“Kansan, April 27, 2006

Spanish seems to be the second language of choice in America.  But given the economic impact of China, Mandarin Chinese should be the first second language.

En vogue right now is Spanish.  Our generation seemingly has been cognizant of this concern since we were in kindergarten learning how to count to diez.  Now more than ever, with the increased presence of Latino culture coming to the North American scene, more bilingual individuals are desired in various professions - from marketing to hospitality or politics - in order to reach this continuing burgeoning demographic.

Looking further down the line; however, there’s another language that will be taking over as the one to learn:  Mandarin Chinese.  Just to give you some idea of the importance China has even within our own community, the country bought more than $300 million in Kansas goods and services last year - making it the third leading buyer - according to the state Department of Commerce.

Luckily, if you have contemplated learning the most widely spoken language in the world in anticipation of the growing financial and cultural exchange between the United States and China…”

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