America needs Mandarin speakers –or does it?

Given China’s ascension as a global economic power, many Americans now believe that learning Chinese will be a key to future career success. A recent article in The Guardian Weekly reports on this phenomenon, and explains the problems American schools will face as they attempt to integrate Mandarin into their curriculum. The article estimates that 100,000 American schoolchildren and students are studying Mandarin Chinese, either in private, public or specialized schools. But the shortage of qualified teachers in the USA will certainly curb the development of Chinese courses.

The complexity of this language represents another barrier. Take a look at Wikipedia’s lesson one in Mandarin and see if you are up to the task! This is why some critics of the Chinese craze conclude that since the Chinese are going to learn English anyway, young Americans would be better off improving their math skills rather than struggling with a language they may never master.

For the moment, it is likely that no one in your company speaks or writes fluent Mandarin. That’s why Language Translation Inc. works with qualified translators and interpreters in Mandarin and over 40 other languages. We also provide the project management and localization services which are so crucial to doing business in foreign cultures. Language Translation, Inc. has been in document translation business for 17 years. With a database of over 1,100 translators, we select the most qualified according to their areas of industry specialization.

Betty Carlson