Clever Design to Make Learning Chinese Easier

Hey all, today I would like to share an interesting article I came across on Slate. This is for prospective Chinese learners but could also be of interest to Chinese teachers:

http://slate.me/1kUiMne

Adding pictures to the various characters to make them easier to learn is a great idea! Check it out!


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News: Minn. district expands students' language learning options

Two elementary schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., have started offering Mandarin Chinese to students after considering feedback from parents. Other area schools offer Spanish, and district officials say plans for next year include introducing foreign language programs in all elementary schools. In middle school, students' options include French, German and American Sign Language. According to Principal Dan Schmidt, these programs are challenging students to go outside of "their comfort zones." You can read more about the increased offerings of these schools via the article linked below:

Minn. district expands students' language learning options

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News: Indiana school diversifies its language program with Mandarin

Nearly 50 students at the Logansport High School in Indiana are enrolled in the school's inaugural Mandarin class, and by the end of the first semester, students are speaking in short, yet full sentences and practicing writing with Chinese characters. School officials introduced the course after moving its German classes to an online only format. The school also offers Spanish and French. This is another example of the growing trend toward learning Mandarin with the more traditional foreign languages becoming less appealing. In what ways can these language programs compete with the growth of Mandarin programs? Does your school offer a Mandarin program? Have you experienced a shift in enrollments?
You can read more about the school's program via the article linked below:

Indiana school diversifies its language program with Mandarin

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News: More Colo. students studying Mandarin as a second language

More than 60 Colorado schools are embracing Mandarin as the foreign language of choice for students who say the language will be important in the future. The trend toward Mandarin, the most widely spoken language in the world, represents a departure from when Spanish was the dominant foreign language taught in schools. According to Kuo Li, who teaches Mandarin and Chinese culture to 144 students at Battle Mountain High School in Edwards, Colorado, "Chinese gives these students a larger horizon in their future lives." You can read more about this trend via the article linked below:

More Colo. students studying Mandarin as a second language

News: Mass. parent develops game to teach Mandarin

Vicky Wu Davis has started a weekly class for students ages 2 to 6, including her son, where she teaches Chinese through language with storytelling and group activities, such as making ice cream. Now Wu Davis is trying to gather funds for a tablet application --- Peach Ice Cream Adventures --- that will teach Chinese with methods similar to those she uses in class. According to Vicky, "if you wrap it up in fun things, they don't even realize they're learning another language". You can read more about this development for learning Mandarin via the article linked below:

Mass. parent develops game to teach Mandarin

News: University creates course on learning Chinese for business

The University of Oklahoma has introduced a noncredit course for students interested in learning basic conversational skills in Mandarin. According to university officials, the class seeks to help students communicate during business transactions and travel, and was formed in response to more local companies interacting with China. You can read more about the course via the article linked below:

University creates course on learning Chinese for business

News: Mass. school expands language offerings with Mandarin

Eighth graders in Needham Public Schools in Massachusetts have access to a new language course this fall as district leaders are opening the door to Mandarin. Administrators plan to continue expanding language offerings in the future. "We believe it's important, as we think about students in the 21st-century and the skills they need," said superintendent Dan Gutekanst. You can read more via the article linked below:

Mass. school offers Mandarin

News: Mandarin immersion schools becoming more common

In California, the Presidio Knolls School, a private school, recently expanded its Chinese language offerings into kindergarten, and it plans to add more grades to meet demand. In the Bay Area alone, 23 schools now offer Mandarin immersion, and nationwide the number continues to expand. According to Beth Weise, "everybody gets that China is going to be hugely important in this century," who runs a website for parents of Mandarin immersion students and whose child in an immersion elementary school. You can read more about Chinese immersion programs via the article linked below:

Chinese immersion schools increase