Chinese language increasing in popularity in Liberia, United States, elsewhere

Three quick links to share:

• Chinese-language classes start in Liberia
• Why Chinese lessons are booming in the UK
• Chinese language study in the US along with American students studying overseas in China rising fast

Overall this is a positive trend, as the world has a need for another linguistic deadlock for the idea of a simple and neutral world language to break through again as was the case in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Also, the quickest way for Chinese to become a player on the linguistic world stage is to become spoken as a second language in more countries surrounding China itself, as the language right now is far too strongly concentrated in a single country, and one that is still on some unreliable footing (terrible environmental conditions, strife in the Uyghur-populated northwest). Be learned by a majority of people in nearby countries such as Mongolia and Vietnam though, and the language itself would be able to diversify in a way it never has been able to do before.

Ironically, the size of the country is actually a downside for the language. If China had remained a collection of smaller states instead of the gargantuan country it is now, Mandarin (or another variant) might have become the lingua franca of an entire region instead of a single country, one with a variety of countries and governmental systems. Also, since the eastern part of the country is by far the richest part, a smaller China more focused along the east would have had a higher GDP per capita and wouldn't have to concern itself with keeping track of what goes on in Central Asia.

Back to the main links: this is a good thing, though I still caution governments against enacting any nationwide programs for the study of Chinese considering 1) its lack of relation to any other languages nearby, and 2) the length of time it takes to learn it. What is more important to countries is the learning of the language of one's neighbour, such as this example of Zambia and Portuguese, or this example of the importance of Portuguese to the Spanish region of Extremadura.