Study Chinese or Spanish?

[roo_ster]

http://isteve.blogspot.com/2010/12/nicholas-kristof-opines-in-nyt.html

Summary
The usual neurotic hyper-competitive parenting types have moved from violin lessons to Chinese language lessons for their progeny.

A discussion as to the utility of Chinese for an American child.  Also, a reflection on one of the past hot languages for kids to learn, Spanish.

My Take
In retrospect, I think the language that would have been of the most use to my own self would have been Latin.  It gives the usual secondary benefits of second-language learning (emphasis on grammar) but also provides mush insight into the latin-derived parts of English.

Second to Latin would be German, for reasons similar to Latin (secondary benefits and German roots of English).

I write that after six years of Spanish language instruction at the high school level, which turned out pretty useless, except for the short time I spent living in Miami, which has a rather thick slice of Spanish-speakers of middle & upper class descent.  Unless I decide to run a crew of illegal alien laborers, my Spanish will remain near useless.  Like the author of the article, I found it most useful when traveling (for pleasure) south of the border.

Having done business with many foreign customers, English is the business language of choice, even when there are no native English-speakers in the room. 

Of course, some professions require the ability to speak, write, & understand different languages.  Also, if one desires to live in a foreign-language speaking country such an effort is not wasted.

[MicroBalrog]

People still care what Nicholas Kristof has to say?

I will cast another vote for Latin.

In terms of foreign languages, I think it is a bad idea to teach a child a language based on your understanding of what country is more important in terms of trade and world power status. If China's economy implodes - as many people predict it might - or their government collapses, and China's status is downgraded five years from now, your investment goes down in flames.

[Ben]

Just study whatever language they used in Bladerunner, that way you'll have your bases covered. 

[Doggy Daddy]

If China's economy implodes - as many people predict it might - or their government collapses, and China's status is downgraded five years from now, your investment goes down in flames.

No, not at all.  You'll have a strong advantage in bargaining with the new day laborors at Home Depot.

DD

[Doggy Daddy]

Just study whatever language they used in Bladerunner, that way you'll have your bases covered. 

All I need to know is enough to communicate with Rachael.

DD

[seeker_two]

Depending on the little ones' career choices, I'd vote Farsi or Arabic....we'll still be messing with that part of the world for a long time....

[lee n. field]

In retrospect, I think the language that would have been of the most use to my own self would have been Latin.  It gives the usual secondary benefits of second-language learning (emphasis on grammar) but also provides mush insight into the latin-derived parts of English.

Ditto.  Or Greek.

[vaskidmark]

Having travelled the world extensively as a child/teen, I found that it was best to learn at least three phrases in the language of any country I found myeslf:

1 - "Two beers, please."  (Shows manners, and shows you have ordered a beer for yourself as well as the person who is about to become your new friend.)

2 - "I want to contact the American Counsulate."  (Obvious, on so many levels.)

3 - "How much is that in American money?"  (E.g.: early 1950's Italy - geegaw I wanted to purchase was something like 500,000 lira, or about $0.06 American.)

It is better to learn the language of those you hope to be supervising, although also knowing some of the language of your new overlords cannot hurt, especially if you do not let on you understand what they are saying.  I'd go with conversational Latin American Spanish over Chinese, Arabic, Farsi or Urdu.  Knowing one brand of Chinese is not knowing all brands of Chinese.  The Caliphate will not care to be spoken to as if you were one of them.  Latin & German are good for academic study of languages, but conversational ability beats readin' & writin' hands down.

stay safe.

[280plus]

"Where is the restroom" doesn't hurt either. 

My answer would be it depends on if you expect the Mexicans or the Chinese to take us over first. 

+1 for Latin though. I hated it then but I appreciate the value now and wish maybe I worked a little harder at it.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

chinese   1/3 of the world does

[freakazoid]

Hasn't anybody learned anything from Firefly? Chinese is the future. 

[Scout26]

Hasn't anybody learned anything from Firefly? Chinese is the future. 

This.

Over 1 billion Chinese speakers.  Mandarin would be my choice.  (worst case, you'll always be able to order fluently in just about any Chinese Restaurant)

I did not take Latin in High Screwl (it was offered), I took German, which came in handy when I was stationed there, and Etymology which has proven to be invaluable, even though I was a PITA to my teacher in that class. 

[AmbulanceDriver]

If they're in the U.S.?   How about they learn ENGLISH, and then once they've actually managed to quit speaking in text/lolcat/l33t, then we can worry about what other language would be good? 

:)

[CNYCacher]

Having travelled the world extensively as a child/teen, I found that it was best to learn at least three phrases in the language of any country I found myeslf:

1 - "Two beers, please."  (Shows manners, and shows you have ordered a beer for yourself as well as the person who is about to become your new friend.)

2 - "I want to contact the American Counsulate."  (Obvious, on so many levels.)

3 - "How much is that in American money?"  (E.g.: early 1950's Italy - geegaw I wanted to purchase was something like 500,000 lira, or about $0.06 American.)

You reminded me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyAAe8QwoRQ&feature=related#t=2m12s  

[P5 Guy]

Mandarin or another Chinese dialect. Forget Spanish whatever dialect.

[White Horseradish]

I learned English. It worked out. I took a couple of years of Spanish, I can't really hold a conversation. In my 20 years in US Spanish has been rather marginally useful.

My kids take Chinese. This was really just a function of what was offered in the school we chose. The unexpected side effect of this turned out to be that my wife got really into it after trying to check their homework. Now she takes Chinese classes on her own. We will see how useful that turns out to be.

[mtnbkr]

I live in Northern Virginia.  We have a lot of Spanish speaking people here.  2/3 of my daughter's school is Hispanic.  At 7, she already knows a smattering of Spanish words and phrases.  My 2yo knows a few Spanish words from watching Dora The Border Explorer.

I work for a multinational corporation with coworkers and customers world-wide.  Who is most likely to send me an email in their native tongue?  Spanish speaking employees/customers.  Dutch, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, etc all communicate with me via English and pretty decent English at that.  The Spanish speaking ones use a dialect of English so bad, I have to run it through Google Translate.

Spanish would be the most useful to me by far.

Chris

[Jocassee]

A complete and total mastery of English is far more valuable to any child. I am able to compete with many people who are far smarter than I am because I can speak and write well.

[zahc]

Spanish would be the most useful by far. Although I'm a Texican so maybe I'm biased. I also think that a working grasp of Spanish will probably take about 1/5th as long as a similar level of Chinese.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Spanish is more useful than Chinese, unless you plan on spending quality time in that country or making out with hawt illegal Chinese immigrants. The Chinese generally speak English, while many Spanish-speakers don't. Spanish would also give you an extra 'in' if you wanted a .gov job near the southern border. I've seen several PDs that required applicants know Spanish.

[mtnbkr]

A complete and total mastery of English is far more valuable to any child. I am able to compete with many people who are far smarter than I am because I can speak and write well.

Psst...clue fairy here...we're talking about languages in addition to English.

Chris

[Scout26]

Well mtnbkr, we have a new name for your avatar: "The Clue Fairy".

 

[280plus]

I'd say base your decision on what might be more useful in your area. Spanish might be more useful than Chinese in the SW US for example.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

a round eye who can really speak chinese will never lack for work  one who can write it even more so, though it shocks the chinese when they hear chinese well spoken by non chinese. my dad speaks chinese and sometimes folks do a double take at this mick speaking their language. both my critters are learning from ni- ni   and oldest one has a chinese middle name