Should my daughter learn another language?

What language is she already studying at school?

Are you saying your first language is Chinese? Most people in the world seem to learn English as their second language but it depends where you live.

If you are living in a country where your usual language is not spoken you should learn that countries language first.

English

We speak English.My husband has business with Chinese now so he want our girl speak Chinese

I don't know of any reason why an English-speaking thirteen year old shouldn't learn Chinese. Go for it.

If she wants to. Maybe she has enough studying to do already.

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The daughter of a friend of mine from Oxfordshire days didn't learn Chinese (Mandarin) until she went to university. She is now fluent. hulala, maybe your daughter could wait till she's older. I don't think it would matter.

I have always found that learning other languages – providing that they are well and interestingly taught – is great fun. I also believe that you can never begin to understand another culture until you have at least a grasp of the language. I don't think it matters what age someone is when they start to learn another language – I a 65 and going for it – but I think it might be easier when your are young. If Chinese (Mandarin?) is what she wants, then why not? Equally, I don't think it matters whether it's a much easier European language, such as Spanish, or something fairly obscure, like ancient Greek.

Mandarin looks like it might be a commercially useful language to learn because, in spite of the current downturn in the Chinese economy, it remains one of the most important economies in the world. BUT not everything is to do with making money; sometimes it is to do with self-satisfaction and doing something which gives you joy.

Thank you all. Thank you ,thatbags, I should not so much worried about my girl. Especially Joyjoyer.Thank you for your recommend.I will let my girl to take a try and then decide by herself.

hulala
This idea seems all a bit vague and you have not given us enough information for anyone to offer any ideas which may help you decide.

Where do you live now and where does she go to school at present?
Why are you thinking about Chinese?

As I said before, it depends what your daughter wants to do after school as a job? Does she want to learn another language, or is it you who wants this?
Forcing a 13 yr old to learn something they are not interested in is a waste of time and possibly money.

hiabsent I think we all should learn from you. Never give up learning!I just want my girl to learn something she want and do that happily.

NelliemoserMy husband and I just want to offer her some suggestion from our learning experience.She use English as her first language and I think she likes Chinese because she want to go to China for her next spring holiday.
As a mom,I do want her to learn the things that may do good for her career in the future but the paramount thing is her happiness.

I think whatever we learn is rarely wasted. I am learning a language which is quite unlike the several European languages that I already speak (some better than others). I'm having a ball but also work assiduously to get it right and am simultaneously learning about a culture that chimes with my experience and culture but, equally, is different in many ways too. How exciting is that?

The more we understand each other, the better the world will be.

P.s. Whatever anyone's age and whatever they are learning – be it advanced mathematics, psychology, biochemistry, or graphic design – should be fun. The shear joy of learning something new!

I think learning Mandarin would be a great idea, especially if you and your husband are encouraging her - my two year old DGS is learning it at a nursery he attends, and so we and his parents are picking it up by default
His nursery is multinational-including Russian, French, Spanish, German and Chinese children.

Fantastic opportunities to learn, I'm quite envious!

I think this OP and further input from joyjoyer is a sales pitch.

Huala You seem to know what you want for your daughter and I am not sure how us GNrs can advise you further.

You have not told us where you live or what your daughter is already doing at school and unless we know more about your daughter's situation we cannot make any really helpful suggestions.

I suggest you look at Joyjoyer's post.

Jane10 I was wondering about that. It's just one of those feelings and the tone of the OP.

I think perhaps Hulala and Joyjoyer will be able to help teach Chinese themselves Their names suggest they're familiar with the language.

I see others before me - Jane10 and MiniMouse have said what I'd been thinking. The whole thread really does not ring true. Hulala comes across as likely to be Chinese herself, not just her name but her style of English usage.

Yes Ashtree I agree. I have a Chinese friend, so the language used was a clue, too!

I am not a native English speaker but what does this matters?I am a Korean that's why I think it's good for my Girl to learn Chinese.My girl don't want to learn Korean.Besides, Korean is evolved from Chinese.I never learned Chinese before while I know Chinese is hard to learn so I worried about my daughter that whether she can learn it well.
I don't want to tell details about my daughter just for the safety consideration.
And I think you guys need to go back to see what absent had said.He inspired me a lot.

In your case, it surely makes every sense for her to learn Chinese- due to connections. It will put her at a real advantage professionally and in so many other ways. What is your own language?

Sorry - posts crossed. Yes if your language is Korean, it makes every sense.

. I thought this all along. Also redolent of earlier school shoes conversations...

I think I am determinded now.I will let my girl to make choice by herself.As
an Asian mother,though live abroad for nearly 15 years, there are some traditional teaching views in my mind that never vanish.I think that's where you guys won't understand.

And thank you all for your suggestions.Nomatter it is a suggestion from long learning experience from Nelliemoserand absent or sales spam as you said .All those do good to me and offer me more choices to choose. I really appreciate that.

(As for my username, I'd like to recommend a song .The theme song of Dae Jang Geum.It's a old tv series you may not know about but that's one of my favorite )