Frankly speaking, for an American kid, it is a no brainer that the emphasis
of early language learning should be on English. In school or at work, he or
she will be judged by how eloquently (s)he speaks/writes in English or how
well (s)he understands the American culture, political/legal system, and the
Western tradition/religion. As to the essence of the Chinese culture, that
is secondary, a bonus at most, for the young American, just like playing
piano or drawing. Granted, one can choose Chinese over piano as the subject
for extracurricular activities. That is a personal choice question, even
though musical training adds another dimension to the full definition of
being a human. But Chinese over English?? It is more like an arbitrary and
capricious choice to serve the goal of early education.
Similar to the stock market, time value and investment strategies play a
role in preparing our kids for the future by investing early on subjects
with greater potential to be the winner in the long run.
