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This is an excellent point and one that I agree with @Kate_OKeeffe
As China has grown in strategic relevance to the US, we've seen some ridiculous gatekeeping and con artistry. For those interested in natsec, it's become nigh impossible to work/study in China. https://twitter.com/Kate_OKeeffe/status/1336745328612171778
As China has grown in strategic relevance to the US, we've seen some ridiculous gatekeeping and con artistry. For those interested in natsec, it's become nigh impossible to work/study in China. https://twitter.com/Kate_OKeeffe/status/1336745328612171778
Does every strategist and reporter need to be fluent in Mandarin? No. Do we need more Mandarin speakers? Absolutely. Some people are brilliant at critical aspects to China policy and strategy, and terrible at others. What should matter for credentials for millennials and Zoomers?
Mandarin is an incredibly difficult language relative to others, just ask any instructor. But the answer to that problem is not to abandon Mandarin nor create an ivory tower to China policy that satisfies none of our natsec needs. We need a national educational overhaul
Mandarin is not taught in most schools in the US. And even then, most students would hardly risk trying to learn a difficult language at the expense of their GPA when it may not be fully relevant to their needs. If you want more speakers, cast a wide net and start young.
For right now, you're just gonna have to accept that we are in the dev stages of shifting US education towards one that focuses more on Asia. You're just gonna have to accept that if we want to keep ourselves safe, you gotta drop the standards that don't match up with reality.
