Great Debate: 中文 vs. Español

Clara Rosenbarger

Every student at CFI 84 has had to take both Spanish and Mandarin, but which language do students prefer learning? 

Maggie Pittman, a 4th grader, says that she prefers Spanish because it’s “easier to learn and the songs Mr. Hawkins sings are catchy and help my learning.” Emme Federer, a 7th grader, also says that she prefers learning “Spanish because it’s easier.” This is likely because Spanish uses the same alphabet as English, while Mandarin uses a completely different style of writing called logographic, where, instead of an alphabet, every symbol represents one word. However, some students prefer Mandarin because we often get to watch movies and do fun crafts like making mooncakes. Seventh grader Berlynn Sommer agrees saying that, while she thinks Spanish is useful, especially in the U.S., “if you’re ready to work hard, study, and are extremely interested in taking the subject, Mandarin may be a good fit for you.” 

But some students, like 7th graders Fiadh Flynn and Kellen Piatt, don’t like either because, according to Fiadh, “it’s not how my brain works.” This is very common, some people pick up new languages very quickly, while for others it takes more time and effort. 

In the end, it’s your decision, which language do you like better?

Mandrin or Spanish

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  Madrin
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  Spanish