Take Away English-British school says, “Learn Mandarin”英国学校说

Mandarin1 from the autumn " width="203" src="/upimg/allimg/071026/1643481.jpg" /> Young British learners will study Mandarin from the autumn

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 compulsory².

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 radical³” 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 portfolio⁴, 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.

GLOSSARY 词汇表
fastest growing economy 增长速度最快的经济 top priority 优先重点 head start 先行一步 headmaster 校长 radical 激进派 portfolio 技巧 national trend 全国趋势 overtake 超越 predicted 预测	striking deals 签合同 stay ahead 保持领先地位 fee paying private school 收费私校 native Chinese pupils 土生土长的中国学生 good record 好记录 key tasks 关键任务 looks set 看上去已成定局 in comparison with 同…相比 level of growth 增长水平

 

1 Mandarin   

n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的

参考例句：

• Just over one billion people speak Mandarin as their native tongue.大约有十亿以上的人口以华语为母语。
• Mandarin will be the new official language of the European Union.普通话会变成欧盟新的官方语言。

2 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

4 portfolio   

n.公事包；文件夹；大臣及部长职位

参考例句：

• He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
• He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。