you focused on Chinese culture and language, it’s pretty obvious that extensive knowledge in a second language is definitely beneficial to young graduates. At first, I was a bit taken back when you used the word “marketable” to describe the advantages individuals who are involved in foreign languages have. Now that I consider it, “marketable” is the perfect word. Technically, the job market is basically a huge competition between individuals who are specialized in given fields. The individual who has that advantage of knowing the language and culture of a separate nationality is most likely going to get a given job before an individual who doesn’t have those skills. I think I finally realized why my parents pushed my sisters and me to take four years of Spanish classes. Chances are I will probably encourage my students to learn a foreign language because my experience with foreign language has definitely been beneficial. In addition to making an individual more “marketable,” I found that Spanish really helped to develop my understanding of linguistics and English in general. I’m looking forward to reading future posts!
Megan Roers
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