my daughter took Chinese for 3 years. It is a very trendy addition to a school’s curriculum, designed to make it seem open and global, but there is very little to be gained from taking Chinese.
In my experience, the study of foreign languages sharpens the mind and brings an insight into and an appreciation of one's own language. In addition to facilitating communication in the Chinese-speaking world, the study of Chinese can also provide insight into Chinese culture as well as other Sinic languages such as Korean and Vietnamese.
If learned from the writing, Chinese is one of the toughest languages for an English-speaker to acquire. If she mastered it or came close to doing so, that is quite an accomplishment.
The only phrase Americans need to learn in Chinese is:
“Will you finance our debt?”