Monday, September 21, 2009

Did the Chinese Discover the Americas?

from www.clta.org

Is there evidence that ancient America was discovered and colonized long before Christopher Columbus?

In 1972 the late Dr. Hendon M. Harris, Jr. made a startling discovery. While searching for Chinese collectibles he came across an ancient Asian map book containing a world map showing a land mass labeled "Fu Sang" to the east of China, land that we today call America. After years of research and his discovery of the existence of twenty-nine other supporting maps, Dr. Harris published a 796 page book titled The Asiatic Fathers of America. In that book, Dr. Harris contended that by 2200 B.C. Chinese had reached the Americas.

In 2003, with the sudden world-wide interest in this topic, the family took the maps to the Library of Congress. For three years the maps were there while being studied. On May 16, 2005 Dr. Harris' daughter, Charlotte Harris Rees, gave a speech at the Library of Congress about the early arrival of Chinese to America. In 2006, Mrs. Rees published a condensed, easy reading version of Dr. Harris' original text. This abridged version of Dr. Harris' book contains several never before released pictures of the Harris map collection. The book also contains a brief biography about Dr. Harris' unusual life. In 2008 Mrs. Rees published a book based upon her own research entitled Secret Maps of the Ancient World.

At the invitation of the Renwen Society of China Institute, Mrs. Rees will give a lecture on Saturday, September 26, 2:00-3:30 pm, on both her and her father's books. Her talk will bring together many academic studies and medical research revealing evidences of very early arrival of Chinese to America.

Dr. Harris, a third generation missionary, was born in Kaifeng, China to American parents. He learned both Chinese and English at a very early age. He was familiar with the Chinese.

Mrs. Charlotte Harris Rees is an independent researcher and a graduate of Columbia International University. As a child Mrs. Rees lived for four years in Taiwan then later for a year in Hong Kong where her parents were missionaries. In recent years she has made several trips to China. She has appeared in the United States on television, National Public Radio, in numerous news articles and has given speeches - including at the Library of Congress, the University of Maryland, the University of London, and in Beijing - about her family's map collection and the early arrival of Chinese to America.

Secret Maps of the Ancient World is Mrs. Rees's third book. It is endorsed by Dr. Hwa-Wei Lee, retired Chief of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress, and by New York Times best selling author, Gavin Menzies (1421: The Year China Discovered the World). Secret Maps of the Ancient World was listed in fall 2008 as a new publication by WCILCOS (The World Confederation of Institutes and Libraries for Chinese Overseas Studies.) The book also appeared in March 2009 at the National Library Show for American College and Research Libraries in Seattle (USA) and at the London (England) Book Fair in April 2009. Her web site is www.HarrisMaps.com .

Free admissions, but advance registration is requested. To register online, please visit http://chineselectures.org/upcoming.html. To register by phone, please call (646) 912-8861. For inquiries, please email renwen@chinainstitute.org .

Location: China Institute, 125 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065
Date and time: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2:00-3:30 pm

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Schools Cut Foreign Language Programs

How can we expect our children to compete globally without a knowledge of other languages and cultures?

Great quote from ACTFL Director, Mary Abbot: “In many cultures, a lot of business does not get done around the business table, it gets done in side conversations and social situations,” said Marty Abbott, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and a former high school Spanish and Latin teacher. “If you can’t participate in those discussions, you get left out.”

Foreign Languages Fall as Schools Look for Cuts
Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times


By WINNIE HU
Published: September 11, 2009
IN Edgemont, a high-performing Westchester school district, children as young as 7 could recite colors and days of the week in Spanish, but few if any learned to really converse, read or write. So this fall, the district canceled the Spanish lessons offered twice weekly at its two elementary schools since 2003, deciding the time and resources — an estimated $175,000 a year — could be better spent on other subjects.


Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times
The software replaced three teachers.
Class consolidation in Yonkers resulted in the loss of four foreign-language teaching positions, and budget cuts have cost Arlington, N.Y., its seventh-grade German program, and Danbury, Conn., several sections of middle school French and Spanish.

And in New Jersey, the Ridgewood district is replacing its three elementary school Spanish teachers with Rosetta Stone, an interactive computer program that cost $70,000, less than half their combined salaries.

“There’s never a replacement for a teacher in the classroom,” said Debra Anderson, a Ridgewood spokeswoman. “But this was a good solution in view of the financial constraints.”

After years of expanding language offerings, suburban districts across the New York region are now cutting back on staff and instructional time, phasing out less popular languages, and rethinking whether they can really afford to introduce foreign tongues to their youngest students while under constant pressure to downsize budgets and raise achievement in English and other core subjects.

But such cuts have dismayed and frustrated some educators and parents, who say that children need more, not fewer, foreign language skills to compete in a global marketplace.

“In many cultures, a lot of business does not get done around the business table, it gets done in side conversations and social situations,” said Marty Abbott, director of education for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and a former high school Spanish and Latin teacher. “If you can’t participate in those discussions, you get left out.”

Foreign languages play an increasingly prominent role in urban schools that serve diverse ethnic communities. For instance, the New York City schools offered courses in Haitian-Creole, Vietnamese, and Portuguese last year, and opened the first public school dedicated to Arabic language and culture in Brooklyn in 2007. Last week, the city’s first Hebrew-language charter school opened, also in Brooklyn.

Advocates for foreign-language instruction would like to see the lessons integrated into the core curriculum rather than treated as electives easy to ax at budget time. They also say that instruction should begin as early as possible — ideally in preschool — because academic research shows that younger children are more accepting of other cultures and better able to master the pronunciation and intonation of foreign words. Some even contend that learning a foreign language can foster cognitive skills that lead to higher standardized test scores in other subjects.

On Long Island, more than 200 residents of Long Beach signed petitions over the summer opposing the district’s decision to phase out a dual-language English-Spanish program at Lido Elementary School that had served as a model for other districts.

“I think it’s a terrible shame,” said Sebastian Arengo, a software engineer, whose 6-year-old twin daughters are in the program. “It’s at the right age for kids to speak both languages, and it’s also a great way to bring the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities together here in Long Beach.”

Robert Greenberg, superintendent of the 4,000-student Long Beach district, said that the program had been created mainly to help Spanish-speaking students learn English through bilingual classes, but that it has evolved into an immersion program for those who want to learn Spanish. “I have Latino families wanting me to teach their children Spanish, but that’s not the intent of the program,” he said.

Separate from the dual-language program, the district has provided 90 minutes a week of Spanish instruction to all kindergarten and first-grade students since 2007, and plans to expand that program by one grade every year. “We made an instructional decision that we’re teaching all children Spanish rather than a few,” he said.

Many superintendents say they remain committed to teaching languages, but simply cannot afford to do more at this time. In Rockland County, the 9,400-student Clarkstown district spent about $60,000 last year to hire a full-time Spanish teacher for one of its 10 elementary schools but postponed plans to do the same at the other schools this fall “until we determine the economy is getting better,” said Meg Keller-Cogan, the superintendent.

In Connecticut, the New Hartford district cut its one foreign language teacher at Ann Antolini Elementary School from full time to three days a week to save $35,000. Fewer hours mean that Spanish will no longer be taught to third and fourth graders. “It was just for budget reasons and it was a very painful decision,” said Philip O’Reilly, the superintendent, adding that other staff members had hours reduced — and two were laid off — to cut costs.

Some educators said they were re-evaluating foreign-language programs not just because of finances but to update them and incorporate new technology. The Ridgewood district, which started twice-weekly Spanish lessons at its elementary schools in 2005, said its interactive software, made by Rosetta Stone, allows students to learn at their own pace.

The 10,400-student Arlington district decided to phase out German — leaving Spanish, French and Italian — because it was the least popular choice among students; last year, 44 seventh graders enrolled in introductory German compared to more than 300 in Spanish. The district also phased out Russian more than a decade ago.

“It was a low-fill, high-cost area of instruction, and if that wasn’t taken, something else would have been,” said Frank V. Pepe Jr., the superintendent.

The district will continue to require every student to study a foreign language in seventh and eighth grade; nearly a quarter of all students study a language through their junior or senior year, according to district officials.

“I’m not pleased we eliminated German,” Mr. Pepe said. “I’m not pleased at all.”

Chinese Workshops Available for Schools


Many schools, teen centers, and community centers are organizing After School Chinese programs for their students and members.


Interactive, age appropriate Chinese programs can help inspire learning and transition middle school students to high school Chinese classes.

For more information on CLSC private tutoring, corporate program, Elementary and Middle School workshops, or other programs please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or contact them at info@chineselanguageschool.org.
The Chinese Language School of Connecticut Presents Chopstix Chinese Story Time at Old Greenwich’s Perrot Library



-- School presents activities and stories for three to five year olds --



“I am so pleased that the Perrot Library and the Chinese Language School of Connecticut are able to bring such a culturally enriching program to our community. Our children truly benefit when two wonderful institutions collaborate,” said CLSC Advisory Committee member, Robyn Wasserman.


Riverside, CT, September 19, 2009 – The Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org), the fully-accredited, non-profit Riverside, CT-based provider of Chinese language programs, is pleased to present Chopstix Chinese Story Time at Old Greenwich’s Perrot Library (www.perrotlibrary.org).



This program is for children ages 3-5 (and their siblings); a parent or caregiver must be present.



“Perrot is thrilled to partner with the Chinese Language School of Connecticut in adding Story Time in Mandarin Chinese to our preschool program offerings. Learning a second language not only has a positive effect on a child’s mental development, but also opens the door to other cultures!” said Perrot Library Technical Assistant Vicky Livoti.



Story times are Fridays, 1pm on 9/18, 10/2, 10/16, 10/30, 11/13. For more info www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org, or visit http://greenteapop.blogspot.com.







* * *
Chinese Language School of Connecticut Chopstix Preschool Chinese Classes at the Greenwich Library



--School to introduce youngest children to Chinese language and culture.--





Photo Caption: Children learn Chinese in a recent CLSC Chopstix class.



RIVERSIDE, September 1, 2009– The Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org) will be offering a Chopstix preschool Chinese demo class at the Greenwich Library, on Friday, September 18, at 10:30 to 11:15am in the Children’s Constellation room of the library.

Greenwich Library's Children's Librarian Alice Sherwood said, “We're very pleased to offer these engaging programs for young children at the library, as a service to the Greenwich community."

CLSC Principal Daisy Chen Laone, explained, “We’d like to offer complementary Chopstix classes to the community, to introduce more children to learning Mandarin Chinese.”

“It’s such an ancient, rich language, and the children enjoy the stories, songs, and puppets we use in our preschool classes, in order to make Chinese come alive for them!”

Regular CLSC classes are held Sundays in Riverside, and weekdays at the Greenwich Family Y on East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich.

To attend the free class, please come by the library 10 minutes before class is scheduled to start, as class size is limited.



For information on the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s language programs for children or adults, their Before– and After- School programs, special workshops, private tutoring or corporate language programs, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or email them at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.


* * *

Chinese at Greenwich YMCA After School Programs

The Chinese Language School of Connecticut and the Greenwich Family Y Present Chinese After-School Programs



-- Greenwich Family Y to offer Mandarin as part of their ongoing After School programs --



“The Greenwich Family Y is pleased to help meet the community’s growing interest in learning Chinese. We want this to be one of many valuable resources the Y is able to offer the Greenwich community,” said Greenwich Family Y President and CEO, Rebecca Fretty.



Riverside, CT, September 18, 2009 – The Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org), the fully-accredited, non-profit provider of Chinese language programs, is pleased to partner with the Greenwich Family YMCA to offer Mandarin Chinese as part of the Y’s After School programs at St. Roch’s, New Lebanon, Hamilton Avenue and North Mianus schools.



Chinese After School Y programs will begin the week of September 21 and are for children who are registered for the Greenwich Family Y’s After School programs. For more information, please visit http://gwymca.org/programs.php or call them at 203-869-1630.



CLSC Principal, Daisy Chen Laone, said, “Students at the Greenwich Family Y After School program will be introduced to Chinese by interacting in age-appropriate activities, singing songs and participating in craft projects. We’re happy to be able to engage even more children in learning Chinese!”



For more info on CLSC’s program, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org, email them at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org, or visit http://greenteapop.blogspot.com.







* * *

Monday, September 14, 2009

CLSC Chinese Art and Culture

Thanks to CLSC VP Art & Culture Katy Chen Myers for planning a full slate of special projects for our students this year.

Art & Culture Levels 1 & 2

· Animal PuppetsDecorate Oversized Puppet Characters from

Chinese/Miao fairytale: “The Peacock’s Tail
· Book Illustration

For a Story written by Students based on

Shopping for objects from ancient China.

· Patterns & Designs
Basic designs, patterns and symbols of the

Ming & Qing periods



· Bowls and Chopsticks


Food and chopstick 3D display of what we

Eat at home with our families

· Two Thousand Ships
Collage of the Ming Ships that sailed around

the world in the 1600s which carried over

twenty eight thousand men.



CLSC Art & Culture: Levels 3 & 4




· Children & Pet Puppets

Decorate “Self Portrait” or “Pet” puppets to

Dance to Chinese music.

· Family Cookbook

Students create illustrations for the first

CLSC cookbook

· Heroes of the Ming
Students help paint two murals of famous

Heroes from the Ming dynasty

· Two Thousand Ships
Illustrations of the goods traded with the

merchants of Europe during the world

voyage: Chinese innovations

· Active Qigong The Crane, the bear and the basic rock;

Qigong as performance art




CLSC Art & Culture: Levels 5& 6






· The Victors:

Portraits of the Qing & the eight banners;
Nurhaci & his decedents: The Manchu

Costumes for men & women

· Temples of worship

Two backdrops depicting the interior of a

Small temple from the 1400s

· Jade & Earth
Recreate ornamental objects and vessels in

miniature for a household



· Shadow Puppets The Man & the Rabbit; a Szechuan folktale

Students create shadow box & puppets



· Qigong: Eight Brocades

Eight exercise movements, performance to

music; Daoist teachings to relax the mind





CLSC Art & Culture: Levels 7-9

· The Dancing Immortals

Puppet portrait: Bamboo & paper

Part of the “Peacock’s Tail” and Magic Flute

Story using masks & puppets



· The Manchu
Portraits depicting the most famous leaders of the Qing



· The Journey Map for the teen & tween using books:

“Monkey” & “American Born Chinese”



· The Book of Inventions 2500 years science & innovations based on

works of Joseph Needham: illustrations &

collage on canvas



· The CLSC photo bookStudents take photos of Asian influences

they see in everyday life to incorporate in to

large mix-media installation





Upcoming CLSC Events



October: Parent Forum: Dr. Jessica Offir

“Parenting: Setting Boundaries for your child”





November: The 2nd Annual CLSC Baking contest

This years’ theme: Decorative arts of China





December: Parent Forum: Patricia Lord

“Self Image for Girls: What moms need to

To Know”





January: Lantern Painting and Art Show





February: Cooking Demo; Steamed buns







CLSC

Wheat & Rice Cooking Workshops





Steam buns with assorted fillings



Fried rice, home style



Glutinous rice with chicken & wine



Dumplings with veggies, shrimp or chicken





Join us to learn how to cook simple and nutritious

home style comfort foods which are easy to

prepare. Class will be held at a private home in

Greenwich. B.Y.O.R.P*



* Bring your own rolling pins

Monday, September 7, 2009

American Grads Finding Jobs in China

Thanks to Alumni Parent and Advisory Committee member Laurie Greiss for the following:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/business/economy/11expats.html?_r=1

CLSC Students Skip Levels of High School Chinese

Students who study Chinese (either through CLSC or private tutoring) may be able to skip one or more levels of their high school's Chinese program.

The normal procedure is for parents to check with their school's Chinese instructor the winter or spring before the student is to enter high school so the student may be able to take the high school's Chinese 1 exam to determine placement. For questions as to how your middle school student may be able to advance in Chinese, or on how your high school student may be able to earn college credit in Chinese (while in high school) please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

Thanks to CLSC Alumni Parent, Betty Liu, Southport for the following: "Thank you for offering such excellent programs at CLSC. Our high school, Faifield Ludlowe High School, offers Mandarin during the school day. Now that my daughter Ivy is a freshman there, she will be able to take Intermediate Mandarin (She was able to get waived from Beginner Chinese due to her previous Chinese learning). My older daughter Amber also did this last year.

Because Mandarin is so different from English, it seems to tweak the brain in such a way that it enhances learning other subjects as well, the way learning chess and music do. As a result, I believe my kids have done better in school because of studying Chinese. Best of luck on continuing the mission of CLSC."

Asian MBA Leadership Conference September 10-12

Asian MBA Leadership Conference & Career Expo

For more info: http://www.wnyc.org/events/138140

Description: WNYC is a media sponsor of the Asian MBA (AMBA) Leadership Conference & Career Expo. The program will address critical issues surrounding Asian leadership worldwide. Through workshops and seminars by acclaimed industry experts and a Career Expo, the event will connect the nation’s best Asian American talent.

Date: Thursday, September 10-Saturday, September 12

Location: Jacob Javits Convention Center
655 West 34th Street

Asian MBA Leadership Conference
Time: Times vary (Thursday evening through Saturday evening)
Ticket price: Prices vary
Ticket information: (212) 465-8391 or Asian MBA Leadership Conference