|
|
|
 |
Archives |
Interest in Chinese Instruction Continues to GrowIn recognition of China's growing role in the global marketplace, this school year the Philadelphia School District will join a number of others across the country in a push toward offering increased Chinese language instruction, according to a report in Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer. Although the number of students taking the language has increased from 900 to 1,700 over the course of three years, Paul Vallas, the district's chief executive officer, hopes to double that number again in the near future. Plans to reach this goal include a new high school in the Chinatown section of Philadelphia and the mandate that five new high schools opening in the district next year offer Mandarin in addition to Spanish. Vallas said that learning to communicate better with China is vital to national security and prosperity. According to the Asia Society, more than 1.3 billion people worldwide speak Chinese, but recent studies indicate only 24,000 students in grades 7-12 study the language. However, initiatives like Philadelphia's are springing up in a number of school districts nationwide, including Chicago, Houston, Boston, and Charlotte, and next year the College Board will begin offering an AP class in Chinese. The federal government is also making moves indicative of the importance of Chinese language instruction. In late May, U.S. Senators Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) proposed legislation that would earmark $1.3 billion for Chinese language and culture instruction in American schools. Last month, the U.S. Defense Department awarded Portland Public Schools a $700,000 federal grant to support a K-16 Chinese language immersion program. However, while the number of Chinese language programs has tripled over ten years, the lack of qualified instructors to teach the subject remains a major obstacle. According to a New York Times report, six states have signed or plan to sign agreements with the Chinese government to import teachers from China and send teachers from the United States to China for training. In the meantime, the demand for Chinese language professional development and instructional materials in the U.S. should continue to increase.
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349. |
"China’s
clout echoes in classes" "U.S.
Schools Unprepared to Meet Rising Demand for Chinese Language
Instruction, According to New Asia Society Study" "Foreign
language goes varsity"
|
|
© 2011 The Association of Educational
Publishers |
||
