In the US K-12 educational system, foreign language learning is a staple. It helps students broaden their worldview, and, according to the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages, learning a second language enables individuals to “effectively function in the modern global marketplace.” 

Mandarin was previously offered at Baldwin, but was removed entirely from the curriculum in 2022. 

Mandarin Chinese was first introduced to Baldwin for Lower and Upper School in 2010. In 2012, it was introduced to the Middle School. Latin was available to Middle School students from sixth grade onwards, and students could decide whether to take exclusively either French or Spanish in seventh grade. 

In 2017, Mandarin was removed from the Middle and Upper School curriculums. This was the result of Mandarin Chinese experiencing “a pronounced decrease in enrollment,” according to Madame Mariette, the Head of the Language Department. 

Additionally, Mme Mariette said, “It was important for our program to establish continuity across divisions.” 

For that reason, in 2022, Baldwin made the decision to eliminate Mandarin from the Lower School curriculum as well as reinstate French and Spanish. This maintained more of the “continuity” throughout grades Pre-K to 12, and students could have—as Mme Mariette said—“a longer and deeper interaction with the languages and cultures that they study.”

Mme Mariette says, “This decision was not made lightly. In a small school such as Baldwin, we can’t sustain a program when very few students decide to continue their Mandarin Chinese studies beyond Lower School.”

 Additionally, students now have an easier transition from Lower School to Middle School in Spanish and French, since they already have a basic understanding of those languages. Familiarity with the languages allows students to make an informed choice about what they will study in Middle School. 

However, there could also be perceived downsides to removing Mandarin from the Baldwin curriculum.

 According to US News and World Report, “Chinese proficiency will provide American students with more opportunities as they work to enhance our relationship with a powerful economy.” According to the Statista Research Department, Mandarin is the second-most spoken language in the world, with about 1.1 billion native speakers. 

Learning Mandarin, especially at a young age, can provide students with a new cultural perspective; for older students, the language could open up more career opportunities.

Regardless, it is important to acknowledge that at Baldwin, as Mme Mariette said, “Studying a language is a way to connect with people in other parts of the world, and understand their values.”

New language-learning opportunities are available even late in students’ careers; seniors have the option to take Introduction to Ancient Greek and Introduction to Arabic in addition to French, Spanish, or Latin. 

Baldwin students are lucky to attend a school where so much time, thought, and effort is invested into the language curriculum. However, increasing the range of languages students have access to at a young age is key to encouraging cultural appreciation and connection. Reinstituting Mandarin–in addition to, not as a replacement of, the Romance languages now in the Lower School–could be a powerful way to expand students’ worldview.