China's rapid rise spurs Americans to learn Chinese	錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕金“猴拷錕斤拷錕餃★拷 錕斤拷學錕斤拷錕斤拷錕叫達拷錕斤拷錕?
A woman finds quiet solitude from the balcony atop Beijing's Drum Tower to practice her oral English. China is casting such a huge shadow on the United States that many Americans are scrambling to learn the Chinese language in a bid to retain their competitive edge.(AFP) China is casting such a huge shadow on the United States that many Americans are scrambling to learn the Chinese language in a bid to retain their competitive edge. "Interest in learning Chinese among American youth and their parents has grown dramatically in the past five years," said Vivien Stewart, vice president at the Asia Society, a US group trying to bridge the gap between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. China's dramatic rise to near superpower status and its telling effects politically, economically and culturally are driving the interest to learn the language, experts say. From kindergartens to high schools, studies by the Asia Society show, there is a "rapid rise" in interest among pupils to study the Chinese language. "The Chinese rich cultural traditions and blossoming economy mean that is now essential for all of our students to be better prepared to engage them and seize opportunities together," said Michael Levine, Asia Society's executive director of education. A 2004 College Board survey found that 2,400 high schools -- an incredibly high number -- would be interested in offering the Advanced Placement (AP) courses in Chinese language and culture when the courses become available in 2006. China, the world's most populous nation, is critical to the United States because it is a leading trader, consumer and investor. Its political influence is also rising across the globe. It has replaced the United States as the world's largest consumer and could become the second largest economy in the world, after the United States, in the next two to three decades. America's huge budget deficit, economists say, is being bankrolled by China to the tune of one billion dollars per day through its purchase of US Treasury bills -- 200 billion dollars last year and possibly as much as 300 billion dollars already this year. Even though the US State Department has designated the Chinese language "critical" to national prosperity and security, the "current infrastructure to support recruitment of students and teachers as well as the growth of high quality programs is woefully inadequate," an Asia Society study says. The Society has set a target of having at least five percent of American high school students learning Chinese by 2015. "Millions of Chinese are learning English, but only 24,000 Americans are learning Chinese," said Andrew Corcoran of the San Francisco-based Chinese American International School, the oldest Mandarin "immersion" program in the country. The most popular languages after English in US schools at present are Spanish and French. Japanese is the most-sought-after Asian language.   (Agencies)	錕斤拷錕叫癸拷錕斤拷錕較訛拷錕斤拷錕斤拷施錕斤拷影錕斤拷錕斤拷錕接幫拷攏錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕剿撅拷錕斤拷學習錕斤拷錕斤，希錕斤拷錕皆此憋拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕角的撅拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕狡★拷 錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕結集錕腳革拷錕杰詫拷維錕僥★拷斯圖錕斤拷錕斤拷說錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷去錕斤拷錕斤拷錕叫ｏ拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷塹母錕僥革拷錕窖�蠋涂藉K斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷趣錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷印錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕窖э拷錕街鹼拷錕轎�锟藉K斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕教�锟藉K斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕街�锟藉K斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷 專錕斤拷錕角憋拷示錕斤拷錕叫癸拷錕斤拷錕剿碉拷錕斤拷錕斤拷使錕斤拷錕金漸籌拷為錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷巍錕斤拷錕斤拷眉錕斤拷幕錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷影錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷些錕斤拷錕斤拷錕狡訛拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷學習錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕餃わ拷錕? 錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕斤拷錕斤拷芯錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷示錕斤拷錕斤拷錕階訛拷園錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕斤拷學錕斤拷學習錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕餃わ拷省錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕酵鳳拷錕? 錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷碩錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕剿碉拷錕斤拷錕斤拷泄錕斤拷岣伙拷錕斤拷幕錕斤拷錕酵籌拷錕斤拷錕斤拷俚木錕斤拷梅錕秸癸拷錕轎訛拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷塹錕窖э拷錕斤拷錕接ξ�学蠋涂藉K斤拷鎩�锟剿藉K斤拷泄錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕街碉拷準錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷抓住錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷同錕斤拷展錕僥伙拷錕斤拷錕斤拷" 2004錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕斤拷錕鉸伙拷牡錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕絞撅拷錕斤拷錕?006錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕叫癸拷錕斤拷錕皆鹼拷錕僥伙拷錕轎程猴拷全錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷2400錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕斤拷錕斤拷趣錕結供錕解方錕斤拷慕錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷蘅緯毯涂錕斤拷裕錕斤拷錕揭伙拷錕斤拷指叩鎂錕斤拷恕錕? 錕斤拷為錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕剿匡拷錕斤拷錕僥癸拷錕揭ｏ拷錕叫癸拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷說錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷要錕斤拷錕斤拷為錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷要錕斤拷貿錕階癸拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕窖癸拷錕斤拷投錕絞癸拷錕斤拷錕叫癸拷錕斤拷全錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕接幫拷錕斤拷錕揭詫拷誆錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕? 錕叫癸拷錕窖撅拷取錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷為全錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕窖癸拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕揭ｏ拷錕斤拷未錕斤拷20錕斤拷30錕斤拷錕節ｏ拷錕叫癸拷錕斤拷錕叫匡拷錕杰籌拷為錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷之錕斤拷錕餃�锟藉K節訛拷錕襟經鹼拷錕藉。 錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕斤拷錕角憋拷示錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷泄錕矯匡拷旃猴拷錕斤拷錕?0錕斤拷錕斤拷元錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷債錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕僥巨訛拷預錕斤拷錕斤拷植諾錕斤拷曰錕斤拷狻Ｈワ拷錕斤拷泄錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕秸�锟杰跺K轎?000錕節ｏ拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕疥到目前為止錕斤拷錕斤拷錕窖撅拷錕斤到3000錕斤拷錕斤拷元錕斤拷 錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷院指錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷怨錕斤拷業姆錕斤拷偌錕斤拷錕餃�锟藉K剿碉拷淺錕斤拷錕揭�锟藉K僥殼幫拷錕餃憋拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕窖э拷錕斤拷徒錕絞︼拷錕斤拷錕截伙拷錕斤拷錕斤拷施錕斤拷錕斤拷錕揭革拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕僥斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷目錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷水平錕斤拷錕潔當錕斤拷錕睫★拷 錕斤拷錕斤拷學錕斤拷錕窖撅拷錕借定目錕疥：錕斤拷2015錕疥，錕斤拷錕斤拷要錕斤拷5%錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷學學錕斤拷學習錕斤拷錕斤。 錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷泄錕斤拷錕斤拷錕窖�蠅微锟藉P�锟藉K街伙拷錕?.4錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷學習錕斤拷錕斤”錕斤拷位錕節舊斤拷山錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷學校錕僥幫拷錕斤拷魯錕斤拷錕狡匡拷錕斤拷指錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷全錕斤拷錕斤拷錕界開展錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷式錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕窖э拷錕窖�校锟藉K? 目前錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷學校錕叫ｏ拷錕斤拷英錕斤拷之錕解，錕斤拷錕斤拷錕叫碉拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷頭錕斤拷鎩ｏ拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷校錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷錕斤拷芑錕接�锟藉K揭伙拷錕斤拷錕斤拷浴錕?BR> 錕斤拷錕叫癸拷錕秸憋拷錕斤拷站錕誡）