A growing number of parents are enrolling their babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in foreign-language classes — and the numbers are expected to rise. “The popularity of such shows as Dora the Explorer, which teaches Spanish, and Ni Hao Kai-lan, which teaches Mandarin Chinese, suggests that parents want to be more proactive in jump-starting foreign language education for their children,” says Yani A. Peyton, a bilingual mother of twins.

 

Given China’s vast population, growing economy, and increasing political power, experts recommend learning Mandarin Chinese, the main spoken dialect. “The language’s tones make it sound more like a song, which is a tool utilized in teaching young children for other subjects. The written characters look like pictures, which appeals to younger children who are usually visual learners,” says Nicole St. Leger, a teacher of Mandarin Chinese at Canterbury School of Florida in St. Petersburg.

 

Corinne Dillon, founder of Discover Mandarin believes that “learning Mandarin provides key insights into one of the world’s oldest, continuous civilizations, which also happens to be the world’s fastest growing economy.” Learning the language is beneficial for your child’s future career prospects. “Employers in our country and other countries need people to speak Mandarin to conduct business. This is not a trend that is going to be changing any time soon,” St. Leger says.

 

At What Age Should Kids Star Learning Mandarin?

Experts say that kids should begin to learn a foreign language from a young age; the younger, the better. “A child is born with the ability to learn any language in the world,” explains Caryn Antonini, creator of Early Lingo (earlylingo.com). “The older the child gets, certain windows close in terms of language acquisition, but so long as the child learns the language before puberty [age 12 or 13], the child should be able to speak with a native accent.” If you can’t afford lessons right now, books, CDs, and DVDs in your language of choice can be effective. “Children can still learn from a parent who is not fluent. The important aspect is that the parent is available to learn alongside the child and interact. Fluency is not necessary,” says Andrew Finan, who runs a language blog