At 12:41 AM 3/28/96, Charles Bell wrote:

On Wed, 27 Mar 1996, Timothy C. May wrote:

...

There is not a single foreign language I can think of it that would help me in my goals or help anyone I know. This is the reality of a world dominated by English-speaking persons and in which all technical people learn English.

I guess you don't know anyone who expects to do extensive business in China during the 21st Century.

Unpersuasive. And school systems are unpersuaded as well, as very few offer classes in Mandarin. A notoriously difficult language to learn, especially to write. (A friend of mine spent 8 years learning Japanese, a somewhat similar language, and made only moderate progress.) The "needed for business" is what sparked the mini-boomlet in Russian classes in the 70s, then the larger boomlet in Japanese classes in the 80s. Most of these lessons were wasted. In any case, the issue is not the classes taken by _some_ (the few percent who study Russian, Japanese, Mandarin, etc.), but the topic of this thread: "Why Americans feel no compulsion to learn foreign languages." Or do you think Mandarin should be taken by high school and college students so they can do business in China? Reality Check: I know the folks moving to the PRC to set up Intel's operations there. They are native speakers of Mandarin, of which there are already a vast number in U.S. electronics companies. The notion that Suzi T. Nelson should take Mandarin in high school to help prepare for the 21st century is absurd, and any guidance counselor who so advises her should be fired forthwith. --Tim May Boycott "Big Brother Inside" software! We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, we know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^756839 - 1 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."