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Old 06-13-2012, 02:38 PM
 
16 posts, read 37,341 times
Reputation: 17

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Houston is opening a new Mandarin Chinese Immersion school and I am so excited to send my children there and I think it is a great opportunity.
But I am a little apprehensive and so is Dh.

I really think the school is a good idea and my kids love writing the chinese characters. But we are in Houston and with so many spanish speakers here and in the south,
We feel Spanish still needs to be learned. I have only taught my kids the basics in spanish and I need to find away to take them to the next level to fluency.

The spanish Immersion schools here were never an option because they don't perform nearly high enough for my expectations for an elementary school.
I wish the Manderin school could somehow incorporate Spanish as a fee based afterschool program so it doesn't take away from daily studies.
The students are at a good age to learn multiple languages.


What do you all think? Would you send you child to the new Mandarin Immersion school? How would you incorporate spanish if you want your kids to be multilingual?
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:17 PM
 
18,045 posts, read 25,094,259 times
Reputation: 16731
That's a tough one,
My first language is Spanish, but the fact that there's such a huge Spanish community in Houston, all of Texas and Mexico's proximity, I think is better to learn Spanish.

Mandarin is good because is a very difficult language, I learned some, but it takes a hell lot of work and time to learn it.
Keep in mind, that once you learn a second language, it's a lot easier to learn other languages because you "got the trick" on how to learn a language.
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:37 PM
 
16 posts, read 37,341 times
Reputation: 17
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dopo View Post
That's a tough one,
My first language is Spanish, but the fact that there's such a huge Spanish community in Houston, all of Texas and Mexico's proximity, I think is better to learn Spanish.

Mandarin is good because is a very difficult language, I learned some, but it takes a hell lot of work and time to learn it.
Keep in mind, that once you learn a second language, it's a lot easier to learn other languages because you "got the trick" on how to learn a language.
Thanks

This is true and I think Spanish is easier to learn than Mandarin, but I thought it would be better to learn the more difficult language first and have more years to practice it, So it will be a breeze to learn another language after that.

Or pehaps learn the languages simultaneously, but I don't know how to incorporate it. Because my kids have learned the colors, shapes, numbers and greetings very easily in both languages. So I know if they can be immersed in the two then it would be good for them.
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:40 PM
 
Location: Sugar Land
2,465 posts, read 5,766,674 times
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Yeah, like the spanish is going to be a world economy :-) All you need to know in spanish is the basic, beer, lawn, fajita and few more words. And no this is not intended to be racist or anything like that. I strongly disagree with foreign people speaking and expecting their own language to be the primary one of use i.e. Spanish. You live in USA and the only language is ENGLISH. I never got this. But that's not what the OP asked....

Go for Mandarin. My kids are half Chinese and they're taking Mandarin and Cantonese, and I am doing the same If their life journey takes them toward Asia where a lot of things will happen, then they will be in competitive advantage.
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Old 06-13-2012, 04:48 PM
 
Location: InnerLoop
366 posts, read 793,586 times
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I would definitely take Mandarin. This will be a huge asset as they get into the professional working world. Also, it's easier to learn Spanish, which you can find friends or family or internet to teach you. Mandarin on the other hand, you'll want an instructor.
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:37 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX (Bellaire)
4,900 posts, read 13,677,885 times
Reputation: 4187
Quote:
Originally Posted by ethanw View Post
Yeah, like the spanish is going to be a world economy :-) All you need to know in spanish is the basic, beer, lawn, fajita and few more words. And no this is not intended to be racist or anything like that. I strongly disagree with foreign people speaking and expecting their own language to be the primary one of use i.e. Spanish. You live in USA and the only language is ENGLISH. I never got this. But that's not what the OP asked....

Go for Mandarin. My kids are half Chinese and they're taking Mandarin and Cantonese, and I am doing the same If their life journey takes them toward Asia where a lot of things will happen, then they will be in competitive advantage.
The US has no official language and is made up of immigrants from every language group so I don't have a problem with people speaking other languages, but they are doing themselves and their kids a disservice not to learn fluent English since that is the standard for communication and business in the country.

I tried to learn Mandarin in college and man it is tough. I could not get the inflections down, Spanish is a piece of cake in comparison.
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Old 06-13-2012, 05:48 PM
 
Location: Sugar Land
2,465 posts, read 5,766,674 times
Reputation: 2733
I am not saying don't speak your own language. Please do and that's embracing diversity. But don't go to a police station, hospital or store or pharmacy and expect them to be speaking spanish, right :-)

Yeah Mandarin will kick your arse that's for sure.This is my fifth language and even with all dexterity around learning new languages, this one will indeed kick your arse. My wife speaks Mandarin and Cantonese in the house so I am forced to learn. Sink or swim :-)


Quote:
Originally Posted by chris_ut View Post
The US has no official language and is made up of immigrants from every language group so I don't have a problem with people speaking other languages, but they are doing themselves and their kids a disservice not to learn fluent English since that is the standard for communication and business in the country.

I tried to learn Mandarin in college and man it is tough. I could not get the inflections down, Spanish is a piece of cake in comparison.
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Old 06-13-2012, 06:09 PM
 
Location: Westbury
3,283 posts, read 6,020,808 times
Reputation: 2950
In the professional working world I have never been expected to know Mandarin. I've only worked with/had to deal with a handful of Chinese and they all lived in Europe and spoke English. Unless you believe in the hyperbole theory of Chinese world colonialism why demand that of your child?

I have had to rely on my Spanish language skills. both in my work now and in routine life. Your kids will likely have hispanic friends who speak Spanish. It would be fun and a way to practice the language for a kid to have bilingual friends. Spanish opens the door to learning/mastering Italian and French. Bust out three foreign languages pretty easy.
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Old 06-13-2012, 11:06 PM
 
834 posts, read 2,675,265 times
Reputation: 527
Quote:
Originally Posted by LisaBrown713 View Post
Houston is opening a new Mandarin Chinese Immersion school and I am so excited to send my children there and I think it is a great opportunity.
But I am a little apprehensive and so is Dh.

I really think the school is a good idea and my kids love writing the chinese characters. But we are in Houston and with so many spanish speakers here and in the south,
We feel Spanish still needs to be learned. I have only taught my kids the basics in spanish and I need to find away to take them to the next level to fluency.

The spanish Immersion schools here were never an option because they don't perform nearly high enough for my expectations for an elementary school.
I wish the Manderin school could somehow incorporate Spanish as a fee based afterschool program so it doesn't take away from daily studies.
The students are at a good age to learn multiple languages.


What do you all think? Would you send you child to the new Mandarin Immersion school? How would you incorporate spanish if you want your kids to be multilingual?
Your decision to send your child to a language immersion school is for you and your spouse to make. There are many reasons that you can decise for/against an immersion school, some of which you mentioned already.

There are many after-school programs that come to the school or you go to them for learning additional languages. These are excellent options for kids in traditional curriculums that want to learn other languages.

Early Language Centers go to various HISD schools to teach Spanish, French and/or Chinese. At least the school near my house, the Early Language Center teacher comes to the classroom at the school. So for the kid, it's like an extra class once or twice a week after the regular school is over.

Dual Achievement is also a non profit organization that teaches Spanish in some schools as well as community centers (Southside Place community center is one).
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Old 06-14-2012, 09:05 AM
 
Location: InnerLoop
366 posts, read 793,586 times
Reputation: 390
In the professional world, if your resume says you're fluent in Mandarin, it will definitely stand out vs being fluent in Spanish. It's a supply and demand thing - even if you aren't doing business with Chinese, Russians, zombies, whatever. As a hiring manager, what sets you apart from the others can be a great asset and often the deal maker.
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