Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

SYRACUSE — Gov. Gary Herbert learned firsthand Wednesday morning how dual language immersion programs are working in Davis School District.

Herbert and his staff visited three classes at Syracuse Elementary School, where Mandarin Chinese is taught to 170 of the school’s 981 students.

Herbert’s goal is to have the program offered to 30,000 students in 100 schools across the state by 2014.

“We are a global economy,” Herbert said. “The ability to communicate will mean economic success.”

Currently, 57 schools statewide offer the program in either Chinese, French or Spanish.

The school offers Chinese to students in kindergarten through second grade in a typical dual immersion program where students divide their time between English and a second language to learn academics.

Chinese is offered in four schools in Davis district. In Utah, 31 schools offer dual immersion programs in Spanish, 17 in Mandarin Chinese and nine in French.

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