A Concordia study shows that kids exposed to two languages have different expectations than those who are monolingual

Early second-language education could promote acceptance of social and physical diversity. | Photo by Concordia University

Most young children are essentialists: They believe that human and animal characteristics are innate. That kind of reasoning can lead them to think that traits like native language and clothing preference are intrinsic rather than acquired.

But a new study from Concordia suggests that certain bilingual kids are more likely to understand that it’s what one learns, rather than what one is born with, that makes up a person’s psychological attributes.

The study, forthcoming in Developmental Science, suggests that bilingualism in the preschool years can alter children’s beliefs about the world around them. Contrary to their unilingual peers, many kids who have been exposed to a second language after age three believe that an individual’s traits arise from experience.

For the study, psychology professor Krista Byers-Heinlein and her co-author, Concordia undergrad Bianca Garcia, tested a total of 48 monolingual, simultaneous bilingual (learned two languages at once) and sequential bilingual (learned one language and then another) five- and six-year-olds.

Please read more here.

What’s of course noteworthy about this is that kids coming from Mandarin immersion programs don’t need to spent two to three years learning Chinese while they’re in college–they arrive at college already speaking Chinese. Which gives them a tremendous leg up. — Beth

U.S. students losing interest in China as dream jobs prove elusive
BY ALEXANDRA HARNEY
SHANGHAI Thu Mar 12, 2015 5:15pm EDT

(Reuters) – American students are getting cold feet about studying Chinese in China, with many study abroad programs in the country seeing a substantial drop in enrolment over the last few years.

At the University of California Education Abroad Program (UCEAP), student enrolment in programs in China is expected to be less than half the level it was only four years ago. Washington-based CET, another leading study abroad group, says interest in China has been falling since 2013.

The apparent waning of interest worries some China watchers. Given the importance of the U.S.-China relationship, having a group of Americans across different industries who speak Chinese and understand the culture is “a matter of national interest”, says Robert Daly, director of the Kissinger Institute on China and the United States at the Wilson Center in Washington.

“We can’t respond coherently, effectively and fully to China unless we understand China on its own terms,” he said.

The Institute of International Education says the number of U.S. students studying in China fell 3.2 percent in 2012-13 to 14,413, even as overall study abroad numbers rose modestly.

American students’ apparent loss of interest contrasts with Chinese students’ clamor for a U.S. education. The number of Chinese studying in the United States jumped 16.5 percent in 2013-14 to more than 274,000.

Please see more here.

I think I’ve mentioned this site before, but it’s worth repeating.

This is a cool site where they’re taking Chinese newspaper articles and making them a little easier to read for students. The title is a dual-language pun, as bao, 报, means newspaper.

See their site here.

Here’s something students in San Francisco are doing that could easily be copied by programs elsewhere. It’s a little less intense than poetry-recitation contests, and (I feel I can say) a lot more zany and fun.

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Dear Parents,

In partnership with Jinshan Mandarin Education Council – 金山中文教育协会 and promote Mandarin learning, SK is introducing our 1st annual Tongue Twister friendly competition on Friday, March 20, 2015, 2:00-2:40 pm in the cafeteria.

Students volunteer to enter or as a class and they will perform 2 well known grade level tongue twister on stage that afternoon.

All participants will receive a participation certificate and some fun prizes will go to the

Most Expressive
Fast and Accurate
Most Amusing
Most Imaginative
Most Difficult
Most Amazing

Come and watch the students twirl their tongues and spit out the words as fast as they can.

Attached is the tongue twister selections for this year. You are most welcome to try it.

Tongue Twister in Mandarin, 绕口令，performance and competition
Come to join us for the very first Mandarin Tongue Twister performance and competition from the Mandarin program.

When: Friday, March 20, 2015, 2-2:40pm
Where: Cafeteria
What: MI program students will perform tongue twisters and compete for prizes

This event is sponsored by JMEC.

绕口令表演及比赛
请来观看我们学校中文沈浸班级第一次绕口令表演及比赛

時间：星期五，三月二十曰，下午 2-2:40
地点：学校餐厅
事项：中文沈浸班 学生们将表演及比赛绕口令

这个绕口令表演及比赛是由金山中文教育協会发起及赞助。

Click the link below to see the tongue-twisters in Chinese:

K-5 绕口令

Translations:

K-5 Tongue-Twisters with Translation

CELIN Connection