Students in Orange County, U.S. are learning Chinese in the schools. Many students see learning Chinese as a way to increase career opportunities, while some Chinese American students want to connect with their heritage.

The Orange County Register reports:

Twins Josh and Kyle Roberts, 14, know that studying Chinese sets them apart.

“For, like, business and stuff, it’s an important language to learn,” said Josh, who lives with his family in Trabuco Canyon.

The eighth-graders are learning to speak, read and write Chinese at Las Flores Middle School, where Chinese is in such high demand that there is no longer a year-long class in French.

“You hear Chinese is the language of the future,” said Holly Feldt, principal of Las Flores Middle. “And we need to be aware of that fact and be proactive about teaching kids so that they’re ready.”

Las Flores is not alone. As China looms as a future economic superpower, more and more Orange County teens are asking about and signing up for Chinese language classes. While countywide enrollment numbers are not available, education officials at some schools are seeing that Chinese is replacing French on some students’ schedules.

Full report.