The Learning Federation offers the Languages other than English project to increase high-quality digital learning resources and online tools for students to learn Chinese, Japanese and Indonesian. The Cracking the code part offers objects to learn and use the Chinese and Japanese character-based writing systems.
It seems reasonable that more U.S. schools should offer these languages for U.S. students to learn, in addition to Latin. (This is just one example of an online source for learning Latin. Do you know U.S. public schools that offer Latin instruction today, either in person or online?)
Why these languages in U.S. schools? Because, a high proportion of humans at the most advanced levels of thought and production know and use these languages in daily commerce and business as well as an increasing percentage in science and technology. Knowing one or more of these languages seems a relative advantage (if not an emerging requirement) for high school graduates wanting to enter and study in world class higher education.
Why Latin? The language has been dead for a long long time.
Good question. I see I did not and should have addressed the question about why learn Latin in school today. Thank you for the reminder. Much of scientific and other literature as well as diplomacy have been derived from languages related to Latin. Perhaps this base is shifting, but the roots of these bases remain the same. I’m not a specialist in languages. But, I understand from others (including dictionaries) that much of English and some other European languages are based on or derived from Latin. When people know Latin, many quickly learn other languages derived at least in part from Latin. I did not learn Latin. I was amazed how many preparing and practicing scholars and scientists in my era did know Latin. Their familiarity with Latin allowed them a great advantage in mastering scientific and other objective content at the most advanced levels. I had to learn that material in other ways in order to compete with them. Perhaps it was the discipline of learning Latin that gave them an advantage? In any case, they knew important things about meanings and other aspects of English words that I didn’t even know existed until I met these people. And I attended good schools as well as did OK in standard English grammar and vocabulary in schools. Thank you again for asking your question.
Different languages should be offered within the schools. This opportunity allows students to become culturally adapt to the diverse US culture.
Hello,I would like to share this website that helps people learn Chinese online: http://www.clearchinese.com. Take care 🙂
I think a very good complement to this kind of sites is to practise with a real teacher like in Linkua, live language tutoring.Classes are done via videoconference.
I would like to recommend My First Chinese Reader. It is a good chinese learning textbook for kids. Really Helpful