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Information for parents of kids in Mandarin immersion education
recent posts
- Fourth grade Mandarin immersion students from Maryland sing for First Lady
- Utah’s Chinese Dual Language Immersion Program serves 12,000 students in 98 schools
- Chapel Hill NC superintendent wants to to disband 24-year-old Mandarin immersion program
- Wyoming’s only Mandarin immersion program going strong
- Chapel Hill Mandarin immersion program move stirs anger
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From the Asia Society
The Basics of Chinese Immersion Program Design
by Myriam Met and Chris Livaccari
Designing a language immersion program requires a level of commitment on the part of the administration, teachers, students, and parents that is far beyond that of many other types of instructional programs. In making the decision of whether and how to begin an immersion program, it is critical to consider a number of key questions and to clarify the purposes and goals of the program, the student population who will be served, and how the program aligns with other programs within the school or school district. While there are many cognitive and academic advantages to providing students with a rigorous and engaging immersion curriculum, it is crucial to design the appropriate type of program that best meets the needs of students, parents, and the school community.
More here.
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From the Asia Society Chinese Language Initiatives newsletter.
China and
Globalization BETAIn the 21st-century classroom, Chinese language learning
meets the world.
This month, we are proud to announce the beta launch of a new Chinese language and content learning website. The concept is simple: Make modern Chinese accessible and relevant to a diverse population of learners – from beginners to heritage students – make it interactive and real-to-life, apply sound pedagogy and a flexible format, and offer it freely.
The focus of these materials is on China and globalization – the interconnectedness of the world in both ancient and modern times. Why China and Globalization? First, China has been a global culture throughout history, one that has been integrally connected with the rest of the world from the earliest periods through to today. Second, language learning should not be separated from the learning of other academic content; rather, intersections and continuities between the two should be consistently explored and built upon.
Tea, China’s marketplace, and the historical figure of Cai Wenji are the subjects of the first three units. Later this year we will release additional units on Tang Dynasty fashion, ice cream mooncakes, and the global exchange of products. The materials and resources in the China and Globalization series are designed to be used by teachers of Chinese at the elementary and secondary levels, and beyond. Each lesson comes with a set of interactive flashcards and a video that introduces the content. The lessons are generally targeted at beginning and intermediate learners, but can be applied and adapted to just about any Chinese language class. We believe firmly that each individual teacher must adapt and align the materials they are using with reference to the particular needs of their students and courses, and in coordination with their colleagues in the school.
We invite you to explore the site and test the materials in China and Globalization. We look forward to your feedback!
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We’re up to 127 in the United States. Click here to open a page containing a spread sheet with the full list.
If your school isn’t on the list, send me a note and I’ll add it.
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In Capo’s Chinese Classes, Everything Is Going 很好
Orange County’s first public-school Mandarin immersion program is attracting kids from all over the district – and beyond.
“Nín hǎo!”
That’s the greeting students in two kindergartens, a first-grade class and a preschool class hear each morning at Bergeson Elementary in Laguna Niguel.
“Nín hǎo!”
It’s said warmly by the teachers, and it’s even heard from Principal Barbara Scholl.
This is the first year of the districtwide Mandarin Immersion Program. Capistrano Unified School District was the first public school system in Orange County to approve one. Since then, officials at Orange Unified also decided to offer the program.
Students from all over the district and even as far away as Tustin and Anaheim are attending. Enrollment at Bergeson has grown by more than 100 students this year.
Please read more here.
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Getting kids reading in Mandarin means finding books they want to — and can — read. That’s not always easy. Researchers at San Francisco State University ran an innovative program using graphic novels (or comic books or manga depending on how you want to describe them) which found that kids ate them up like candy.
But finding comic books in Chinese in the United States isn’t easy, especially if your child s learning simplified characters. I got an email today from a local store with an online presence, Little Monkey and Mouse, that’s got some in stock and wanted to share it. Click the link on their name to see what they’ve got.
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The lovely folks in Vancouver Washington’s Mandarin immersion program have posted teachers reading books for kids online. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? and other Kindergarten hits are up now. You can see their full page here.
