WICHITA, Kansas, Oct. 11, 2007 – When you were in school, what language did you learn? Perhaps Spanish or maybe French? Your kids may answer Chinese. For the first time ever, Wichita schools are offering Chinese as a language option.

Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, but it's also one of the most difficult to learn. Chinese doesn't use an alphabet; instead students have to memorize every single word and symbol to master the language.

That challenge didn't bother North High Senior John Fish; in fact, that's what attracted him to the class.

"The world is kind of evolving and growing into an international economy," Fish said. "It would be really smart to have that under your belt, it would definitely give me an edge economically, culturally."

While the class is held at North High, video technology allows students from other schools to join in.

"When I'm teaching my North students, I'm teaching West students, and South students and Southeast students at the same time," Marcus Marshall, North High School teacher, said.

Before moving to the Wichita school district, Marshall taught English in China for 12 years.

"Many of them would say, 'I assume you are learning Chinese in America,'" Marshall said. "I would say, 'No we're not.'  No matter what your feelings are about mainland China, it's a big global world player out there. I feel like we are at a disadvantage for not knowing more about their language and culture and the people."

But that's changing thanks to this class. Marshall hopes more students will get involved in the years to come.