It's the world’s fastest growing economy and shows no sign of slowing down, so striking deals with Chinese businesses is now the top priority for every British company that wants to stay ahead in global trade. Now schools in the United Kingdom want to give their students a head start by teaching them Mandarin – and they are making it compulsory.
Brighton College is a fee paying private school on the south coast of Britain and already teaches Latin, Spanish and French to its 1,200 pupils. Students can choose between these languages, but from the autumn, which is the beginning of the new academic year in British schools, every student must study Mandarin whether they like it or not.
Richard Cairns, headmaster of Brighton College, describes the move as “all the more radical” as there is “only a handful” of native Chinese pupils studying at the College. Mr. Cairns is considered something of a radical himself as he too will begin Mandarin classes in September - as a pupil in an ordinary class of students.
Cairns is convinced that teaching Mandarin is essential for his students that already have a good record in succeeding in business. With Mandarin added to a pupil’s portfolio, that record can be sustained and improved. He said: “One of my key tasks is to make sure pupils are equipped for the realities of the 21st century and one is that China has the fastest growing economy.”
Brighton College is following a national trend as studying Chinese to the British A-level standard looks set to overtake Spanish and German, according to recent figures showing the number of students taking language examinations.
The increase in popularity of Mandarin in comparison with Spanish has been the most surprising, with a 50 per cent increase since 2001 to 2,062 candidates last year. Spanish attracted 2,561. It is predicted that if that level of growth continues, the studying of Mandarin in the U.K. could overtake Spanish in less than five years.
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