My father has, many times over the dinner table, expressed his concerns about his children's lack of proficiency in the Chinese language. His way of motivating my sister and me: to remind us that China is a rising power, and that we should not throw away a crucial economic advantage.

Policymakers and teachers too have told us countless times of the need to maintain our bilingual edge: After all, the more people you can communicate with, the more money you can make.