Native Mandarin Speakers to Bolster U.S. Classrooms’ Language, Culture Curricula

NEW YORK—As part of the College Board’s co-sponsored Chinese Guest Teacher Program, 64 additional Chinese teachers have arrived in the United States, ready to begin educating U.S. students about Chinese culture and teaching the most widely spoken first language in the world.

This is the second such group to arrive, increasing the number of guest teachers in the program by almost 200 percent. It is the largest K-12 Chinese guest teacher program in the United States and seeks to address the shortage of qualified teachers of Chinese in U.S. schools. The teachers arrived Aug. 3 and, after a week of intensive training with language experts, they will be placed in schools and districts in 23 states, teaching students in high school, middle school and elementary school.

College Board President Gaston Caperton said the program’s growth is a strong indication of the enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture programs within U.S. schools. In a 2004 College Board-conducted survey, school districts reported a high demand for Chinese language programs but feared a lack of resources would keep such programs from becoming a reality.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for young Americans to be a part of globalization at a fundamental level, learning the language and discovering the Chinese culture,” Caperton said. “This program’s success should demonstrate the growing awareness among Americans that we need to offer a 21st-century choice to our students.”
The national language of the more than 1.3 billion inhabitants of China and millions more ethnic Chinese around the globe, Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world. Though more than 200 million Chinese schoolchildren are studying English—often begun as early as the second grade—experts estimate that no more than 50,000 U.S. students are studying Chinese.

“Our guest teachers bring a deep and contemporary understanding of China to the study of Chinese language and culture, thus enriching the learning experience of American students. The study of Chinese is not only outstanding preparation for the academic rigors of college but it also provides a springboard for more in-depth study in the international arena,” said James M. Montoya, head of the College Board’s work supporting colleges and universities across the country.

In partnership with the College Board, the program is sponsored by Hanban, China’s Office of Chinese Language Council International. Hanban provides the teachers with monthly stipends and international transportation, while host schools and districts provide housing, local transportation and administrative fees. As part of the selection process, the College Board interviews guest teachers about teaching methods, classroom management, cultural tolerance and language skills in both Chinese and English. The guest teachers work at host schools for two years and then renew for an additional year if both the school and teacher are satisfied.

Most are the first Chinese teachers in their schools, launching new language and culture programs for students with no background in the language. It is an opportunity for the schools to start a new program affordably and to participate in an international exchange. The program’s goal is that schools will continue the Chinese program after the departure of the guest teacher by hiring a teacher locally. The next group of guest teachers is scheduled to arrive in August 2008.

The partnership between Hanban and the College Board also includes other programs to enhance the supply and quality of Chinese-language teachers in the United States. Scholarship funds are provided to select universities preparing U.S. teacher candidates seeking state certification to teach Chinese. Current teachers of Chinese are also offered in-service professional development. A total of 99 teachers received scholarships to attend four summer institutes on Chinese university campuses in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing.

Additionally, the partnership sponsors an annual trip to China during which U.S. educators and administrators can familiarize themselves with China’s culture, language and education systems. The trip, known as the Chinese Bridge Delegation, provides hands-on incentives and strategies for educators to return to their own schools better equipped to support their Chinese programs. That program also doubled in size this summer, with nearly 800 delegates participating in this year’s trip—twice the number of delegates in 2006.

Participating Schools and Districts:
 
Austin Independent School District, Austin, Texas
Barbour County Schools, Philippi, W. Va.
Bartlesville Public Schools, Bartlesville, Okla.
Benjamin Logan Local Schools, Bellefontaine, Ohio
Boone Community School District, Boone, Iowa
Bow High School, Bow, N.H.
Chesterfield County Public Schools, Chesterfield, Va.
Chillicothe City Schools, Chillicothe, Ohio
Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, Conn.
Cresskill Public Schools, Cresskill, N.J.
Delaware Valley Charter High School, Philadelphia, Pa.
Duval County Public Schools, Jacksonville, Fla.
East Marshall Community School District, Le Grand, Iowa
Fairview High School, Boulder, Colo.
Fountain Valley School of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Guilford County Schools, Greensboro, N.C.
Hackensack Public Schools, Hackensack, N.J.
Homer Central School District, Homer, N.Y..
Independent School District, I-1 of Stephens County, Tulsa, Okla.
Indiana Area School District, Indiana, Pa.
Jenks Public Schools, Tulsa, Okla.
John Bapst Memorial High School, Bangor, Maine
Kingswood-Oxford School, West Hartford, Conn.
Lincoln County Schools, Hamlin, W. Va.
Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles, Calif.
Muskogee Public Schools, Muskogee, Okla.
Norman Public Schools, Tulsa, Okla.
Parma City School District, Parma, Ohio
Peoria Public Schools, Peoria, Ill.
Richard J. Murphy School, Boston, Mass.
Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, Md.
St. Benedict School, Elberta, Ala.
Shaker Heights City School District, Shaker Heights, Ohio
Skiatook Public Schools, Skiatook, Okla.
Smith Elementary School, Oshkosh, Wis.
South Kingstown School Department, Wakefield, R.I.
South Lake Schools, St. Clair Shores, Mich.
The Roeper School, Birmingham, Mich.
Tulsa Public Schools, Tulsa, Okla.
Warren Woods Public Schools, Warren, Mich.
Washington Academy, East Machias, Maine
Wolcott Public Schools, Wolcott, Conn.
 

For more information, please contact the Public Affairs office at (212) 713-8052.