HanYu -- The new international language?

I'm working on a story about the huge spike in demand for Chinese language courses -- for adults and children. UC Berkeley turns away more than one hundred students each fall for its Mandarin courses because there's not enough space. They've also created a Chinese Minor because students asked for it. Meanwhile, the College Board, which administer standardized testings for high schoolers, plans to offer an Advanced Placement test in Chinese in 2007.

Are you taking a Chinese language course? Drop me an email. kha@mercurynews.com

Xiexie.

By the way, it takes only 18 years to master Chinese, according to Berkeley.