Read the programme. Come to learn more about teaching Chinese in primary and secondary schools.

How to introduce Chinese?
How to teach Chinese at primary and secondary level.
Curriculum development.
What is different about Chinese and does it matter.
The importance of correcting pronunicaiton early.
Oracy and literacy - gaining a balance.

http://www.brightoncollege.org.uk/documents/National%20Chinese%20Teachin...

The importance of cultural connections and learning to learn ....

This article writes about bi-lingual preschools. It emphasises the advantages of learning a second language young including Mandarin Chinese. It talks about making cultural connections between languages and how learning a second language improves general literacy and awareness of how communication works.

January 3 2009

How to create a modern K-12 Mandarin Chinese Language Program /Curriculum?

The Portland Public Schools K-12 Mandarin Chinese Language
Developing successful programs and curriculums for children learning Chinese is a challenge. Here is how Oregon do it.
For more see their website http://casls.uoregon.edu/ppsflagship/en/index.php

Program strives to create a sustainable and replicable model in Mandarin Chinese language instruction in the United States. Our goal is for all students to become bilingual and bi-literate while aspiring to achieve high-level academic performance and deeper cultural awareness.

The PPS K-12 Chinese program is structured on the total language learning approach incorporating three key elements:

Content-Based Instruction: Regular academic subjects such as math, science, social studies, are taught in Mandarin Chinese.

Explicit Language Instruction: Teaching language and literacy for communicative purposes.

Experiential Learning Practices: Students engage in real and meaningful life experiences requiring them to use their language and cultural skills (i.e. study abroad, summer immersion camp, etc).

Hemel Hempstead Chinese School for children receives national QiSS (Ofsted / DCSF) award

A Chinese school has received a national award for the quality of its teaching.
The Dacorum Chinese School Association in Hemel Hempstead, that teaches Mandarin from beginner's level to A level, was praised for the variety of learning it offers.

It organises Tai Chi classes and Chinese art activities, cultural events and trips.

The school has now received a Quality in Study Support (QiSS) award for its efforts, part of an initiative by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

The scheme praises and rewards activities offered to children and young people outside their normal lesson time.

The Chinese school, which boasts 60 students aged five to 75, received the award at County Hall, Hertford, in December.
24 December 2008

6 themes of understanding including Communication and Languages replaces the emphasis on individual subjects

The new approach ensures children have their imagination sparked in a way relevant to the real world. Children will not only do maths but know which sum to do in which situation. Context matters. Children already well versed in ICT will use the power of technology even more. The feel of the new curriculum will be one of a 'holistic education.'
8th December 2008

Hanban & American teachers learn from each other to create a sustainable supply of Chinese teachers for children

The shortage of teachers for children learning Mandarin Chinese is an issue. Hanban supplies teachers on exchange programmes but long term Chinese teachers living in the West need to be trained in Western pedagogy.

In Oak Creek, Wisconsin, local teachers are learning to take over from Hanban teachers having completed teacher training locally.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/education/35265114.html

Alice Boucher Elementary School offers Mandarin Chinese

Being bilingual will give children a better understanding of linguistics, give them a more worldly view in a changing international world and allow them to receive better jobs in the future, the panelists said.

"The benefits of immersion are great. Our immersion students usually do as well - but mostly better - than regular (education) students on standardized tests,"

About two dozen parents interested in enrolling their children in French, Spanish and the new Mandarin Chinese immersion programs attended the informational session Thursday at the Clifton Chenier Center.

Starting next year, Alice Boucher Elementary School will start offering Mandarin Chinese Immersion, which experts said could put children at a strong advantage in the future as China emerges as an economic leader.

Chinese for children features in North Carolina Innovation Day

Schools participate in Innovation Day
Three schools in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools district will take part in a statewide Innovation Day program on Tuesday.

Carrboro Elementary School will be showcasing its Spanish Dual Language Program. Glenwood Elementary School will showcase its Mandarin Chinese Dual Language Program. McDougle Elementary School will highlight its SWIM approach to Positive Behavior Support.

Crescent School Okalhoma starts after school program for kids learning Chinese

18 November 2008
NEWS OK Oklahoman

With an eye cast toward the future, Crescent School officials hope a new program started this year will give their children the skills they need to compete in the 21st century.

The district has started an after-school program to teach first-grade students how to read and speak Chinese.

Three days each week, a teacher from the University of Oklahoma comes to Crescent to teach the children basic expressions — hello, goodbye — and other familiar words such as mother and father.

Eric Wood, a first-grade teacher at Crescent Elementary, assists during the afternoon programs. Wood said the young students have picked up the language with ease.

Garrison Sullivan, 6, said he likes the courses because he gets to "learn a new language.”

When asked whether learning Chinese was hard, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought about a response.

"No,” Garrison said. "It’s easy.”

Learning Early, Career Advancement, Teacher Scarcity, Mandarin across the World

English Dethroned as World Language?
By Laura Robertson
CBN News Reporter
November 6, 2008

CBNNews.com - English is the most spoken language worldwide, but it might not be for long.

Millions are calling Mandarin Chinese the language of the future.

One group of pre-kindergarten students in Washington, D.C. take the same classes as thousands of other students nationwide.

CHINA CONNECTION:
Learning Chinese from the Comfort of Your Computer
The big difference? When the boys and girls at the at the Yu Ying Public Charter School finish eighth grade, they will be fluent in Mandarin Chinese as well as English.

"One day they're learning everything through English," Sarah Harris, the school's principal said. "One day they're learning everything in Chinese, so it's a very compelling model for a lot of parents."

Learning Early

Harris said there are many advantages to learning Chinese at an early age.

"Children really do soak up languages when they're young," she explained. "They don't have a lot of preconceived ideas about language, so they really come to it in an open way. We've seen children just soaking up the language and applying it in more and more contexts."

According to school founder Mary Shaffner, it's not just the students who want to learn Chinese.

"We are going to start Chinese classes for our parents, which many, many parents have been chomping at the bit for," she said.

With China's expanding global influence, millions are eager to learn the language. In 2004, only about five thousand U.S. students between kindergarten and twelfth grade took Chinese. Last year that number had grown to nearly 50,000.

Mandarin Worldwide

It's not just happening in the nation's capital. By 2010, it's estimated more than 100 million people worldwide will be studying Chinese as a second language.

Many are learning at one of the more than 200 Confucius Institutes established by the Chinese government. The Insitutes are now in 66 countries advancing the goal of spreading the Chinese language and culture.

In Manila at the Ateneo de Manila University, Director Dr. Ellen Palanca said she believes the popularity of these institutes is a sign of China's development.

"Once a country becomes more developed then it tries to promote its culture and language through such an arm," Palanca explained.

More than 2,000 students have gone through the program since it started two years ago.

Former student Pia Lim Castillo uses Chinese in her job as a food and travel writer. She said the learning experience helped her connect with her Chinese heritage.

"It's my identity. I have to find my identity, not only as a person, but the culture I belong to," he said.

Career Advancer

Many believe the ability to speak Chinese will advance their careers.

"I see value in being able to converse in Mandarin with Chinese clients," Attorney Kenneth Chua said. "Since more and more Chinese have been coming to the Philippines, I see more of a market for a lawyer who can speak Chinese."

Paula Leal, a reporter for Spanish News Agency in Manila attributes the growth of Chinese language learning to China's growing economic opportunities and global significance.

"It is the country of the future," she said. "Because of that it is so important to learn Chinese, because a lot of people are talking' Chinese right now."

Thirteen-year-old Pearl Parel started learning the language when she was just eight years old while on a business trip with her father in Taiwan.

"He didn't have an interpreter so he asked me if I could study so I could be his interpreter," she said.

She and many of her classmates at the Quezon City Christian Academy in Manila say that knowing Chinese will be essential after they graduate.

"Learning Chinese will help me in my future career, because my father wants me to be an interpreter and I want to learn more about Chinese culture," Parel said.

Fifteen-year old Ardenne Chuat agrees.

"Learning Chinese right now would be a good opportunity for applying for jobs here in the Philippines," Chuat explained.:China is now expanding and people would want to have employees who know how to speak the main language of China.

Teaching Mandarin

Half way around the world in Panama, one legislator even proposed mandating Mandarin Chinese in public schools. But Fermin Tomas Chan, head of theSun Yat-Sen School where all students study Chinese, doesn't think the legislation will pass.

"It's so hard to get teachers to teach Chinese outside of China," Chan said. "If you want to make it nationwide, it's going to be almost impossible to teach. We have problems with English in Panama. What about Chinese?"

Despite the difficulty finding qualified teachers, the school has a long wait list because so many Panamanians want to learn Chinese.

Chan and many of his colleagues say that "in 10 years, Mandarin will be as important worldwide as English."

Others doubt that Chinese speakers will outnumber English speakers any time soon.

Dr. Palanca said she believes Chinese could possibly replace English "in the far future, maybe 50 years from now."

But she admitted that it's more likely that Chinese "will most likely not replace English, but there's a possibility that it can be on par with the English language as an international language."

Whether or not Chinese does become the main international language, people worldwide are excited to learn.

New International Immersion School in Atlanta

East Point may soon boast the greatest proportion of multi-lingual youngsters in the Atlanta area, once the Little Linguists International Preschool opens in the south side city.

Jackie Ubiles, the school’s founder and business manager, told GlobalAtlanta it will offer Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese classes to children under 6 years old when it opens Nov. 3.

It will operate as a full-time preschool, accepting infants as young as four weeks old. The school opens at 6:30 a.m. and will remain open until 6 p.m. to accommodate working parents.

Ms. Ubiles decided to open the school after she sent her 3-year-old to a traditional preschool and found he was reluctant to speak both English and Spanish, which her family uses at home, after school.

She added that studies show it is easier for people to learn different languages when they are very young, and some parents of the 20 children currently enrolled are happy to have a solid preschool option.

“I want my child to be multi-lingual, but the programs for children under the age of 3 are few and far between, especially full-time programs,” Ms. Ubiles said. “It’s hard just to have a quality preschool program, for many of our parents it’s an added plus that it’s multi-lingual.”

Secondary school was awarded for its outstanding work in languages including Chinese.

School is recognised for reaching across borders

24 October 2008
Miltoncross School in Portsmouth has received the International School Award at a high-profile ceremony in London, presented by broadcaster and journalist George Alagiah, pictured.
The secondary school was awarded for its outstanding work in bringing the world into the classroom though international projects.

Each tutor group is assigned a country and throughout the year undertake research on their country culminating in a school-wide competition and International Sports Day.

Other activities include work on music and art from other cultures, the International Food Club, Portsmouth Languages Festival, International Week, themed language days for French, German, Spanish and Mandarin, the Chinese Summer Fair and many trips overseas with aims linked to the curriculum.

Head teacher Niel McLeod said: 'We are very proud. We use our links with schools across the world to expand students' horizons. Our students quickly realise that their talents and skills have an appreciative audience not just in Miltoncross but across the world.'

Lacey-Mai Thornton, who's a pupil in Year 8, said: 'I came to this school because it's a language college and it's the only school in Portsmouth that does Chinese.'

The International School Award is funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and managed by the British Council.

Queens School in Chester teaches Mandarin Chinese and wins award

Prestigious Mandarin Chinese language honour for Chester school

Published in the Evening Leader

Date: 22 October 2008
A LEADING Chester school has been recognised for its excellent work to promote the study of Mandarin Chinese.
A group of Year 8 pupils from the all-girl Queen's School, will now visit China at half-term to practise their language skills.

This comes after the school won the coveted accolade of being designated a Confucius Classroom by the Office of ChineseADVERTISEMENTLanguage Council International – otherwise known as Hanban and under the umbrella of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust's Confucius Institute.

Confucius Classrooms, named in honour of the celebrated Chinese thinker and philosopher, promote and support the learning of Mandarin across the globe. Only a handful of schools in the UK have been recognised in this way.

The school is celebrating being the only independent school in the North of England to have received the recognition

With more than 100 girls at Queen's already studying the subject as part of their curriculum, the school has also offered children from Chester primary schools the opportunity to learn the world's most widely-spoken language.

Pupils from Overleigh St Mary's in Handbridge, Upton Heath, Mickle Trafford, Christleton and Guilden Sutton enjoy a weekly after school club where they learn basic conversational Mandarin.

Isobel Jones, a pupil from Overleigh St Mary's Primary School, said: "I love learning Mandarin as the language is very interesting to listen to and speak." Fellow pupil Olivia McNee added: "Drawing the Chinese characters is fun too."

Queen's School headmistress Catherine Buckley said: "We are very proud to have been honoured by Hanban.

"Mandarin is a very significant world language, spoken by over one billion people and it will be a great advantage to young people in Chester to have an understanding of both the language and the culture which underpins it."

Troy School Experience Asia Project a huge success for children

Troy Messenger October 19 2008

Local students learn about Asian culture
By Jaine Treadwell (Contact) | Troy Messenger

Published Friday, September 19, 2008

Photo by Jaine Treadwell

Troy University student Zhao Wu Jun had students on the edge of their seats with a kung fu demonstration during the Experience Asia for Kids event.

Photo by Jaine Treadwell

Troy University students put on a dance with the dragon puppet during the Experience Asia for Kids event.
Disney World might imply that “It’s a Small World After All” but, for about 300 local fourth- and fifth-graders, it’s a big world and they got to experience it in a small way at “Experience Asia for Kids” on Thursday.

“Look at that fake lizard,” one boy said as the Japanese Dragon paraded on stage.

Students from Banks, Pike County, Troy and Luverne elementary schools participated in “Experience Asia for Kids,” which is a part of the ongoing “Experience Asia Festival” at Troy University Sept. 18-20.

“Experience Asia for Kids” included storytelling, a Kung Fu demonstration and a variety of arts activities but, perhaps, most importantly, it gave kids from South Alabama a chance to interact with international university students.

Deborah Davis, Troy University director of international student life, said the “Experience” was a win-win experience for both groups of students.

“This was a wonderful opportunity for our international students to interact with American students,” she said. “By working with young children, they learned more about what it’s like to be a part of life in America. Language is a big difference and they also had an opportunity to practice their English.

“As for the children, they learned a lot about the Asian culture. Experiences like this help us to learn to live together with respect. Everybody benefited from this experience. I don’t know what it will mean 20 years down the road but I would hope that it would help with international relations as our world becomes smaller every day.”

Dr. Maryjo Cochran, dean of the Troy University College of Communication and Fine Arts, said she was overwhelmed by the response of the fine arts and international students.

“We had about 50 volunteers who gave several hours of their time to ‘Experience Asia for Kids,’” Cochran said. “It was a wonderful experience for them. I think they had as much fun as the young students.”

Cochran said the collaboration between the international and Alabama students is a step in the right direction in Troy University’s international initiative.

Dawn Key, teacher at Pike County Elementary School, said “Experience Asia for Kids” was a unique experience for the students.

“This is the first time we have participate in an event like this and our students were very excited,” Key said. “And, I know they enjoyed it because they were so quiet during the storytelling. When students are quiet, you know they are listening and enjoying what they are hearing.”

Key said that, for many of the students, it was their first time interacting with international students.

“They recognized the students as Asian but they had never actually seen an Asian person,” she said. “This was a broadening experience for our students and they will benefit from it.”

The “Experience Asia Festival” will continue today with a performance by the Ronin Taiko Drummers at Troy Elementary School and with a public performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night at the Claudia Crosby Theater.

Tickets are $5 for children and students and $10 for adults. Tickets will be available at the door.

The Ronin Taiko Drummers are back by popular demand and are sponsored by the Troy University College of Communication and Fine Arts and the Confucius Institute.

Troy University’s Confucius Institute is now officially operating in full gear after receiving new funding from China.

Dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts Maryjo Cochran said this institute, which promotes the study of Chinese culture and language, was formally awarded in October 2007.

But, when the college received funding this October from the Chinese government, it became a fully operational institute with three new Chinese faculty members.

Iris Xu, who has worked in Canada for the past 20 years and was the director of a Confucius Institute, joined the university this September as the executive director of the institute in Troy.

The institute’s partner university, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology in China, also sent two other faculty members, Mr. Li and Mrs. Fan.

Li, who has expertise in art and design, will work with the art department as well as the Confucius Institute. Fan will teach Chinese and English.

Cochran said the faculty members from China are on a one-year contract from the partner school, and next year, they will either be renewed or replaced by different faculty from their institution.

“We provide housing and transportation, and their salaries are paid for by their university, so it’s not too expensive on either school,” Cochran said.

Cochran said she is not sure whether some Troy University faculty will be sent to teach in China in the future, but students will be able to participate in a Chinese immersion program overseas this summer.

The institute has already started its programs, by teaching Mandarin Chinese courses, and holding the Experience Asia project for local school children.

Cochran said the new faculty members have also started what they hope to be a weekly program for Chinese and American students to interact with one another.

“It’s where students meet informally and talk about Chinese issues and Chinese language,” Cochran said. “It’s a way for Chinese students to practice talking in English, and American students learning Chinese to practice talking in Chinese.”

Some of the institute’s plans for the future are to have programs for adopted children from China on Saturday mornings next spring.

“There is a large Asian population in Dothan of adopted Chinese children,” Cochran said. “It’s filling a need that has kind of been identified for us.”

Cochran said the institute, which is the only one in the state and the 25th in the country, will also reach out to Alabama to help integrate Chinese culture.

“One of the things we’re planning to do next year is to take 40 to 50 principals over to China to have them meet with Chinese educators,” Cochran said. “It’s a way to really open up the possibilities for international culture and Chinese exchange, not only for the students and faculty but for the business and general population of Alabama.”

Come and see us at The Language Show London http://www.thelanguageshow.co.uk/

Win a year's free subscription to Mandarama, our website for children learning Mandarin Chinese, by visiting our stand at The Language Show.

Learn more about how to overcome the challenges of either introducing your school (or child) to Mandarin Chinese. If Mandarin already is a part of your school, then learn how to improve how you provide Mandarin Chinese learning opportunities to your children. Free advice - come for a chat as we are always keen to hear about people helping children learn Mandarin Chinese.

We are the experts. The only UK organization just to teach children Chinese.

Parents in Vancouver campaign for a Mandarin bi-lingual programme in the public school sector from September 2009

Teach our Kids Mandarin say the parents of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. They even have their own website www.mandarin for schools.org. Read about their efforts and plans.

THEIR VISION:
To give our children the gift of bilingualism through our public schools

In many parts of the world, multilingualism is the norm rather than the exception. For example, most children in Switzerland speak several languages. Despite BC’s broad multicultural makeup, there are very limited opportunities in the public school system for second language learning at the elementary school level. Although French Immersion is available, it is in high demand and there are waiting lists. It is our vision to bring formal teaching of other second languages in addition to French to the forefront of our public education system.

http://mandarinforbcschools.org

http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=e37dc335-0135-...

Mandarin Chinese for young children does not show on No Child left Behind reports

Are we leaving any students behind?
Educators say federal mandates needs revisions

By Jessica Jordan
jjordan@gainesvilletimes.com

POSTED Sept. 7, 2008 12:30 a.m.

Excerpt reads:

Teachers' creativity and gifted students left behind?
May (principal of Chestnut Mountain Elementary) also said the federal mandate has changed the way schools operate in recent years. She said while teachers are taking a more professional instructional approach under the law, it's also stifling their creative freedom in the classroom in favor of high-stakes testing.

"There used to be more of a focus on the art of teaching, now it's more of a focus on the science of teaching," she said.

While Hall County educators said the school system focuses on the whole student, including character development and academic rigor, as well as on a student passing the CRCT or the Georgia High School Graduation Test, Schofield said there's still a group of students nationwide who aren't getting the attention they deserve in the classroom: "the run of the mill" and gifted students.

"I think it's going to be a huge mistake in all kinds of issues, the most fundamental being the very competitiveness of the United States as a nation," Schofield said. "The children that sit in our classrooms could cure cancer ... and are the very children that aren't getting very much attention."

Schofield said he's concerned No Child Left Behind's emphasis on test scores has encouraged school systems nationwide to forsake class time in foreign language, communication skills and technology, all skills he considers vital for students to compete in the 21st century workplace.

"We can offer Mandarin Chinese ... for little children. It won't show up on a No Child Left Behind report ... and quite honestly, that's the reason why a lot of districts have abandoned and not gone down those roads," Schofield said.

Lee Hsien Loong and Lim Swee call for more Mandarin for children as China rises

CHINESE Singaporeans already have a strong bilingual foundation but need to motivate themselves to take their mother tongue to a higher level, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say yesterday.
Citing himself as an example, Mr Lim said he was inspired to brush up on his Mandarin only after his first trip to China in 1984, even though he had been educated in the Chinese stream for 12 years.

'I was very impressed and fascinated by how they strung their sentences and explained the most complicated ideas using the simplest of words,' said Mr Lim, who is also secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress.

While the younger generation is now schooled in English and Mandarin, Mr Lim urged them to go beyond the 'market way' of speaking the languages.

He said: 'It's not just the language we speak but we should also understand the culture and mindset behind it.'

His comments came on the back of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's call to all Singaporeans on Saturday to remain bilingual and bi-cultural so they are not caught flat-footed by the rise of China.

Half of all Chinese Singaporean children now speak English at home, making it difficult for Chinese teachers here to stimulate their interest in the subject.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a community event in Holland Close, Mr Lim admitted that English was still the lingua franca in his home.

But his wife hired a tutor to improve her mother tongue and can now read articles in Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao.

As for his daughter and son - an overseas undergraduate and a Hwa Chong Institution student, respectively - Mr Lim hopes annual trips in the past five years to China will pay off one day.

'I can only encourage and create the opportunities but they themselves have to discover that source of inspiration and motivation.'

Denver public schools plan for Mandarin Chinese

At two schools, kids as young as prekindergarten students dive into learning Chinese. Parents say they are on track for global success. Global Village and Denver International have had a positive experience introducing Mandarin Chinese.

Denver public schools plan for immersion Chinese in a district facility in the Park Hill area. Ohio and Oregonhave K-16 Chinese programs.

We cannot have global citizens that are mono-lingual says language consultant Myriam Wet from Washington D.C.

New Zealand opens opportunities for children to learn Mandarin Chinese

In 2010 all 7-10 year old children will have the opportunity to learn another language including Mandarin Chinese.

Learning a language brings positive benefits

More New Zealanders may be speaking another language in the years to come, thanks to an upcoming initiative that will require a second language to be offered to all students in Years 7-10. The new curriculum, which comes into effect in 2010 in New Zealand schools, states that all children should receive the opportunity to learn another language. Promoting a multi-lingual society is a priority for the government as it benefits international trade and the economy, and promotes positive interaction between cultures in our communities. Many educators also believe that learning another language can increase the potential for success in other subjects at school.

West Auckland resident Tom Essex was introduced to Chinese, Japanese and German as an 11 year-old at Te Atatu Intermediate School, and decided to continue studying the Chinese language at Rutherford High School. "I guess I had a bit of fascination with China, so I decided on Chinese," he says. Although widely reputed to be a difficult language to learn, Tom says it "wasn't too difficult" because he started learning at a young age. He says that although his parents don't speak a second language, they were very supportive and this was something that helped his progress.

Learning a second language is beneficial for a number of reasons, says Tom.
Not only does it help people become more aware of the outside world, but it also develops empathy for other cultures.

“It broadens your horizons and opens up a whole new section of society that you might not previously have associated with,” he says, “and in the case of Chinese, I've suddenly gained access to nearly a third of the world's population.”

Ohio take Mandarin Chinese for children seriously developing with FLAP

... (the U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language Assistance Program goals and outcomes as well as Professional Development Modules

Project Goals

The goals for our (Ohio) K-4 Content-Enriched Mandarin Curriculum Project are:

To develop an age-appropriate Chinese language program that reinforces content and skills from the regular curriculum and spirals vocabulary, sentence patterns and cultural content so that all children can be successful learning Chinese;
To build the capacity of teachers to use the curriculum and to adapt it for their particular teaching settings through Web-based professional development modules;
To pilot the curriculum in 10 Ohio sites to garner feedback to revise the curriculum for wider distribution; and
To establish a network of elementary Chinese language teachers to support professional growth and the exchange of ideas.

Some Bay County children learning 3 languages to prepare for their global future

For 8 year old students at Panama City Renaissance School, math class in Mandarin Chinese is as easy as it comes.

“It’s a different language, very different from english and sometimes I can sneak a word or two in that my parents don’t understand,” says Amelia Talkington.

Administrator of the school, Juliann Talkington, says studying for an International MBA with students of many different cultures provoked her interest in providing a different kind of education.

“I think it was a wake up call that we have a lot of competition in the world, and the world is changing especially because of technology,” says Talkington.

She says her work now is in an attempt to level the playing field for all kids. Now five teachers instruct students in Spanish, English and Mandarin.

“Between the ages of a few months and 18 years of age you lose about 30 percent of the language area of your brain so by speaking more languages, you keep more of your brain,” says Talkington.

The school is housed in rented space from an Episcopal Church has grown from 2 students to 23 in four years. One student learned English as a second language after spending several years of her young life in China. But said… It wasn’t tough to adjust.

“There were papers with pictures on them and we had to write what they were,” says Vicky Wu.

Talkington says the students can learn from each other as well because this is a cultural education. Even programs like the Beijing Olypics are heightening interest.

“Seeing that on TV with the Olympics was really fascinating for them they just loved it,” says Talkington.

Talkington says four times as many people in the world speak Chinese than English. She found three qualified teachers fluent in Mandarin right here in Bay County.

KEVIN Rudd has called on Australians to .. make their nation the most Asia-literate country in the West.

In a major speech in Singapore, the Prime Minister declared his dream of Australian children learning Chinese or Japanese and reaching out to the region.

"I am committed to making Australia the most Asia-literate country in the collective West," he announced.

Labor went to the last election promising $62 million for new Asian language courses in schools.

But Mr Rudd's new promise raises the commitment and there is sure to be a push for extra funding.

Mr Rudd last night said the time had come for Australians to be more active in Asia.

"My vision is for the next generation of Australian businessmen and women, economists, accountants, lawyers, architects, artists, film-makers and performers to develop language skills which open their region to them," he said.

The call came as Mr Rudd tried to rev up his plan for a new regional body called the Asia Pacific Community.

Mr Rudd outlined the proposal two months ago and has been selling it during his recent tour of China, South Korea and Singapore.

The Opposition have been scathing of the plan, calling it a flop, and there has been no groundswell of major support from Asian countries.

But Mr Rudd has hit back, saying there are no major "roadblocks" to the idea and saying it was a long-term project.

The speech came after Mr Rudd and Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday signed a new defence deal for greater cooperation between the two nations.

Singapore is due to soon send a medical team to work with Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

Earlier in the day, Mr Rudd opened a new junior section of Australian International School Singapore where he spoke to children about the value of Asian languages.

Mr Rudd speaks Mandarin, which he uses often when touring in the region and did it again yesterday at a press conference.

It was Rudd's first prime ministerial visit to Singapore and he has now visited most of the major nations in Asia - including China and Japan twice.

Children stuck with English only langauge skills will find themselves less valuable in the job marketplace

Security Language Initiative" to "dramatically increase the number of Americans learning, speaking and teaching critical-need foreign languages. Foreign language skills are essential to engaging foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical world regions, to promote understanding, convey respect for other cultures, and encourage reform. These skills are also fundamental to the economic competitiveness and security interests of the nation."

Sounds like there's something on which Bush and Obama agree: Nothing could be more dangerous for an America already losing its edge in the world than to teach its children to disdain other languages and distrust other cultures, to skip geography, to forget about travel abroad. If the Chinese, the Indians, the Brazilians and the Russians are busy learning English so they can do business with us, doesn't it behoove us to learn their languages, too? (In China, all elementary school students must study English.) At a time when the West is threatened by Arab jihadists, don't we need many more intelligence agents and soldiers who speak Arabic?

While activists alarmed about illegal immigration have spent the last decade supporting "English-only" codes and decrying the loss of cultural touchstones associated with western Europe, the actual harm to the nation lies in our refusal to acknowledge the growing economic competitiveness of other countries. South Koreans aren't shunning English. It's one more weapon in their arsenal as they advance in commerce, engineering and the sciences.

So the next time you hear some smart-mouth pundit acting as though foreign language fluency is a sign of decadence or an unbecoming Frenchy-ness, don't fall for it. That pundit likely has a passport. If he has college-age kids, he has probably worked hard to help them study abroad.

Do as he does, not as he says. Enroll your kids in Spanish or Russian or Mandarin classes.

At eight minutes past eight on the eight of August the opening ceremony started.

As a contributor to the BBC website said - We hope the Games will show our guests China today, not China 30 years ago.

Children aged 15-16 take first Mandarin access exam in Scotland.

Record numbers of children passed their Higher Grade exams. For the first year children ages 15-16 could take Mandarin at Access 3 level.Mandarin Chinese continues to be very active in schools in Scotland. In May 2008, the first Confucius classroom opened in St George's School Edinburgh. Scotland plans to have eight Confucius classrooms in a networked hub.

BBC journalist raises question as to whether testing primary school children is fruitful

Tests - do we still need them?

Do we still need national tests in primary schools in England?

I asked that question at the end of last week's column on the Sats fiasco and I want to return to it.

Judging by your responses, many of you think England should be like Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and simply have tests that are marked in schools by the children's own teachers.

These "teacher assessment" should then not be used for league tables.

Many see the current problems with marking of the Sats as symptomatic of an overloaded testing system.

The swell of opinion opposed to externally marked, national tests has been growing.

Learn about great Chinese food from the BBC. Great for children too.

The BBC launches a new TV programme on making Chinese food with Ching. Masterclases, Chinese Street, techniques, takeaway favourites, noodles and dim sum (meaning touch the heart), spicy Sichuan, Chinese cooking for family and friends.

Students at Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley have been saying huanying (welcome) to visitors from China.

A group of staff and pupils from Xuejun High School recently visited as part of the well established exchange between the two communities.

During their week-long stay the guests sampled life in an English home and enjoyed a packed schedule which included a reception with the Lord Mayor of Leeds, a visit to York and a trip to the National Coal Mining Museum.

They also attended lessons at the school including design and technology, which does not feature on the Chinese curriculum, and got to bake scones and make their own candle holder.

Assistant Head teacher Chris Lillington said: "Our students always receive such warm hospitality when they visit China, and we hope we have managed to repay that by giving our guests a good taste of life in Yorkshire.

"The most important feature of exchanges of this type is the cross-cultural interaction between students from different countries, and the opportunity they have to discover their similarities as well as their differences as young people."

advertisementPrince Henry's is one of the few schools in the area to teach Chinese as part of its curriculum, and the only school to have a home-stay exchange with Leeds's Chinese partner city of Hangzhou.

The school also funds and helps to run the nationally acclaimed Leeds Community Mandarin Chinese School, which is attended by more than 120 Chinese-speaking children every Saturday.

Given the school's close links with China, Prince Henry's students have been keen to contribute to the Chinese Earthquake disaster appeal, for which they have raised more than £950 by holding a non-uniform day.

Businesses invest in China at high end of value chain..

GlaxoSmithKline intends to double its R&D staff in China to 350 people in the next few years, reported Reuters.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) which currently has 170 R&D staff in China has plans to boost up its staff to 350 by the end of 2009. According to Carol Zhu, head of operation management and alliances in GSK's China R&D unit, the staff levels would remain static for three or four years after the increase, while the company will expand its facilities to accommodate further increases thereafter.

As part of its strategic plan to step up investment in biotech medicines, GSK has focused on China for furthering its R&D activities.

Women on top in a downturn - Are women company directors well placed to face a downturn in business?

But just in case there are any real cynics among you, who are still sceptical even now, perhaps this procession of casual generalisations will remove any lingering doubts: ‘Women are great at multi-tasking and very good at coping with stress’ (Jill Shepherd, Bamboo Learning); ‘There is less competitiveness amongst women and as such, we’re more open to sharing best practice and support each other’ (Lesley Lant, Perennial Marketing); ‘Women tend to grow their businesses organically rather than making testosterone-driven decisions on equity funding’ (Katherine Leopold, PA London).

Female business owners are more likely to survive a recession thanks to their slow and steady approach, according to a new study by Business Link in London. The support group, which says that it ‘helped’ over 28,000 female-owned businesses in the capital last year, says that women are better at planning ahead, taking advice, and sharing their experiences than men –and they’re not so obsessed with chasing a fast buck. All of which makes them the perfect choice for an economic crisis.

In 2002 44% of primaries taught languages In 2007 the figure rose to 84%.

Traditional languages still dominate. 3% of primaries learn Chinese.

Last year the government accepted the findings of Lord Dearing in his review of languages when he said language learning should be compulsory in primary school.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said: "It's excellent news that so many children have the chance to learn a second language while at primary school.

"Children find language learning easier in primary than starting in secondary school.

"Today's research means that we are on target to meet our aim of ensuring all primary school children have the opportunity to learn another language by 2010."

The National Centre for Languages (Cilt), which promotes language learning and helps to train primary teachers to teach languages, says it is delighted by the findings.

Director of Comunications Teresa Tinsley said: "It's really good news. We were picking up that more schools were coming on board. There is a lot of demand for our support for training. It's an amazing, rapid development."

They are trying to pat themselves on the back a bit too early
Stefania Caddick-Adams, languages teacher

Berkshire teacher Stefania Caddick-Adams, who works to promote language teaching in about a dozen primary schools, says the latest research will mask great differences in what is really going on in primary schools.

Some schools, she says, might be seen as "teaching" a language because they have a parent who runs a French club after school, for example.

"They may do the register in a language every now and again or do PE in a language occasionally but that does not amount to proper language teaching.

"It is great that the government are highlighting the importance of languages but they are trying to pat themselves on the back a bit too early," she said

Nick Jr. extends commitment to the preschool animated television series Ni Hao, Kai-lan.

Ni Hao, Kai-lan in particular, centers itself around a little Asian-American girl named Kai-lan and her everyday adventures through playtime and self-discovery with her many animal friends. Debuting in early February of this year, the preschool animation has provided the Nick Jr. block with an abundance of creative diversity, a welcomed adjustment to the visual and storytelling aesthete that its young viewers so desperately crave.

"Kai-lan has charmed her way into the lives of preschoolers who tune in to experience her vibrant world which is infused with Mandarin language and Chinese culture," Brown Johnson, President of Animation, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group, commented. "Ni Hao, Kai-lan furthers Nick Jr.'s ongoing commitment to developing diverse programming with characters who reflect today's preschoolers."

Ofsted and Ed Balls praise new initiative by top innovative schools teaching curriculum Mandarin Chinese.

The first and second schools to make Mandarin Chinese a compulsory part of the curriculum have been noticed once more for their innovation. This time the partnership between the schools has been praised by Ed Balls and Ofsted.

Pupils from Kingsford Community College in Beckton can win scholarships to top independent school Brighton College. Head teacher Ms Delandes and Mr Cairns Headmaster of Brighton College are sharing their educational expertise as governors on each other's school boards. Once an innovative school you continue to be innovative it seems.

The links between the schools have already won over one body more often noted for its trenchant criticisms of state schools – the aforementioned Ofsted. In a recent report on Kingsford, the inspectors declared: "The school has introduced a variety of initiatives that have raised the school's profile both locally and nationally. Some, such as the introduction of Mandarin and the link with an independent school to provide scholarships into their sixth-form, are highly innovative."

Part of China Now, 3000 children developing Chinese cross-curricula work have created a new Chinese opera.

350 students performed the new work alongside professional artists.This project was an initiative between the Hackney Music Development Trust (HMDT) and East Hackney Education Zone. 'Confucius says' is a new opera based on Chinese myths and legends written by Stephen Plaice and Richard Taylor for Hackney schools and children learning Chinese.

More and more graduates head to China for interesting work

Drawn by economic optimism and demand for English speakers, UK university leavers are increasingly heading east, says Danny Vincent

Saturday June 7, 2008
The Guardian

There was a time when a career in China for new graduates was limited to teaching English as a second language in a conversation school, but as a new generation realises its potential, graduates are now making careers from would-be career-breaks.
China has long inspired interest among graduates looking to broaden their horizons while adding to their CVs. The vast landscape, mystique and culture exceeds the nation's borders, but for all its thousands of years of history, it is the current expectations of the nation which is now capturing the imagination of many.

We share our experiences in teaching Mandarin Chinese young including Mandarama at the SSAT Chinese network conference

Please come and see us either at our exhibition stand or during our workshop. Get guest access to Mandarama at our stand and learn about how children learn languages young at our workshop. We are sharing our experience in teaching Chinese young and would like to hear your views too.

Professor Johnathan Spence is the 2008 Reith Lecturer - Chinese Vistas - details follow.

The 60th aniversary Reith Lectures take China as their subject, and are given by the eminent historian Professor Jonathan Spence.

Each of the lectures will be available after broadcast to listen again or download.
3 Jun 2008
09:00 -09:45
BBC Radio 4The Reith Lectures 2008
Confucian Ways
Spence reflects on China's most enduring thinker, Confucius.

Virtual worlds can be valuable places where children rehearse what they will do in real life, reveals research.

Virtual worlds can be valuable places where children rehearse what they will do in real life, reveals research.

They are also a "powerful and engaging" alternative to more passive pursuits such as watching TV, said the BBC-sponsored study.

Children even preschoolers learn Mandarin Chinese when its fun

'UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- One local school recently took part in a pilot program that teaches preschoolers how to speak Chinese.

Grover and Elmo from Sesame Street helped teach them Mandarin words at Gearity Elementary in University Heights. Teachers say the children picked up the language very quickly in the four week program.

The children also learned about how kids live in China. Gearity Elementary was one of only four schools taking part in the project in Ohio.

"It teaches them to respect other cultures," says Lorene Varley, the Early Childhood Program Specialist.

The Cleveland Heights University Heights District will also offer Mandarin to high school students in the fall, following a national trend.

"We want our students to be competitive," said Superintendent Deb Delisle.

The district is also working on a Chinese immersion program for the fall of 2009.'

wkyc.com May 2008

Children learning Chinese at Hove Park Primary School win competition..

Students' Mandarin leaves rivals red-faced
By Ruth Morgan
Argus Lite 26 May 2008

William Page, 12, shows off his Chinese skills at Hove Park School. Youngsters left their rivals tongue-tied to scoop a top prize at a national language competition.

While many students may turn pale at the difficult task of learning another language, students from Hove Park School showed off their skills to secure a prize at the National Chinese Mandarin Reading contest.

The event was held at the University of Westminster and was entered by more than 26 schools, colleges and universities from across the country.

The six competitors from Hove Park had only been learning the complex language for eight months but managed to beat off competition from 23 other institutions including a University of Sussex team to come third in the non-native speakers category.

The children read out poetry, prose and stories at the event to take home the coveted trophy.Of the 26 institutions that took part, only six were able to walk away with a prize.
In addition to Hove Park's success, pupil Nicola Burt, 14, added to the team triumph, winning a third place individual prize.

Many parents are looking for Chinese classes for their children. In response to this increased demand.....

'With the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing only a few months way, many parents are clamoring for a way to learn Chinese or are desperately looking for Chinese classes for their children. This is for good reason. Not only is Mandarin Chinese the most spoken language in the world, China is the most rapidly developing economy in the world. Thus far, the most difficult aspect of learning Chinese is finding someone to teach it. Few schools and universities offer Mandarin Chinese, and when they do offer the classes, they fill to capacity quickly. In response to this increased demand, Petite Ambassadors Language School announced today that the school will be expanding its current offering to include a Chinese program that will reach students of all ages, including adults. The school is the first Private Language Education Program of its kind in North Florida. Chinese classes will begin October 15, 2008 and will be taught by Hsiu-yu (Ann) Yang, M.Ed., and Beijing Native.'
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4PRN/is_2008_May_19/ai_n25435109

see Petite Ambassadors School in Florida
http://www.petiteambassadors.com/

Latest BBC research on how children learn languages whilst young

Listen to the latest BBC research on how children learn languages.

A soundscape of the acquisition of language from a baby's viewpoint, concentrating on the way in which cries become sounds, then babbles, words and then sentences. The programme features fly-on-the-wall observations of several children at various stages in their linguistic development alongside contributions from language and child experts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/betweentheears/pip/iqwcw/

Programme details about this amazing adventure are on the BBC website

China is a vast country with an astonishingly diverse landscape. Through unprecedented access, this six-part series reveals the little-known natural treasures and secret wildlife havens of China's wildest regions

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/wildchina/

UK wide - take a look at how your child can learn about modern Chinese culture

Turning up the Volume on Modern China for children.

China Now is a UK-wide celebration of a vibrant, dynamic and fast-evolving nation – a captivating showcase of the very best of modern China.

‘I welcome CHINA NOW as a valuable and exciting idea to help bring our countries closer together and further develop and strengthen our relationship.’
Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister

‘CHINA NOW will strengthen the understanding and friendship between China and the UK. We must work together to make the festival a success.’
Wen Jiabao, Premier of the People’s Republic of China.

http://www.chinanow.org.uk/

The first Confucius centre in Scotland will eventually form part of a network across Scotland.

Chinese language learning comes to Scottish schools

A classroom dedicated to Chinese language opened in Edinburgh yesterday. The first Confucius centre in Scotland will eventually form part of a network across Scotland.

The aim is to boost the learning of Mandarin and Chinese culture in Scotland by providing shared resources and teaching.

This first classroom is based at St George's School in the capital, and pupils at Balerno, Firrhill, James Gillespie's, Currie, Leith, Trinity and Broughton secondaries will also benefit.

The launch comes in the same week the Scottish exams board announced the first school qualification in the language.

Fiona Hyslop, the education secretary, travelled to China in April to cement closer education links. Bernard McLeary, chief executive of Learning and Teaching Scotland, said the new centres would equip Scottish children for the wider world.

He added: "The aim is to prepare our children and young people with a range of skills and experiences which will allow them to prosper in today's multicultural society."

A further four centres will open in the next year.

The Scotsman May 09 2008

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson understands what learning ... Chinese, means to our economic survival.

Yet there is little talk that China has helped keep interest rates down in this country by buying our debt and has limited inflation by keeping costs down on clothes, electronics and other "necessities" that are gobbled up by our consuming public.

It is important to our collective future that we have a better understanding of our respective countries, history, language and culture.

Is there "One World-One Dream?"

In the forward to John King Fairbanks' book, The United States and China, Edwin Reischauer wrote, "The relations between the two great nations, their understanding or misconceptions about each other, their cooperation or friction will play a large part in determining the future of humanity."

TOM WATKINS:China and United States - inextricably linked
May 8 2008
hometownlife.com

Take your children - for US First Emperor tour dates read more...

USA First Emperor Exhibition Tour dates and Location

Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Santa Ana, CA, USA (May 18-October 12, 2008);
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, USA (November 15, 2008-April 26, 2009);
Houston Museum of Natural Science, TX, USA (May 18-September 25, 2009); and
National Geographic Museum, Washington, D.C., USA (November 19, 2009-March 31, 2010).

Bronze Age China's first emperor, and his funereal statuary are freshly reassessed in a new special exhibition.

Source suite101.com

The BBC has a 5 part documentary on a Chinese School. A unique insight....

Chinese School, a major new five-part series from The Open University and the BBC, gives a unique insight into real life in China today, through the pressures, promise and problems of a nation on the rise. Making use of remarkable access, for the first time a documentary series follows a whole year in the life of a small Chinese town, Xiuning, and its three schools – getting a glimpse of the future through the eyes of schoolchildren and discovering just what makes ordinary Chinese people tick; from what they dream of, to what makes them laugh. This is China as the Chinese know it.

Chinese and English use different parts of the brain

Chinese- and English-speaking dyslexics have different neurological deficits, according to a study released Monday which suggests that dyslexia may be different brain disorders in the two cultures.

At the functional level, it's easy to understand why Chinese and English speakers use different parts of the brain to read language," said Li-Hai Tan, a professor of linguistics and neuroscience at the University of Hong Kong, and author on the paper.

"The different brain networks accommodate the different features of English and Chinese. The two systems are dramatically different. Chinese is pictographic and English is more phonological, or sound-based."

How are Chinese children different?

On day one I was shocked by the dedication of the students.

Chinese children spend countless hours in the classroom, arriving at around 6am and leaving at about 10pm with just a few breaks in between for food and exercise.

All students are unanimously focused on the Gao Kao, the final year exam taken to get into university.

Particularly for students from the countryside, such as these, it is their only way out. Securing a place at a good university is synonymous with securing a comfortable life later and the curriculum seems entirely geared towards it.

Learning the correct answer to write on the exam paper is more highly prized than encouraging independent thought
An education in Chinese schooling

"Any 20-year-old American thinking of doing business in China one day ......

.. and not thinking of learning Mandarin is not thinking."

"This is a continental-sized economy being built from scratch," he said. "Everyone used to go to America because it was the global happening place. Now this is the global happening place."

McGregor, a former journalist who runs a business consulting firm in Beijing, advises those who want to head to China to bring an open mind, a sense of adventure and an appreciation for the absurd.

The other key to making it? Solid language skills.

"If you're going to be an entrepreneur, you need to sink into the culture," he said. "Any 20-year-old American thinking of doing business in China one day and not thinking of learning Mandarin is not thinking."

For a new generation, land of opportunity may lie in China, not the US

"Language is a part of culture," Hollingsworth said.

Cox said she keeps Chinese decorations around the house, encourages them (her children) to celebrate Chinese holidays and has them learning to speak Chinese.
"It's their heritage, it's where they are from and it's something they need to be proud of," she said.

How are languages (Chinese) learnt young?

Dr. Bonnie Bunch, a pediatric neurologist and assistant professor with the Sanford School of Medicine at USD, said learning a language breaks down to four parts. Semantics is the meaning of words. Syntax is grammatical construction. An element called prosody covers rhythm and musical quality in a speaker's inflection. Pragmatics is functional use.

A child's mind fires on all four of those cylinders. An adult trying to pick up a language, on the other hand, might have an edge in semantics but won't be as adept in the other qualities.

"Kids learn a lot of language even before they say anything," Bunch said. "A young baby hears language spoken and picks up the prosody. Then they begin to learn words. If you learn those things early in life, you have a much better chance of picking up the syntax than if you learn later in life."

Reports highlights need for more training and more integration of community languages

If we want fluent Chinese speakers, we should recognise that we don't have to start from zero and think about supporting those who have some background in the language." With one in eight primary-school students speaking a second language, McPake insists that there is a lot of community knowledge to capitalise on.

French is no longer enough

A parent's view of Chinese immersion schools for children

Why do we need a Chinese language immersion school in the Eugene School District?

What country is said to be destined to become the largest English-speaking nation in the world? Hint: It’s the same country that has bought $1 trillion of American debt and boasts a trade surplus of hundreds of billions of dollars with us year after year. Yes, China!

While America confronts record national debt and trade deficits, a too thinly stretched military, a battered middle class and plummeting world prestige, China enjoys an exploding economy, a modernizing military, a burgeoning middle class and growing world prestige.

"[At] no time in the history of Chinese international schools has there been such a dynamic and explosive growth

of international schools as what’s happening here in China right now," Frerking said.Students enrolled in these facilities receive educations equivalent to elite private schools in the United States and Europe in part because they are modeled on predominately British and American curriculums, offering both International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) programs. Students also generally come from affluent families who emphasize the importance of education.

International schools in Asia mostly began as small facilities intended for the children of diplomats or missionaries. However, as economic expansion attracted multinational businesses to Asia, the number of students in international schools rose dramatically. These facilities have now evolved into centers for expatriate communities and are vital tools for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).

The number of foreign Chinese children adopted by Americans has dropped for the third year in a row ...

..... a consequence of tougher policies in the two countries -- China and Russia -- that over the past decade have supplied the most children to U.S. families.

Figures for the 2007 fiscal year showed that adoptions from abroad have fallen to 19,411, down about 15 percent in just the past two years.

It's a dramatic change. The number of foreign adoptions had more than tripled since the early 1990s, reaching a peak of 22,884 in 2004 before dipping slightly in 2005, then falling to 20,679 in 2006.

"A drop in international adoptions is sad for children," said Thomas Atwood, president of the National Council for Adoption. "National boundaries and national pride shouldn't get in the way of children having families."

Adoptions from China, the No. 1 source country since 2000, fell to 5,453. That's down by 1,040 from last year and well off the peak of 7,906 in 2005. Two main factors lie behind this: an increase in domestic adoptions as China prospers and tighter restrictions on foreign adoptions that give priority to stable married couples between 30 and 50 and exclude single people, the obese and others with financial or health problems.

One consequence, adoption agencies say, is that the waiting time to complete an adoption from China has more than doubled to 24 months or more.

Confucius classrooms a success for Chinese children

Exec Director, Tsutsui, said learning about China gives children an advantage.

“Parents realize now that to prepare their students for the future, Chinese is a really great thing to have and it sets them apart, it gives them a little leg up that they need,” he said.

Nickolodeon launch new animated show for children learning Mandarin Chinese

What’s this?
The little cartoon girl with the black hair and the big eyes looks straight into the camera, grins and opens her mouth. The words come out, and they are unexpected in both sound and tone: "hong se" - the Mandarin Chinese term for "red."

In Nick Jr.'s new children's animated series, Ni Hao, Kai-lan, the protagonist is Chinese American, the cultural and design influences echo China, and the embedded lessons are focused on the language spoken natively by more people than any tongue on Earth.

Children learn about Chinese culture, the Mandarin language and Chinese songs

Learning about Chinese culture
Redditch advertiser
31st Janaury 2008

Alistair Morgan, Jack Higgins, Sky Palmer, Caitlin Cox, Charlie Blake and Lauren Coldwell with Bryonie Williams, Paul Lok and Councillor Betty Passingham.
CHILDREN at Matchborough First School have been dancing with dragons at an after-school club in time for Chinese New Year.

With funding from the Redditch Arts Council, the Redditch Chinese Association has been working with the children making a lions head, learning Mandarin and singing Chinese songs.

Bryonie Williams, foundations stage co-ordinator at the school, said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for the children to participate in and experience the Chinese culture, giving them insights and understanding in our multi-cultural community."

To mark the new year, a street party will be held by the Redditch Chinese Association on Sunday, February 17 in the town that will involve Chinese food, music and dance.

..it is just as likely to be Scottish children taking part in the Chinese classes...

City youngsters learn the future's language

The undulating, rhythmic sound of children's voices belting out unfamiliar words and a distinctly oriental tune resonates through the classrooms and down the corridors of an otherwise deserted secondary school.

It is Saturday, and most of the rooms at Drummond Community High School are closed for the weekend. But nearly 200 students – mostly Chinese, but a surprising number of them native Scots – are there to learn one of the trickiest yet most widely spoken languages in the world.

For while the Edinburgh Chinese School has traditionally been a seat of learning for the children of Chinese families in the city, now it is just as likely to be Scottish children taking part in the classes, getting to grips with the complex tones and structure of Mandarin and Cantonese.

"In the past five years there has been a rising number of Scottish people coming to the school," confirms Edinburgh Chinese School headteacher, Kathy Miller.

"Most of them are simply interested in China and its culture. However, there are also many who want to study the languages for business purposes, and there are a number of parents who are very keen for their children to learn the language, because they are aware that China's future is blooming."

More schools offer Chinese to children.

More schools teach Chinese

MASON - China's expanding global reach is taking hold in the classrooms of Greater Cincinnati as more schools are offering courses to teach Chinese.

And some schools are reaching halfway around the world to learn more about Chinese language and culture - and to recruit teachers.

Next school year, the Mason school district will join a small but growing list of area schools adding Chinese to the traditional menu of Spanish, French and German offered at most public schools.

"We are very excited to be able to offer this," said Nicole Huelsman, an assistant principal at Mason High School. "With China accounting for about 21 percent of the world's population, it is necessary to look in this direction."

The years three and four pupils at St Paul's Primary School in South Manchester will be the first children ....

Primary is first to put Chinese on curriculum

A primary school in Manchester has become one of the first in the UK to teach Chinese as part of its curriculum with help from teachers supplied by the Confucius Institute at The University of Manchester.
The years three and four pupils at St Paul's Primary School in South Manchester will be the first children in the north west to learn Mandarin during school time - even though only one of the pupils is of Chinese descent.

The Children - from Withington - will be celebrating Chinese New Year with a special performance at the school assembly this Friday (8 Feb) partly delivered in Chinese.

They have been in e-mail contact with youngsters at a primary school in Beijing to help them perfect their language skills and hope to gain an internationally recognised language qualification next year.

And in recognition of their success, the Office of Chinese Language Council International has just awarded the school the status of 'Confucius Classroom', which will enable it to act as resource for other schools in the area - with the help of University of Manchester staff.

For young children at Vernon kindergarten learning Chinese is about enjoying the language.

'Ni hao' means 'hello' to Vernon kindergarteners

VERNON — "Ni hao" chimed the excited kindergarten students in unison as their teacher walked into the classroom. "Ni hao" he replied, as they gathered around him in a circle on the floor so he could begin their lesson.

Ted McGurrin was in Maureen Dewald's classroom teaching the children words, phrases and songs in Mandarin Chinese. "Ni hao" is the traditional Mandarin Chinese word for "hello."

"Vernon's Chinese program is off to a great start and the kids as well as parents are extremely interested in the language," McGurrin said.

Since September, the students have learned several words, phrases and songs in Chinese.

Wayne Lynn, director of curriculum and instruction for the Vernon School District, said the district received a three-year, $57,000 federal grant for the program.

"Without everybody's help we couldn't have a program. I'm very appreciative to be working here," McGurrin said.

Currently, the language is taught in both kindergarten as well as high school. McGurrin teaches all of the classes.

"At the kindergarten age, the emphasis is enjoying the language," he said.

McGurrin said the younger students sometimes have an easier time learning the language because they don't have any preconceptions about it.

"I want them to have fun, that's what it's all about."

Julia Stellingwerf, 6, said she enjoys learning Chinese because, "we like to play games and we get to sing songs."

The Mayor wants children to learn Mandarin so they can develop business links with China.

I'll help London Mayor to solve China crisis

A PRIMARY head is set to help the Mayor of London out of a China crisis.

Don Berry of St Paul’s in Withington is to advise Ken Livingstone on how to take Chinese into the capital’s classrooms.

The Mayor wants to see pupils given the opportunity to learn Mandarin so they can develop business links with one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

But faced with the headache of how to get the project off the ground he is being put in touch with Mr Berry, whose school has been hailed as a model for teaching Chinese to young pupils.

Education minister Ed Balls has promised to set up the meeting between the pair after a chance meeting with Mr Berry at a Labour Party fundraiser in Didsbury this week.

It came just days after the London Mayor had revealed his plans to the minister over a dinner at the Shepherd’s restaurant on Marsham Street, Westminster.

Mr Balls told the Reporter: "Ken said he wanted children in London to learn Chinese because today’s pupils are tomorrow’s business leaders and he thinks it is vital to improve links with China. He told me that he thinks it’s important for the growth of London’s economy to forge closer ties with China.

A book of traditional Chinese stories has been created by pupils and parents at Edinburgh's Chinese Community School.

Chinese school brings in new year with book on culture
Marking the beginning of the Year of the Rat, the book is designed to encourage children to learn more about Chinese culture and promote family values.

The text is in Mandarin and Pinyin, which helps teach Mandarin pronunciation, as well as English.

Mark Tang, chairman of the Edinburgh Chinese Community School, which is based in Liberton, said: "We are delighted to be able to develop and distribute this book to our pupils in our language classes.

"We hope that it will help young children to learn more about Chinese culture and virtues with its collection of short stories and illustrations and, ultimately, help them to develop their Mandarin language studies."

The book was created with planning and printing help from Telford College, and funding from City Literacy and Numeracy Edinburgh.

Children in thh Bay area spend half the day learning Mandarin Chinese and the other in English.

Mandarin immersion program a hit with Hayward students

HAYWARD — Garrett Ailshie traces his pencil over a traditional Mandarin character, then puckers his lips and pronounces the symbol: "Ooh."
While other kids his age are beginning to get a hold on the English language, Garrett, 6, and about a dozen other kindergartners at Stonebrae Elementary are juggling Mandarin on top of their native tongues.

"I wanted to learn Mandarin because I want to teach it to my family," said Garrett, who isn't shy about displaying his knowledge of how to say "hi" and "goodbye" in the language.

Garrett and his classmates are the first group of students in the Hayward Unified School District's Dual-Immersion Mandarin program, which launched earlier this school year.

The goal is simple: By Local children learn Mandarin
the time they graduate high school, all students will be bilingual and biliterate in Mandarin, says Jackie Wicks, kindergarten teacher at Stonebrae.
Wicks spends half the day teaching strictly in Mandarin and the other half in English.

Her instruction is heavily based on pictures, pantomiming, singing and dancing.

"I incorporate a lot of real-life items whenever I can," Wicks said.

She expects her students to know all of Mandarin's 37 phonetic symbols and a few sight words such as big, small, father and mother by the time they enter first grade.The program is designed to expand slowly, keeping the same group of students together by adding another grade level as they progress through the sixth grade, while registering
a new kindergarten class each year.

Mr Zhao has taught the Chinese langauge, Chinese characters and all about the Chinese culture at Strathspey school.

STRATHSPEY pupils have been enjoying a fascinating glimpse into oriental life through the eyes of a Chinese teacher visiting Grantown's schools.

The Mandarin language, calligraphy, culture, cookery and music were among the topics highlighted by exchange teacher Jianye Zhao, who is head of English in the Yunnan Nationalities High School, Kunming.

He spent a day at the primary school, where he introduced children to the rudiments of simple calligraphy and told them about some aspects of the culture of his country.
'In the secondary school, Mr Zhao rolled up his sleeves and taught pupils some introductory Mandarin, gave talks on Chinese life, demonstrated Chinese cooking and took part in a music class. He also challenged staff and senior students to table tennis, a very popular game in his homeland.'
From the Strathspey and Badenich Herald
Visitor offers pupils a taste of the Orient

Brown and Premier Wen Jiabao agreed to expand bilaterial trade by 50% to $60bn by 2010..

Brown also wants Britain to become the number-one investment destination of China's new $200b sovereign wealth fund, says George Parker in the FT. His 'wooing of China Investment Corp' won a 'warm response'from Wen, who sensitive to criticism of his country's motives, assured Brown that CIC would be 'entirely commercial' and 'transparent and open'.

China will soon boast more internet users than any other country.

But usage patterns inside China are different from those elsewhere.

That such a big, increasingly wealthy and technologically adept country has embraced the internet is no surprise, but it has done so in a very different way from other countries. That is in large part the result of the government's historically repressive approach towards information and entertainment. News is censored, television is controlled by the state and bookshops and cinemas, shuttered during the Cultural Revolution, are still scarce.

Yet it is all these limitations, paradoxically, that make the internet so popular in China. ...the internet fills gaps and provides what is unavailable elsewhere, particularly for young people.

After reporting its first ever quarterly loss and an additional $5.7 billion write down ...

.... related to subprime mortgages, Morgan Stanley recently said it would sell a 9.9% stake to China's fund.

Mr Brown and the Chinese premier Wen Jiabo agreed to increase trade between the two countries by 50% by 2010.

Mr Brown said the relationship between the two countries was "absolutely crucial" to the success of the global economy as a whole.

"It's true we are able to sell to China not just financial and business services and environmental technologies, but also a whole range of British brands that are now becoming very popular among the rising number of Chinese consumers."

He added: "We said we want Britain to be the number one destination of choice for Chinese business as it invests in the rest of the world."

Primary schools in England will receive about £340 extra each next year to support compulsory languages teaching.

Lord Dearing said: 'I invite all head teachers to see this announcement as an opportunity."

He said primary schools should press ahead with languages with the confidence that increased funding was secure for a further three years.

"By continuing to invest in more long term solutions, such as better trained teachers and more innovative resources, we will generate enthusiasm and confidence for studying languages in secondary school and beyond - far more effective than simple compulsion."

Mr Knight (schools minister) said the answer was to make children enthusiastic about languages at a younger age.

Wanting to get more out of your investment? Mandarama - Practice Makes Perfect Fun.

WHAT MAKES MANDARAMA SPECIAL?
- Packed full of Chinese books, games, culture for children learning Chinese
- It is designed exclusively for children by a passionate and wide-ranging team of specialists
- It is a fun practice playground rather than a boring structured lesson format
- It is based on natural language learning principles
- It is interactive unlike DVDs and books
- It is continually updated with new content and more exciting features
- It contains no adverts or product placements – meaning it is all about fun and education but not about selling!
- The full version will allow the child to create their own personal journey through a seemingly infinite space, which in fact is managed by us to ensure learning occurs
- In time children will be able to contribute to the site
- It will never include potentially dangerous chat rooms / social networking
- We welcome suggestions from you as to what you would like the space to include

We chose to develop Mandarama as
-‘Practice makes Perfect Fun’ when it comes to language learning at a young age
-Face to face tutoring, however necessary, is expensive and involves committing to set times
-An online arena allows us to easily update the content, provides easy access, includes sound and is where children already play, if sometimes far too much in a non-educational way
-It allows us to make the most of the specialist competence we have accumulated and continue to develop.

...while the US is still the global higher education "superpower", China will soon be knocking it off top spot

...... if current trends continue. This week, an international audience gathered in London for the Worldwide Universities Network conference, was given a dramatic insight into just how rapidly China is moving through the field in the higher education race.

China is now the largest higher education system in the world: it awards more university degrees than the USA and India combined

It should be a wake-up call to universities and governments around the world. Moreover, it should be a sobering warning to those who decry the relatively modest ambitions of the British government to aim for 50% of young people having some experience of higher education.

Consider some of the facts. China is now the largest higher education system in the world: it awards more university degrees than the US and India combined.

My attempts to learn a Chinese language are suddenly fashionable, it seems.

But even a smattering brings immense benefits. No doubt I'll soon be surpassed by the hordes of teenies being hothoused or hired Chinese nannies by pushy parents. So be it. Children learn more easily; but also, I suspect, less enjoyably. How many would appreciate the poetry of the character meaning grieved or anxious (composed of "heart' and "autumn")? Or the light that language can shed on a culture's priorities and preconceptions? Borges didn't need to invent his dictionary; Mandarin's categories are almost as distinctive to British eyes - the measure word for trousers is the same as for dragons, but different to that for a shirt.

But Mandarin Chinese is set to become the second most popular foreign language learned in UK schools.

It is already studied by more children than German or Russian. Only French and Spanish are more popular. If the rate of growth continues it will overtake Spanish in three years. Gareth from Wales, says 'I am learning Chinese, and find it fun.' Another student, Thomas from London, says 'Just telling people that I learn Mandarin turns heads. Even a basic insight gives you an edge.'

China intends to launch its own space station in 2020, according to one of the country's leading space experts.

Rocket designer Long Lehao told state media scientists were on track to send "a small-scale 20-ton space workshop" into the Earth's orbit.

Space officials later said the plan had not been finalised.

The claim follows the launch of China's first Moon probe last month, amid what some analysts are calling an undeclared space race with Japan and India.

If the plan succeeds, China will become the only country to run its own station.

Beijing Olympics organizers had no choice but to cancel a first-come, first-served ticket sales policy ....

because overwhelming demand threw the process into chaos, a senior official said in an interview published Tuesday....Other than concerns about Beijing's notorious air pollution, preparations for the Olympics that open Aug. 8 have gone well so far. The city has earned high praise from the International Olympic Committee for its venues, and athletes had few complaints during a series of test events over the last several months.

But the ticketing fiasco was a big frustration for Chinese, some of who feel their interests have been sidelined in the flurry of preparations for the event that is expected to attract an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 foreign visitors.

Chinese e-commerce portal Alibaba.com soared on its debut on the Hong Kong stock market Tuesday,

with its share price nearly tripling. .... But analysts said the rise was unsustainable, and that speculators were driving up the price in order to maximize profits.
Alibaba.com is one of China's fastest growing Internet companies. Its registered members soared to 24.6 million in 2007 from 6 million in 2004. Paying members increased to 255,000 by June 2007 from 77,000 in 2004...... The company recorded a net profit of 295.2 million Chinese yuan (US$39.2 million; €27.5 million) in the six months ended June 2007.

Unruly British pupils could scupper plans to hire staff from China to teach Mandarin in English schools..

... a report suggested yesterday.
About 100 Chinese teachers are expected to arrive in English state schools and colleges by this time next year. More could follow. But the Cilt study said schools found problems with Chinese teachers already in English classrooms. The report said: "Their lack of familiarity with the English system of discipline, target setting etc is a problem.

"They also tend to have different, perhaps unrealistic, expectations of pupils.

BAMBOO LEARNING ONLY EMPLOYS BI-CULTURAL TUTORS WHO ARE TRAINED IN WESTERN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT - ask us for our recruitment and classroom management policies

The toy industry is a vital part of the Chinese economy

Managers from Chinese toy firms and state officials have been given lessons in product safety and quality supervision after recent scares. More than 1,000 industry figures attended a training workshop designed to familiarise them with key export and licence requirements, Xinhua reported.

How do you keep from being Shanghaied or Bangalored?

When Matt Cavin returned from China to the US, he mapped out an ambitious self-improvement program. Gone was his theology major. In its place, when he graduates next spring, he'll have no fewer than three bachelor's degrees: international business, economics and Mandarin. Cavin sees plenty of opportunities. He isn't running scared. But he's running.

'Prices in the US are artifcially low,' says Andy Xie, former chief economist for Morgan Stanley....

'You're not paying the costs of pollution, and that is why China is an environmental catastrophe.'

Multiple Learning Outcomes, Child Powered, Designing a Linguistic Play Unit

Following the success of an innovative summer school programme last year we are getting far more innovative this year! Our programme is ambitious but nothing GFT children cannot rise too. We can adapt it to your needs or create something similar with you. The programme is typical of Bamboo – West meets East seamlessly in a way relevant to the future.

The Challenge – Can you run a business (in Mandarin Chinese)?
Skilled Chinese tutors + a University Business Lecturer run the programme in partnership with you

This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition....

.. will explore one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century and provide an insight
into China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, and his legacy.

Objects featured in the exhibition will include a number of the
world-famous terracotta warriors from Xi'an, China, which were
buried alongside the First Emperor in readiness for the afterlife, as well as some of the most striking recent discoveries made on the site.

In introducing the idea of a unified state and effectively creating China in 221 BC, the First Emperor of Qin created what is today the oldest surviving political entity in the world. How that state has survived, developed and is viewed today will be explored through events, lectures and debates around the exhibition.

China has taken a 'huge stride' in its march to Western-style captialism', said James Harding in The Times.'

The move highlights China's interset in new kinds of investment and is set to 'change' the dynamics of its relationship with America.

Beijing's move is a 'political master stroke', said Lex in the FT. Investing some if its reserves in a US firm tempers fears that diversifying into riskier assets will hurt the dollar, while holding part of America's top private equity groups demonstrates a willingness to engage with the US and should ensure ' a warmer reception next time it goes shopping in the US.'

Saatchi Gallery launches Mandarin-language website

Britain's Saatchi Gallery marked its latest expansion in China's booming contemporary art market yesterday with the launch of a Mandarin-language website, which will allow artists to display their work online and interact with their peers around the world.

The launch of a Chinese version of the Your Gallery website - the world's largest interactive art gallery with 20 million hits a day - shows how hot the Chinese art market is. Your Gallery was launched last year to provide a free global platform for artists.

'If China sharply revalued the yuan, as American politicians are demanding....

...., it could actually hurt the US and help China.'

Myth 1 - that there is overwhelming evidence that the yuan is grossly undervalued
Myth 2 - a re-evaluation ... would greatly reduce America's trade deficit

China needs to cool its asset markets with higher interest