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Language of the future sounds like Chinese

From nursery school to Yale, China's global rise fuels interest

August 27, 2007 - Eve is kneeling on the classroom floor, her lime-green socks adding a little flair to her red summer dress.

 

As the 5-year-old and her classmates sing the kids' classic, "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes," she points to the corresponding body parts of the stuffed seal she carries. The scene in Hartford could be any preschool in America. Except the lyrics - "Tóer jiânbãng xî jiãozhi" - are in Chinese.

 

In the past two years, U.S.-China trade has soared nearly 50 percent, and China leapfrogged over Mexico to become our second-biggest trade partner behind Canada. China's growing global economic and political influence is fueling increases in teacher and student exchanges in Connecticut schools and driving a statewide push to educate children on all things Chinese.

 

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