Mandarin Challenging English As Tongue of Diplomacy

Christian Science Monitor: Inside a brightly painted classroom, a circle of kindergarten kids sits facing their teaching assistant, a Filipina. “So what kind of present do you want from Santa?” she asks in English. “Do you want a toy? Who likes Barbie?” Some of the girls stick up their hands.

“We also have a Barbie for boys. What’s he called?” the teacher continues. Several voices overlap, all speaking in English. “Ken!” “I want boy Barbie!” “I too want, miss!” After the hubbub subsides, the day’s lesson begins: The sound made by the letters Q and U. | story

So-called Confucius Institutes are popping up all over the world to teach the language. | story