OT: languages (was chip designs)

This is getting way OT.

Tim Shoppa wrote:
linnix wrote:
By the way, English is irrevelant in many part of China.

There are lots of parts of China where strict official spoken Mandarin
is less likely to be understood than English. There's a reason why
Chinese movies come with Chinese subtitles.

In those area, neither Mandarin nor English would work at all, nor does
German, French and Spanish.


To be sucessful in Engineering in the future, perhaps kids should
learn some Chinese. You have to tell the workers what you want
to be done. Unfortunately, in many U.S. high schools, Chinese
is not even an option as foreign language.

Remember back in the late 80's/early 90's when all the schools started
emphasizing Japanese because it was the techno-economic colossus that
would take over the world?

Learning Chinese is a fine goal (gotta pick Mandarin or Cantonese or
other if you want spoken fluency though) but economic reasons shouldn't
drive everything in schools. Otherwise we'd have "Coca-Cola" class and
"Wal-Mart" class etc. already in grade school.

It's not just economic reasons. Our local high school (in San Diego's
no man land)
is requiring one of French, German or Spanish and not even offering
Mandarin
(a language of at least 25% world population). I am seriously
considering taking
my kids out of here, if I can afford the move.


Of course China actually has the population to be that colossus, I'm
just saying that teaching to the economic theory of the day isn't
always the best idea.

Tim.

.

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