Study of Chinese language gaining ground in US
It was Leah Markworth's parents who decided she would attend a bilingual public school program. She ended up enrolling in an Mandarin immersion program in San Diego, California, where she started learning Chinese in first grade.
As Leah, now 15, delved deeper into the language, her entire family developed a keen interest in Chinese culture while she is thinking of a career in international relations.
"I don't even know who I would be right now without Chinese. I've gotten so many opportunities to perform and to travel, and to talk to so many new people," the ninth grader from Mission Bay High School told China Daily after her performance in Beijing Opera during the 12th annual National Chinese Language Conference, which took place from May 9 to May 11.
