The Telegraph – Mark Herbert 
But are parents correct in thinking that Mandarin Chinese will prove fruitful for their children’s futures? What are the advantages of being able to speak and understand this particular language? For starters, there are many personal advantages that speaking another language can bring. What we so often forget as a mostly monolingual nation is that languages are essential for our trade, prosperity, cultural exports, diplomacy and national security. So for those who do decide to learn a language, there are many rewards to be reaped, particularly when it comes to boosting individual job prospects. Successive surveys of businesses that already work internationally or want to expand into other markets indicate that having employees who are familiar with the language and culture of the place they want to do business, is an important advantage, if not essential.(more)