Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

Information for parents of kids in Mandarin immersion education

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  • Australia says forget French, Mandarin’s the thing

    It’s adieu to the French language at schools as experts advise a shift of focus from European languages

    • school

    Rouse Hill Public School’s Chloe Van Der Houen, Alessandra Valle, Keenan Davis and Joel Wright learn Mandarin. Picture: Rohan Kelly Source: The Daily Telegraph

    TO get ahead, children should learn Mandarin: that’s the advice from education experts who say schools need to shift their focus from European languages.

    Although learning any second language is beneficial to children, the one that will deliver career and salary benefits is Mandarin – and students should stick with the same language through primary and high school to have any hope of fluency.

    Reviving the language debate, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott used his Budget reply speech on Thursday to pledge a boost in language studies so at least 40 per cent of Year 12 students were learning a language other than English within a decade.

    Mr Abbott would focus on languages of key regional partners like China, Japan, South Korea and India (see the story at right).

    UNSW school of education Professor Chris Davison said anyone considering a career in business would have a competitive edge by being fluent in Mandarin, the most widely spoken language in the world.

    Please read more here.

  • Orange County Mandarin immersion charter one step closer

    A note from one of the parents says “We got a Spanish charter school’s approval to include us as a mandarin immersion extension of their program in 2012. Still pending school District ok at end of may but early talks w them are promising. It would be k-2 in 2012.

    •A subsidiary of the Mandarin Language Academy, a successful Tuition-free Public Charter School in San Diego
    • Instruction will be: 70% Mandarin Chinese, 10% Spanish, 20% English
    • Credentialed, trained teachers and experienced administrators provided by the Mandarin Language Academy
    • Small class sizes (22:1 plus an aide)
    • Proven, time-tested curriculum over many years’ experience in language immersion programs

  • Get ready for summer and some reading in Mandarin

    As the school years nears its end, it’s time to start thinking about various ways to keep your kids listening to and reading in Mandarin over the summer.

    Once again the folks at 5Q Channel in Taiwan are making available a special ‘parents’ rate for their web site, which offers illustrated stories with the Mandarin in characters (simplified and traditional are both available) and the stories are also read aloud.
    It’s a great site if you don’t read Mandarin yourself, because it reads stories to your kids.
    They also have  iPad apps available.
    To get the $30 yearly rate, log in here:

    Another good site is out of Silicon Valley, called ChildRoad. It’s a a read-and-listen library of stories in Mandarin.
    Both are great ways to make sure your child keeps up with Mandarin over the summer. When my kids want to go online, I tell them “Sure, but only if it’s one of these sites.”
    Beth

  • A nice blog listing books in Mandarin for children

    http://vickietsui96.blogspot.com/

    Really useful English write ups of books that do well with smaller kids.

    She’s also got a blog about raising Mandarin/English bilingual children.

    http://mandarin-tiger-mom.blogspot.com/

  • Shanghai Mandarin camp with homestay

    Don’t know anything about them but thought folks might be interested.
    Beth

     

    Dear Parent,

    Greetings from YK Pao School! As you may know, this year we are organizing the Mandarin Summer Camp and instermediate Chinese program for 5-12 year olds and we would be delighted to have your child take part.

    Our Summer Camp is a constructive and enjoyable way for your child to pass the long summer months, experiencing life in Shanghai and learning Mandarin in a fun and educational environment. We will have activity based classes including sports, art and excursions round Shanghai and to nearby areas. We also have homestay opportunities. As you know, unlike many other language camps, our Camp is held on campus at our School and makes use of our indoor and outdoor teaching and sports facilities.

    We are currently running an ‘Early-Bird’ promotion, by which you can enjoy a 10% discount on course fees if you enroll your child before the end of March.

    Please check our website for more information: www.ykpaoschool.cn or email us on summercamp@ykpaoschool.cn

    We hope to hear from you soon.

    Kind regards,

    Helen Feng

  • Mandarin summer program scholarships

    [I don’t know anything about these organizations, but it seemed it might be of interest to readers.  — Beth]

    Abroad101 Launches Record $17,000 Summer Scholarship Giveaway

    Partners with Forum Nexus and INTO China, Supporting Obama Administration 100,000 Strong Initiative

    Boston, MA (PRWEB) May 07, 2012

    Abroad101, the world’s first and largest study abroad review website, has partnered with INTO China and Forum-Nexus study abroad programs to offer $17,000 worth of scholarships for summer 2012 and 2013. High demand for study abroad scholarships and the desire to support the 100,000 Strong Initiative prompts this collaborative giveaway.

    INTO China, a Chinese language program provider is offering five, $1,000 scholarships to study at a top Chinese University in Summer 2012. This giveaway coincides with the Obama Administration’s 100,000 Strong Initiative, promoting the ability for American students to study in China. The deadline for submissions is May 15, 2012 and students can apply on the Abroad101 website.

    Christian Eberhardt, the Regional Recruitment Coordinator for North America says “INTO China is thrilled to have partnered with Abroad101, sharing their fantastic review platform and extensive reach to students and universities all over North America. Now more than ever is the time to let students know about the opportunities and benefits from studying in China. Our summer Mandarin immersion program is the perfect segway for students wishing to experience the language, culture and world of work within the next global superpower. We highly value our collaboration with Abroad101.”

    Forum-Nexus, a summer, traveling program provider is offering six, $2,000 scholarships for their multi-city program which visits 12 European cities over seven weeks. Scholarships are valid for Summer 2012 and Summer 2013 programs. Students can apply for the Summer 2012 program through May 15, 2012 and for the Summer 2013 program through June 15th, 2012.

    Dr. Hugo Hervitz, Founder and Executive Director of Forum-Nexus, says, “Our program provides a unique study abroad experience since world-class professors travel with students from around the world to 12 amazing European cities in 7 weeks, offering enlightening classes while visiting leading companies and international organizations”.

    Michael Stone, President and Co-Founder of Abroad101, feels strongly about the scholarship offerings and alliance with these providers. “Creating more opportunities for study abroad is a catalyst for developing informed, global citizens” says Stone. “We could not achieve this mission without the coalitions we have formed with providers like INTO China and Forum-Nexus”.

    Abroad101 is embracing the viral marketing prowess of Facebook to collect applications, expanding their reach globally. Once students submit their application response online, they are able to share their entry with friends and accumulate “likes” via Facebook. One of the goals of these scholarships is to increase awareness in international education and have people genuinely interested in applicants’ study abroad opportunities. The winner will be chosen based on a combination of the quality of their response, as well as how much buzz they can create around their scholarship campaign through Likes and Tweets.

    About Abroad101: 
Abroad101 is the world’s first, largest, and fastest growing study abroad review website. Founded in 2007 by Tufts, Harvard, and MIT graduates, Abroad101’s mission is to promote global citizenship by fostering the most meaningful study abroad experience for all students through technology innovation in international education. Abroad101 empowers universities with its free market-leading online evaluation tool and provides an advertising and student recruitment platform to global program providers. Abroad101 is a 2010 winner of the MassChallenge Global startup competition. To learn more, visit http://www.studyabroad101.com. 
Contact: Mike Stone, President, Abroad101 
+1 617 401 8848 
Mike(at)abroad101(dot)com

    About INTO China: 
A division of INTO University Partnerships, INTO China offers all-inclusive courses combining Chinese language tuition with a program of excursions, cultural experiences, and master classes taught by leading business professionals. Locations include Beijing, Tianjin and Dalian China.

    About Forum-Nexus: 
With 22 years of experience, Forum-Nexus Study Abroad specializes in intensive multi-country traveling summer programs, taught in English, for both undergraduate and graduate students. The programs are offered in some of the most engaging and dynamic cities in Europe. Students greatly improve their global awareness, cultural intelligence, and International IQ as they learn from their professors, the surroundings, and the companies and organizations they visit. They share their European experience with top students from all over the world: 40% of the Forum-Nexus students come from countries outside the U.S., including Mexico, Egypt, Brazil, India, Canada, China and the UK.

  • LAUSD’s Broadway wins award

    Broadway Elementary in Venice Receives Title I Academic Achievement Award

    Broadway Elementary School in Venice is one of 117 schools statewide honored with the Title I Academic Achievement Award for schools receiving federal funding.

    Broadway Elementary School in Venice was one of 117 schools statewide recently awarded with a Title I Academic Achievement Award.

    The award is given only to schools receiving Title I funds, a federal program to help students living at or below the poverty line with their educational needs.

    “What an honor this is for Broadway. The improvement in student achievement is a result of everyone’s teamwork. Students, teachers, parents, and administrators worked as a team to provide students the academic support that they needed,” said Broadway Elementary principal Susan Wang in a statement released this week. “We are a schoolwide Title I school with a large number of English Learners, and the students deserve to be recognized.”

    The school’s Academic Performance Index, a statewide accountability measurement, has grown by more than 120 points since Wang arrived at Broadway in 2008.

    Please read more here.