St. John's Military School Prepares Cadets to Become International Leaders by Adding Mandarin Chinese Language Classes to its Curriculum

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Jan 09, 2017, 05:00 ET

SALINA, Kan., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- St. John's Military School is preparing its cadets to excel in an increasingly global economy. Professor Xiaotian "Marcus" Gao is teaching cadets at St. John's Military School how to effectively communicate in Mandarin Chinese-- now the most widely spoken language in the world. By expanding its foreign language curriculum to include Mandarin Chinese, St John's Military School continues to evolve its academic offering to best prepare cadets to become leaders in an international workforce.

To further engage his students and better prepare them to become leaders in the international marketplace, Gao places an extra emphasis on learning about Chinese history and culture. Monday through Thursday Gao teaches cadets to recognize, write, and pronounce Mandarin Chinese characters. On Friday, he focuses entirely on teaching the cadets about China's unique culture, further preparing them for the realities of a global economy.

According to the Ethnologue research project, there are currently 897 million Mandarin Chinese speakers in the world across 14 primary countries. After several centuries of the West leading the global economy, China is on course to outpace its western neighbors. Already the second largest economy in the world, China has powerful economic ties to such global powerhouses as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Russia.

As the business world has realized the growing importance of China in the global economy, a growing number of students of all ages are interested in gaining proficiency in the Mandarin Chinese language. According to CCTA America, in 2010 alone, 750,000 people from around the world took the Official Chinese Proficiency Test with the goal of becoming one of the millions now speaking the world's most popular language.

"China is the second biggest powerhouse country in the world," said Gao. "A growing number of American companies are partnering with Chinese-based businesses. The ability to effectively communicate using Mandarin Chinese is becoming a growing requirement in the global economy, and St. John's Military School is well-positioning its cadets to excel in this new global workforce."

Not only is St. John's Military School's new Mandarin Chinese curriculum preparing cadets for future success in business and international politics, it's helping to create an environment where the school's international students feel welcomed and understood. With an emphasis on recruiting international students, St. John's Military School's Mandarin Chinese classes are fostering an appreciation of Chinese culture and helping to form friendships between Chinese and American students.

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