Of the numerous fears which lurk at the back of every Westerner’s mind, perhaps none comes closer to actualization than the eventual dominance of
China and its future role as the dominant global superpower. This notion isn’t too far-fetched if you consider China’s growing population of about 1.3 billion people, its robust and massive workforce, and its rapidly-growing economy. Moreover, the media stereotypically portrays China as superior (or rather, will be superior) compared to its Western peers; posts from sites such as 9gag (Difficulty Level: Asian), exposure given by books like Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (and now, there’s also a Wolf Dad), and even racial discrimination in college admissions tests all point out to the supremacy of China.
I believe one major implication of this change would be of language. English has been the dominant language – the lingua franca for the international community – for the past century but will the rise of China signify the decline of the English language and the spread of the Chinese language (specifically, Mandarin Chinese)? Perhaps not, some would say. Despite the post-war hypergrowth experienced by Japan, use of its language still remains quite confined to its borders and its media. Moreover, others would point out that one of the primary reasons Singapore achieved such a rapid growth was due to its early adoption of the English language; it may not be their native language but this far-sighted decision enabled Singapore to better link with the global economy and improve its own as well.
Despite these varying insights into this issue, I believe the right thing to do would be to prepare for whatever happens. I take classes to learn about the Chinese language because I believe that whether or not Chinese would become the dominant language for the new century, it would nevertheless help me in connecting and networking with an increasingly dominant market.
KristianCruz 