Why Americans feel no compulsion to learn foreign languages

[Timothy C. May]

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

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