<p>I'm a Chinese-American, with no knowledge of Mandarin (speaking, writing, or reading it), and it is part of my heritage, so I thought that I would take it. But now, I'm worried that colleges, namely more well-known ones, will take into account that I should be taking something like Spanish or French.</p>
<p>Will colleges think that I would have an advantage at all, and put that into account during their evaluation of me?</p>
<p>Because at this point,I'm also planning on taking the two years of IB Chinese, after having taken Chinese I-III (3 is an Honors course, 1 and 2 are CP).</p>
<p>Please let me know, this has been bothering me since I first signed up for the classes. Thanks!</p>
<p>If you are interested in it just take it. Stop worrying what colleges will think. It is alot more important that you study subjects that you like and be happy instead of studying the subjects that you think colleges want you to and be miserable.</p>
<p>There are no reasons for colleges to assume that you are already fluent in Mandarin. It is a common situation for second, third, etc. generation teenagers not to be fluent in a language other than English. It’s even the case for first generation children who come the the United States as babies. Your situation applies to French-Americans, Italian-Americans, etc. Perhaps you’re concerned that your surname suggests pre-knowledge of the language?</p>
<p>Leave the conspiracies theories for others. Continue to take the language, take the AP exam, and do as well as you can. You’ll get full credit for your effort.</p>
<p>Thank you both for letting me know. This really helps me.</p>
<p>I come from a Cantonese speaking household too, however, so that is what made me worry more, but neither of my parents had the time to teach me any Mandarin, nor do they know how to speak it well enough.</p>
<p>If you can read Cantonese, that will give you a head-start on reading Mandarin, but it won’t help you much with the speaking/listening/comprehension part of it. Spoken Cantonese and Mandarin are at least as different from each other as spoken German and English. No one in their right mind could expect that it would be a snap for you to learn to speak the other language!</p>
<p>Here’s another advantage: if you ever want to do business or other work where it would benefit you to be able to blend in, you are taking the right language. My daughter is studying an Asian language, but no matter what, she will not be able to live in that country and blend in as a native.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about what will look good for applications. Do what interests you and it will look good. There is some wisdom in learning about your heritage, afterall.</p>
<p>Your situation isn’t like Korean-born students who have grown up in the USA and go and get an 800 on the SAT II Korean. That just screams “test grade whore”</p>
<p>You’re like my kids. Chinese (Cantonese) heritage but no actual language skills but have an interest in studying Mandarin. I’m all for it!</p>
<p>That is the most important part. Screw the rest. It is good enough that you have a sincere interest in it, and admissions officers should not make you change your mind.</p>
<p>I take Chinese but my <em>first</em> language was Chinese, even though as the years went by I forgot it. But I still know how to speak, even though I don’t know how to write much. In this case, is there anything wrong with me having taken chinese for three years already?</p>
<p>Why would a young person think that it is somehow not okay to pursue ANY language of interest to him/her? You are on CC too much, sic_infit (like me!). It is wise for a child of Chinese ancestry (I am asuming it was a parent who taught you Chinese) to take Chinese especially if it interests you. It is a difficult language for most Americans. It is a great advantage to be bilingual and having the base as a child helps with learning the more formal part of the language.</p>
<p>I’m definitely the same as you, sic_infit. I had learned Cantonese, and even then, I forgot so much, like old poems and wisdom and other basic words. I’m currently living my life relearning it, but my problem has been that I was unsure whether my different dialect would still cause college admissions officers to think that, in a way, I ‘cheated’ my way to an A. </p>
<p>So I guess they can’t really say that I know Mandarin right from the start (which I really didn’t, trust me). Cool.</p>
<p>Okay, but on the Common App, would it not be a good idea to say my first language was Chinese (but then put down English as the primary fluent language), or should I just put English as the first language since its what I’m fluent in now?</p>
<p>I’m taking Chinese due to myself feeling better about this decision I’ve made thanks to these people :D, but on the common app, I’m specifying either English or Cantonese as my first language, and Mandarin as my foreign.</p>
<p>But I do have to ask, why would this not be the same as an American taking English?</p>
<p>It seems like everyone here says it is okay. However, I want to add that Harvard explicitly discourages applicants from taking their native tongue for SAT Subjects. Not sure how much this notion is reflected on taking actual courses though (and not just sitting for the subject test). </p>
<p>Just putting that out there. Interpret as you wish.</p>
<p>The two who are posting on this thread have Cantonese as the first language and Mandarin is what they are taking if I am reading correctly. This is a point that can be clarified on applications. </p>
<p>I agree, Superbest, about Americans taking English, but many on here will disagree.</p>
<p>Plenty of Americans taking English Major, so are many Chinese taking Chinese Major, what is the big deal? Are you just thinking of “Chinese” as a language for casual conversation or “Chinese” as literary sense? If it is the former, we have plenty of students in our Sunday Chinese school who did all 11 years of Chinese and worth very little to Chinese scholars. They cannot even carry an intellctural conversation. 5000 years of history and legacy will not be explored easily by those classes in America schools, unless you will go study in China for real.</p>
<p>Yes, I am Cantonese, and I learned it only ever at home. But Mandarin is the only one that they teach in school, and the one that I am taking. Should I make that point in a college essay or appeal? Or should I just leave it out, and put English as my 1st language?</p>