Mandarin as a second language?

China has become more influential in business and economics within the United States. 87% of the 346 American businesses in China have had an increase in revenue, whereas, in 2009 there was a 47% rise in revenue. With more of our companies establishing themselves in China, we are in more need of bilingual speakers who speak English and Mandarin. If we learn Mandarin, then we will be better able to communicate with company officials and other Chinese officials. We would also have a better chance of being able to do business with other Chinese companies.
With this rise in U.S.-Chinese related businesses it's only natural that the number one spoken language has become more in demand in schools. Many schools have been adopting Mandarin courses into their school's education.The learning of Mandarin specifically could help with furthering the globalization of our country. It has been found that thousands of public schools have stopped teaching foreign languages in the last decade. Yet now, a lot of schools are picking up Mandarin courses. The Chinese government has even sent teachers from China to teach Mandarin at US schools. The Chinese government pays for part of their salary while the school district where they are hired pays the rest. "The number of Chinese programs in prekindergarten through 12th grade in the United States has grown by almost 200 percent since 2004, according to the Asia Society, a nonprofit group that promotes education about the continent" (Citation).
Little Lingoes and Bilingual Buds, preschools, both have Mandarin classes available to their students. The classes taught at Bilingual Buds are total immersion courses. The teacher, Jing Zhou, read the students Goldilocks and the Three Bears in Mandarin (Jin Fa Nu Hai Er He San Zhi Xiong). The teachings, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, are familiar so that it's easier for the students to understand the context. In 2008, Grimes Elementary School, received a grant for a three year Mandarin program.