• SorryImLate@piefed.social
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    10 days ago

    New world order on its way. I wonder how long it will take Western countries to start offering Mandarin in school.

    Edit to add: To clarify: I don’t mean offered as an optional language but as mandatory, the way English is right now in, for example, Switzerland.

      • SorryImLate@piefed.social
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        10 days ago

        Possible but not required. I meant as a replacement for how English is currently a mandatory foreign language in many European countries.

    • allywilson@lemmy.ml
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      10 days ago

      …Pretty sure it was offered 20 years ago in Scotland, a friend’s son was doing it.

    • FrChazzz@lemmus.org
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      10 days ago

      I knew of a lot of racist types in my youth (so, 25+ years ago) who would encourage kids to learn Mandarin because “in a few years we’ll all be working for them.”

    • Brummbaer@pawb.social
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      10 days ago

      I don’t think that will ever happen, China is not imperialist enough for that.

      • Bilb!@lemmy.ml
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        10 days ago

        Won’t require that as much as a demand from local business to produce a workforce that can do business with China.