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CLSC's 10th Annual Chinese New Year Festival!

2012-01-22T16:27:00.001-08:00

For more pictures please visit us on Facebook at Chinese Language School of Connecticut.

Chinese New Year Movies to Watch

2012-01-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2012/01/20/chinese-new-year-movies-to-watch/

With the coming Year of the Dragon, Hong Kong is getting into the festive mood with the release of two Chinese New Year comedies.

“All’s Well Ends Well 2012” (八星抱喜) and “I Love Hong Kong 2012” (2012我愛HK喜上加囍) continue the time-honored annual tradition of wrapping all-star casts, zany antics, singing and dancing into feel-good family movies.

The long holiday break is typically a major movie-going period in Hong Kong, with the Chinese New Year comedy tracing its origins back more than 70 years. Much of the comedy is derived from poking fun at local pop culture and current events.

In “I Love Hong Kong 2012,” for example, there’s a take-off on a memorable scene from the hit Taiwan movie “You Are the Apple of My Eye,” recently crowned the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong history.

It’s also an opportunity for stars best known for dramatic roles to kick off their shoes and have some fun. In “All’s Well Ends Well 2012,” martial-arts star Donnie Yen (甄子丹) plays a washed-up rock singer (yes, he sings and plays guitar), turning his image as an action hero on its head. And Chapman To (杜汶澤) delivers a bull’s-eye impersonation of Hong Kong director Peter Chan, one of the industry’s most recognizable filmmakers.

Actor-producer Raymond Wong, a three-decade veteran of local comedies, is the creative force behind the “All’s Well Ends Well” series, which began 20 years ago with stars such as Maggie Cheung (張曼玉) and Stephen Chow (周星馳). This year’s movie is the seventh in the series, four of which have been produced since 2009.

Mr. Wong told The Wall Street Journal last year that he expected to give the series a break after “All’s Well Ends Well 2011,” but nothing speaks louder than success. Last year’s entry pulled in 167.7 million yuan ($26.5 million) at the mainland China box office, according to media-research firm EntGroup, making it a holiday hit. Mr. Wong says now that he couldn’t ignore the approval from an eager audience and plowed ahead to produce this year’s entry.

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Eric Tsang, another veteran of Hong Kong movies, is the star of the “I Love Hong Kong” movies — this is the second in the young series — and numerous other Lunar New Year comedies. The success of last year’s “I Love Hong Kong” — it came in at No. 8 on the top 10 box-office films for 2011, earning 26.7 million Hong Kong dollars (US$3.4 million) — guaranteed the production of this year’s movie.

Messrs. Tsang and Wong have a long history with Chinese New Year comedies. They have even collaborated on several movies, including on one of the most memorable and commercially successful New Year comedies ever: “Aces Go Places” in 1982. That movie and four others are part of a retrospective at the Hong Kong Film Archive next week celebrating the Chinese New Year comedy.

This year, Mr. Wong says that he is again ready to give the “All’s Well Ends Well” franchise a break. So what can audiences expect from him next year? He’s contemplating a return to the “Aces Go Places” series.

Like Scene Asia on Facebook for the latest updates.

10th Annual Chinese New Year Festival!

2012-01-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

photo caption: Greenwich High School sophomore Grant Wang, 15, Greenwich, leads his Dragon Troupe, including Derek Wang, 10, Greenwich, Jack Rowley, 8 Bedford, NY, Kyle Lum, 5, Harrison, NY, Brandon Lum, 8, Harrison, NY, Henry Lagani, 6, Mamaroneck, NY, Ryan Chang, 9, Pelham, NY.

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Celebrates
10th Annual Chinese New Year Festival

-- Anniversary event will showcase Chinese food, art, and culture --

“We are excited and thrilled to be able to offer this wonderful event to the community, and celebrate our school’s 10th anniversary at the same time,” Anita Lai, Chair, Chinese New Year Festival 2012

Riverside, CT, January 10, 2012 – A host of special VIP guests, Chinese acrobats, martial artists, dancers and traditional Chinese musical performers will pay tribute to ten years of Chinese language-learning at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut at the school’s 10th Annual Chinese New Year Festival.

This year’s Festival will be held Sunday, January 22, 2011, from 12:00-3:00pm at the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, 2701 Summer Street, Stamford, CT. For information and tickets please visit: www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

Chinese New Year Festival Chair, Anita Lai, of Greenwich, CT, said, “It’s especially fortunate that our 10th anniversary falls in a ‘Dragon’ year. In Chinese culture, the sign of the Dragon is a very auspicious sign. It represents wealth, strength, leadership, passion, bravery, and innovation, a good year to celebrate in!”

CLSC Board co-Chair, Pelham resident Jeffay Chang, said, "The Chinese Language School of Connecticut understands the importance of having children experience the culture to better appreciate the language. We are again looking forward to our school’s 10th Annual Lunar New Year Festival!”

New Canaan resident and Chinese New Year Parents Committee Chair, Janet Leung Fonss, exclaimed, “Food, culture, entertainment, and FUN!! The annual CLSC New Year's celebration showcases everything wonderful about our school. There is no better way to experience Chinese culture and language. Our children look forward to this fabulous event every year!"

New Canaan resident and Chinese New Year volunteer, Samantha Connell noted, "My children have been students at The Chinese Language School of Connecticut for six years now and they love attending the annual Chinese New Year Festival. Being part of the rich cultural heritage makes learning the language come alive for my children.”

This year’s Chinese New Year Festival will usher in the year of the dragon with musical performances, martial arts, and Chinese acrobatics by the Chinese DBA Performing Arts troupe http://www.chineseperformingarts.us and will feature a lion dance, traditional dancers, children’s activities, children’s arts and crafts, Asian vendors, and an all-you-can-eat, authentic Chinese buffet luncheon included with the price of admission.

CLSC President and Board member Susan Serven, of New Canaan, said “It’s been an honor and a privilege working with such a wonderful team of volunteers on each of our last 10 Chinese New Year Festivals. We’ve gone from a small, CLSC-family event, to an elegant, large scale gala, with fabulous food and top-tier entertainment. I know I speak for everyone when I say we wish CLSC another wonderful 10 years!”

The non-profit, fully accredited Chinese Language School of Connecticut (CLSC) (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org) teaches Mandarin Chinese as a second language to children and adults in their weekday and weekend classes, private and small group tutoring, iVuChinese online distance learning, Before and After School programs, cultural workshops, summer classes, and AP Prep sessions. CLSC is the only fully-accredited supplemental Chinese language program in the U.S. which uses U.S. teaching methods in order to engage children in learning Chinese.

For information on the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s programs, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or email them at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org. For interesting articles on Chinese language learning and Chinese culture, please visit http://GreenTeaPop.blogspot.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut

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"Control" is Character of the Year in China

2011-12-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

Interesting that the Chinese character for "control" is the word of the year in China. This seems to indicate a growing expectation that inflation and price hikes should be kept under control.

You can listen to the following piece at http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/cdaudio/2011-12/16/content_14278789.htm

New character took control in 2011
[ 2011-12-16 15:43 ]

进入英语学习论坛下载音频

The Chinese character kong 控, a word that generally means control, has been selected as the 2011 character of the year in China.

The word was chosen after recommendations from Internet users, expert reviews and online polling that was jointly organized by the National Language Resource Monitoring and Research Center under the Ministry of Education, the State-run Commercial Press, and the China Youth Daily, a report in the newspaper said on Thursday.

Two million Internet users took part in the selection, the report said.

Kong, replacing the character zhang (meaning price hikes)from last year, symbolizes a logical consequence of the government launching proper macro-economic policy to keep the hikes under control, said a statement issued by the organizers.

A statement on Wednesday after a three-day central economic work conference attended by senior leaders said the country would maintain the steady macro-economic policy and measures to control inflation, stabilize prices and regulate the property market.

The selection of kong indicates the public's expectations and the government's efforts to respond to the expectations, the organizers' statement said.

Moreover, the use of kong as shorthand for a homophone of the English word "complex" to express a special liking, is also getting popular this year, which reflects a more diversified lifestyle of the Chinese people, the statement said.

In this respect, the word kong usually follows a noun or verb. For instance, weibo kong refers to those people who like to use micro blogs very much and spend a lot of time micro-blogging.

The phrase shang bu qi, which means too delicate to bear a blow, was chosen as the phrase of the year, revealing the public's sensitivity to personal and social problems, and their call for justice and equity.

Also, "debt" and "euro debt crisis" were voted the international word and phrase of the year, showing the public's growing awareness of a globalized world, the report said.

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Carter recalls his lifelong fascination with China

2011-12-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

BEIJING - When a 7-year-old farmboy in Plains, Georgia, opened a package from his seafaring uncle nearly eight decades ago, he found a delicate model of a wooden Chinese junk - and at that moment a lifelong fascination with China was born.

From: http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2011-12/15/content_14267665.htm

Occasional friction won't derail ties between China and the US, former US president Jimmy Carter said in an interview with China Daily in Beijing on Wednesday. [Photo by Wu Zhiyi / China Daily]

"My uncle was in the US Navy here," former US president Jimmy Carter told China Daily on Wednesday, "and he would send me souvenirs from seaports where his ship visited. I got that package from Hong Kong, and others from Shanghai and from Qingdao. I still have that ship, it's in the bedroom of my boyhood home.
"Then later when I was in the submarine force in 1949, I came here as a young naval officer to visit the same seaports, and I was intrigued with the people of China," he said, noting that when he became president he began the process of normalizing relations with China that began in the Nixon administration.

"So it's been a long process in my life, involving China and my love for the Chinese people."

That sort of exchange was the reason Carter has been in China for the past week, marking the 40th anniversary of Ping-Pong Diplomacy at a series of events.

At a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People that he attended with Vice-President Xi Jinping, Carter said: "It was a very historic moment. But it was that breakthrough just with ping-pong players - that is people-to-people - that was really more important than the decisions of political leaders. And I think that is a stability that is going to prevail in the future."

On Wednesday morning the former president was taping a television spot at the US embassy to support President Barack Obama's campaign for 100,000 Strong - a push to have 100,000 US students studying in China four years from now.

"Now we have 165,000 Chinese students in American universities, and about 13,000 American students in Chinese universities. And in the future, they will be the leaders of our two countries. And they will also be knowing more about each other and the reasons for harmony and cooperation and mutual respect."

Carter said that despite his decades of interaction with China, he's learning about it all the time.

He said one reason for his current visit is China's interest in working with the Carter Center in Africa, for instance, in healthcare programs.

A meeting with a Chinese official, who is in charge of healthcare assistance to Africa, informed Carter of the many programs that China has in Africa to improve healthcare there, involving malaria and many other diseases.

"This was a surprise to me, and I think this is one thing that the rest of the world doesn't acknowledge - or know about - is how extensive China's programs are in improving the quality of lives of people in Africa and in poor countries elsewhere."

Carter is not overwhelmed by issues of discord between the two countries, from regulating the value of the renminbi to US arms sales to Taiwan.

He noted that rhetoric gets ratcheted up from time to time, "especially during US election years". And while some in Congress want to punish China for not moving as far as the United States would like on currency revaluation, Carter said flatly that such a bill would not pass both houses of Congress. "And if it did, President Obama would veto it."

"I think the more rational people in the US Congress - and in the White House - understand that this slight difference of opinion over the value of the Chinese currency is relatively insignificant. I've observed this very closely myself. Five years ago, it took about eight RMB to equal one US dollar. Now it just takes six of them. That's a 22 percent change in the value of the Chinese currency just in the last five years. So change is taking place - not because of comments from Washington but because the Chinese leaders in politics and economics agreed this is best for China.

"Decisions about the US currency should be made in Washington, and decisions about the Chinese renminbi, the yuan, should be made in Beijing."

"We'll always have differences, with our cultural approaches and our political backgrounds, our ancient histories," Carter said.

"But still, the ties that bind us together are much more important than any differences that might arise."

10th Annual Chinese New Year Festival!

2011-11-29T15:45:00.001-08:00

What's in a Chinese Name?

2011-11-12T11:07:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/12/world/asia/picking-brand-names-in-china-is-a-business-itself.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Picking%20Brand%20Names%20in%20China%20Is%20a%20Business%20Itself&st=cse

Picking Brand Names in China Is a Business Itself

By MICHAEL WINES

BEIJING — After a hard day’s labor, your average upscale Beijinger likes nothing more than to shuck his dress shoes for a pair of Enduring and Persevering, rev up his Precious Horse and head to the pub for a tall, frosty glass of Happiness Power.

Or, if he’s a teetotaler, a bottle of Tasty Fun.

To Westerners, that’s Nike, BMW, Heineken and Coca-Cola, respectively. And those who wish to snicker should feel free: the companies behind these names are laughing too — all the way to the bank.

More than many nations, China is a place where names are imbued with deep significance. Western companies looking to bring their products to China face a problem not unlike that of Chinese parents naming a baby boy: little Gang (“strong”) may be regarded quite differently than little Yun (“cloud”). Given that China’s market for consumer goods is growing by better than 13 percent annually — and luxury-goods sales by 25 percent — an off-key name could have serious financial consequences.

And so the art of picking a brand name that resonates with Chinese consumers is no longer an art. It has become a sort of science, with consultants, computer programs and linguistic analyses to ensure that what tickles a Mandarin ear does not grate on a Cantonese one.

Art “is only a very, very tiny piece of it,” said Vladimir Djurovic, president of the Labbrand Consulting Company in Shanghai, which has made a business of finding names for Western companies entering the Chinese market.

Maybe. But there is a lot of artistry in the best of the West.

The paradigm probably is the Chinese name for Coca-Cola, Kekoukele, which not only sounds like Coke’s English name, but conveys its essence of taste and fun in a way that the original name could not hope to match.

There are many others. Consider Tide detergent, Taizi, whose Chinese characters literally mean “gets rid of dirt.” (Characters are important: the same sound written differently could mean “too purple.”)

There is also Reebok, or Rui bu, which means “quick steps.” And Colgate — Gao lu jie — which translates into “revealing superior cleanliness.” And Lay’s snack foods — Le shi — whose name means “happy things.” Nike (Nai ke) and BMW (Bao Ma, echoing the first two sounds of its English and German names) also have worn well on Chinese ears.

Still, finding a good name involves more than coming up with clever homonyms to the original English.

“Do you want to translate your name, or come up with a Chinese brand?” said Monica Lee, the managing director of the Brand Union, a Beijing consultancy. “If you go for phonetic sounds, everyone knows where you are from — you’re immediately identified as a foreign brand.”

For some products, having a foreign-sounding name lends a cachet that a true Chinese name would lack. Many upscale brands like Cadillac (Ka di la ke), or Hilton (Xi er dun), employ phonetic translations that mean nothing in Chinese. Rolls-Royce (Laosi-Laisi) includes two Chinese characters for “labor” and “plants” that more or less have become standard usage in foreign names — all to achieve a distinct foreign look and sound.

But on the other hand, a genuine Chinese name can say things about a product that a mere collection of homonyms never could. Take Citibank, Hua qi yinhang, which literally means “star-spangled banner bank,” or Marriott, Wan hao, or “10,000 wealthy elites.” Or Pentium, Ben teng, which means “galloping.” Asked to introduce Marvel comics to China, the Labbrand consultants came up not long ago with “Man wei” — roughly phonetic, foreign-sounding and eminently suited to superheroes with the meaning “comic power.”

To introduce Clear dandruff shampoo to young Chinese, who are already inundated with foreign brands, Ms. Lee’s firm decided to focus on the shampoo’s image. “It’s not about where this product comes from; it’s about the benefit it can bring to you,” she said. The ultimate choice, Qing Yang, combines the Chinese words for “clear” and for “flying,” or “scattering to the wind.”

“It’s very light, healthy and happy,” Ms. Lee said. “Think of hair in the air.”

“Clear” is one of a select number of Chinese words that carry unusually positive connotations, and that find their way into many brands’ names. Others include “le” and “xi,” or happy; “li,” meaning “strength” or “power”; “ma” or horse; and “fu,” translated as “lucky” or “auspicious.”

Thus the name for Heineken beer, Xi li, and the many automobile brands — Mercedes, BMW, even Kia — that include a horse in their Chinese names (one Kia sedan is named Qian li ma, or “thousand-kilometer horse,” an allusion to strength).

Precisely why some Chinese words are so freighted with emotion is anyone’s guess. But Denise Sabet, the vice general manager at Labbrand, suggests that the reasons include cultural differences and the Chinese reliance on characters for words, rather than a phonetic alphabet. Each character is a collection of drawings that can carry meanings all their own.

Then again, some meanings are best avoided.

Microsoft had to think twice about bringing its Bing search engine here because in Chinese, the most common definitions of the character pronounced “bing” are “disease,” “defect” and “virus” — rather inauspicious for a computer product. The revised name, Bi ying, roughly means “responds without fail.”

Peugeot (Biao zhi) sounds enough like the Chinese slang for “prostitute” (biaozi) that in southern China, where the pronunciations are especially close, the brand has inspired dirty jokes. And in China, the popular Mr. Muscle line of cleaners has been renamed Mr. Powerful, (Weimeng Xiansheng). The product’s maker said in an e-mail that it had forgotten why.

But it could be that when it is spoken, the name Mr. Muscle has a second, less appealing meaning: Mr. Chicken Meat.

Adam Century and Li Bibo contributed research.

China's great gender crisis

2011-11-08T08:53:00.000-08:00

Chinese families have long favoured sons over daughters, meaning the country now has a huge surplus of men. Is it also leading to a profound shift in attitudes to women?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/02/chinas-great-gender-crisis?CMP=EMCGT_031111

His parents knew exactly what they wanted from their son: they called him Famiao, or "produce descendants". Yet when their first grandchild arrived, they refused to step across the courtyard of the family home to see the new baby. Qiaoyue was a girl.

When finally obliged to meet her, "they didn't even wash her face or comb her hair. I was furious," says their daughter-in-law, Chen Xingxiao.

"My father-in-law's friends would ask him, 'How come you haven't brought your grandchild out for a walk?' He would say, 'If it was a boy I would have done. She's a girl, so I won't.'"

Chen's righteous anger is perhaps more surprising than her in-laws' disdain. China's preference for sons stretches back for centuries. Infanticide, the abandonment of girl babies and favourable treatment of boys in terms of food and health has long produced a surplus of men. In the past two decades, the gap at birth has soared: the advent of ultrasound scans has allowed people to abort female foetuses, even though sex-selective abortion is illegal.

In the early 1980s there were 108 male births to every 100 female, only slightly above the natural rate; by 2000 that had soared to 120 males, and in some provinces, such as Anhui, Jiangxi and Shaanxi, to more than 130. The result is that more than 35 million women are "missing". Though China is not the only country affected – India's situation is similar – it has by far the widest gap; its one-child policy has exacerbated the problem.

The effects of the discrepancy are only now emerging in full. The country has tens of millions of menwho are destined to die single. Some fear that the excess will lead to increased sexual violence, general crime and social instability. Yet campaigners see the first signs of hope, as more parents come round to Chen's way of thinking. Official statistics released this summer suggest the sex ratio at birth (SRB) has fallen slightly for two years running, to just over 118 males in 2010.

China's population and family planning chief, Dr Li Bin, said it showed the discrepancy "has been preliminarily brought under control"; while experts are more cautious, they agree that the figures offer some hope. The country's new Five Year Plan sets an ambitious target of cutting the ratio to 112 or 113 by 2016. Could China at last be poised to close the sex gap?

No one is claiming victory quite yet: in fact, the government has just pledged to get tougher, launching a new drive against sex-selective abortion. It is increasing safeguards – such as the requirement that two doctors are present at each ultrasound – and toughening punishments. Institutions, as well as individuals, will be held responsible for breaches; the worst offenders risk having their medical licences withdrawn.

"[In the short term] cracking down on illegal foetal sex testing and sex-selective abortions is very important and effective," says Professor Li Shuzhuo, of the Institute for Population and Development Studies at Xi'an Jiaotong University. But he acknowledges medical staff often find ways to indicate a baby's sex, despite the law. They may nod or shake their head; or use a full stop or comma at the end of medical notes – to indicate that parents have achieved their goal or must continue efforts to have a boy.

Other experts fear that cracking down on sex-selective abortion could lead to unsafe, illicit abortions or infanticide if the underlying wishes of the parents remain unchanged. In other words, the battle for China's baby girls will ultimately depend on changing preferences. But as Li points out, that is a long-term struggle, and society pays a high price in the meantime.

The roots of son-preference lie deep in Chinese culture. Traditionally, the bloodline passes through the male side. Women also "marry out", joining their husband's families and looking after their in-laws, not their own parents. For a long time, a son was your pension. Having a girl was wasteful. "Even though son-preference is not rational from the viewpoint of society as a whole, it is a rational choice for an individual," says Li.

Chen's home lies near lush rice paddies, where farmers in wide-brimmed straw hats bend double. The community used to rely on agriculture and believed a boy was necessary for the heaviest work in the fields.

"I can't really blame [my in-laws]; their view was a common one. We have a saying, 'The better sons you have, the better life we can have,' because men have more strength and can carry out more work," says Chen.

In fact, official policy has adapted to these assumptions. China's strict birth-control rules, introduced just over 30 years ago to curb a soaring population, restrict most couples to one birth. But there are several exemptions. Ethnic-minority families are allowed more than one child; couples who are both only children are permitted to have two. The most striking example is the exception made for rural households. While their urban counterparts are generally restricted to one birth, rural couples are allowed a second - if their first is a girl. The statistics show just how important producing at least one son is: the sex ratios for second and third births are vastly more skewed than for first children.

When Chen's daughter was born, a little over 30 years ago, the consequences of the ultrasound had yet to be felt in Shengzhou. But by 1982, 124 boys were being born for every 100 girls. Five years later that figure had risen again, to 129.

Then something striking happened: the ratio dropped steeply. By 1996 it was 109.5. Soon after, according to statistics, it returned to the natural level.

You do not have to look far for part of the explanation. Shengzhou is, it boasts, International Necktie City of the 21st Century, making 350m ties a year – or 40% of the world's supply – as well as huge quantities of gas stoves and cone diaphragms for speakers.

Its factories offer plenty of jobs for daughters, allowing them to make a hefty economic contribution to the household. Across the country, manufacturers have frequently preferred female employees, regarding them as more careful and less troublesome.

Many rural families have less land than they used to; and machinery is available to work the soil, making brute strength less important. China is beginning to develop a welfare system. And development has brought other changes – couples who move into cities have more exposure to new ideas, and less pressure from extended families, say experts.

Old habits and beliefs are eroding. In villages as well as towns, conjugal ties between husband and wife have become more important, while the filial links between parent and child have become less so. Young couples are more likely to live apart from relatives. Few parents can now count on a dutiful daughter-in-law caring for them; and many are noticing that daughters are doing a better job.

Chen admits that she was initially disappointed when her daughter was born. "Of course, I wanted to have a boy. But after giving birth, I thought: 'I don't care. This is my baby,'" she says.

"I looked around me; one of my neighbours had five sons and one daughter. One day, when he was 60 or 70, he wanted some money from his sons for living costs. He cooked a tableful of dishes and bought wine and invited his sons. But none of them agreed to give the money to him. He was furious and smashed the table with his stick. And I thought: 'Well, sons are useless.'"

Meanwhile, she noticed, daughters were returning to visit their parents, bringing gifts and money. Despite strong pressure from her husband and in-laws, she refused to have another child: Qiaoyue was enough for her.

Anthropologist Yunxiang Yan's work suggests that others in China are drawing similar conclusions – and that it is changing their attitude towards girls.

"You can see clearly that a trend of treating sons and daughters equally is slowly emerging in some regions and developing in others," says Yan, of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Some even think that son preference may partially correct itself. The surplus of men has increased competition for brides, meaning families must buy ever more expensive housing to ensure their sons can marry – increasing the economic attractiveness of daughters.

The government has spent an estimated 300 million yuan (£29.5m) trying to precipitate this shift in preferences. Li is the lead consultant in the Care for Girls programme, which combines carrot and stick with educational projects.

There are punishments for sex-selective abortions and extra subsidies for couples who do not use their right to a second child after having a daughter. One county in Fujian has built houses for daughter-only families.

But Ru Xiaomei, deputy director of the international liaison department at the National Population and Family Planning Commission, says the programme is designed to promote female equality in general. So there are roadside signs telling villagers that girls can continue the family line; focus-group discussions for mothers-in-law; help packages for women starting businesses and extra encouragement for girls to enter schools. Officials have even tried to promote the idea of men marrying into women's families, rather than vice versa.

A pilot programme in 24 areas, selected for their very high imbalances, saw the average ratio fall from almost 134 in 2000 to just under 120 in 2005 – still high, as the experts involved acknowledge, but a substantial improvement. It has since been rolled out across China; Li says it is hard to know how exactly how much of a difference it is making, but is confident it has shown results across the country.

Others have concerns: Dr Lisa Eklund of Sweden's Lund University suggests in a recent thesis on son preference that parts of the programme could backfire. Capitalising on gender norms – such as the idea that women are caring – may increase sympathy for girls in the short term, but in the long run reinforce stereotypes – and, thereby, son preference.

Similarly, the social and economic incentives "are partially based on the assumption that having daughters creates vulnerability ... They convey the message that daughters are not as valuable as sons, and that families with only daughters are in need of financial support," she warns.

Whatever the merits of individual policies, government intervention has helped to rebalance births. In the early 90s, South Korea had Asia's highest ratio at birth; by 2007, it had a normal rate. Experts suggest that reforming the family law system, expanding female employment and increasing urbanisation were key.

"I think that the preference for sons is decreasing in China, especially in the more affluent coastal areas, where the SRB shot up fastest earlier," says Dr Monica Das Gupta of the World Bank, who has been tracking son preference in Asia. "But you shouldn't expect to see the sharp decline you saw in South Korea, because South Korea is a small, homogeneous country ... The new ideas swept through the country very quickly. In China it will take longer because of its size and internal differentiation."

Professor Yuan Xin, of Nankai University's Population and Development Institute, warns that it will take at least 10 or 20 years' more work to end a preference that dates back thousands of years. Others think that is optimistic.

Chen says she has witnessed attitudes in Shengzhou shift in the past few decades. Even her in-laws have been won over, because her daughter treats them so well. "I'm not boasting, but I think I took the lead," she says. "There's been a very positive trend, but I won't say things have changed totally."

Recently, a neighbour agreed to have a second child under intense pressure from her husband's family, joking that she was damned if the next child was a girl. "It was twin daughters," says Chen ruefully. "The mother-in-law still wants boys.

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Legends of the Silk Road at Cos Cob Library

2011-09-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Presents Children’s Chinese Artwork at Cos Cob Library

--Cos Cob Library graciously hosts students’ art work as a special display in their community room through September 30.--

Greenwich, CT, September 17, 2011– The Cos Cob Library is host to a new display of children’s Chinese artwork, which is being exhibited in their Community Room through September 30, 2011, sponsored by the Chinese Language School of Connecticut. (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org), the non-profit, Riverside, CT-based provider of Chinese language programs to students, schools and corporations.

This year’s theme is “Inventions from the Middle Kingdom,” based on Simon Winchester’s book, “The Man Who Loved China.” The first day of the show coincided with the Library's annual Open House and book fair this past Saturday, September 10th. On display is a sampling of students’ work from kindergarten through sixth grade. Mr. Richard Campbell, the ex-president of the Cos Cob Library Association who facilitated the show was on hand to assist in hanging of the large panels and assorted canvases.

CLSC VP Art & Culture, Katy Chen Myers explained, “We are so grateful for the Cos Cob library’s support of our children’s art and culture programs. CLSC’s curriculum integrates Chinese history, art and culture, and includes hands-on learning projects for students via weekly workshops, so each student can learn experientially, through art. The Greenwich community is very fortunate to have the Cos Cob library’s resources available to children, teens, and families.”

Ms. Myers continued, “Each year, teachers at CLSC prepare an in-depth art and culture study for students of all levels. This past year's theme was the study of the Silk Road during the Tang and Yuan Dynasties, two of the major trading periods of the Silk Road in Chinese history. Colorful images of the Eight Immortals, plum blossoms, landscapes of the Steppes, silk worms on mulberry trees and caravans of camels and mules laden with treasures cover the walls in the library's community room, giving the viewer a glimpse of the trade along the fabled Silk Road during the 9th and 13th centuries. Students at CLSC used mediums such as acrylic paint, foam, ink, paper, fabric and assorted materials to create the artwork on display while learning about geography, trade, art, politics, along with China's contributions to the world during this important period of history. Visitors can view the artwork during regular Library hours.

The non-profit, fully accredited Chinese Language School of Connecticut (CLSC) (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org) teaches Mandarin Chinese as a second language to children and adults in their weekday and weekend classes, private and small group tutoring, iVuChinese online distance learning, Before and After School programs, cultural workshops, summer classes, and AP Prep sessions. CLSC is the only fully-accredited supplemental Chinese language program in the U.S. which uses U.S. teaching methods in order to engage children in learning Chinese.

For information on the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s programs, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or email them at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org. For interesting articles on Chinese language learning and Chinese culture, please visit http://GreenTeaPop.blogspot.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut.

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Long Way Home by Flora Wong

2011-09-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Flora Wong's new book, Long Way Home,is an interesting read about a young girl in 1930s and1940s China who moves to Montana after an arranged marriage. Info is here: www.LongWayHomeBook.com

A Jewish Girl in Shanghai During WWII

2011-08-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Shanghai, 1939. Little Rina and her younger brother Mishalli have fled here from Europe, awaiting reunion with their parents. Hungry and penniless, she swaps her mother’s necklace for warm pancakes and soon forges a friendship with the young vendor, Zhou A-Gen. They share their cultures and help one another cope with loss and conflict as Japanese thugs and German troops grip the city. All the while, the fate of Rina and Mishalli’s parents in Europe remains unclear…

Director Wang Genfu’s screen adaptation of the graphic novel by Wu Lin is the first Chinese animated film to portray the Holocaust. Artfully rendered, this moving and enlightening film offers us a glance of Shanghai’s Hongkou district, where some 35,000 Jewish refugees found safe haven during WWII.

Date: October 16, 2011, 5pm

Speaker: Evelyn Pike Rubin, resident of Shanghai during WWII; Co-sponsor: Carmel Academy. 80 minutes

Location: Carmel Academy, 270 Lake Avenue, Greenwich  Perfect for ages 11 and up. Presented by JCCGreenwich.org. See below for link where people can register and buy tickets.  http://www.jccgreenwich.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=56&Itemid=7&year=2011&month=10&day=16&title=a-jewish-girl-in-shanghai&uid=2ff590512ecd78b13ccb9b7921add37d

Should My Kid Learn Mandarin Chinese?

2011-08-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

· August 17, 2011, 8:00 AM ET

Should My Kid Learn Mandarin Chinese?

Philip P. Pan

Tom Scocca

I started to truly appreciate the power of early childhood Chinese-language education when our son, at the age of two, started speaking English wrong. “The blue of cup,” he would say, meaning his blue cup.

This wasn’t a random preschool linguistic hiccup, we realized. He was trying to use Chinese syntax: “of” was standing in for the Mandarin particle “de” to turn the noun “blue” into an adjective. And his odd habit of indicating things by saying “this one” or “that one”–he was rendering the Chinese “zhege” and “neige” in English. That is, he was speaking Chinglish.

The usual arguments in favor of Mandarin education say that he should be on his way to conquering the world. An extra language, the theory goes, supplies extra brainpower, and Chinese in particular is a skill that will prepare young children to compete in the global 21st-century marketplace of talent.

Fun, right? If building an optimized little academic and economic performer were all there is to it, we’d have pulled him out of bilingual preschool long ago. Luckily, the reality of having a little Chinese learner underfoot is messier and more entertaining than that.

Our son’s head start in Chinese was mostly an accident. He was born in Beijing because my wife and I were living and working there, and he arrived before we could get back to New York for the delivery. So his first influences were Chinese nurses and the sound of Mandopop on the night-shift radio in the newborn unit.

He spent the first year and a half of his life in the Chinese capital, the seat of standard Mandarin. This is a point of pride for him now, at age four, though in fact he mostly was exposed to his second-generation Chinese-American mother’s lax Taiwan accent and the Sichuan countryside accent of our nanny, who amused him by chanting old schoolhouse rhymes about the glory of Mao.

That early input, followed by half-days of Chinese preschool in New York, hasn’t yet produced a junior trans-Pacific CEO. If you’re considering Mandarin as part of a program of intensive child-improvement, it’s worth remembering that children aren’t so easy to improve.

Adding a second language means a child can play dumb in two languages at once. Or play smart: “Daddy can’t speak Chinese,” he says sometimes, when Daddy speaks rudimentary Chinese to him. Then he demands to borrow my smartphone, so he can look up Chinese characters in the dictionary software.

Lately, he refuses to address his Chinese-born grandparents by their usual titles, insisting on “Grandma” and “Grandpa” in English. But he serenades them with Chinese songs from school, with flawless schoolteacher diction and a gusto that would startle his actual teachers if they heard it. And he is more obedient in Mandarin than in English–when an order comes in Chinese, he has learned, his parents are serious about it.

Mostly, though, Mandarin in the hands of a toddler is not a practical tool. Trying to justify it that way is a bit like the efforts to put a dollar value on liberal-arts education. Chinese is, like math or music, a distinct system of representation, another way to think about the world. You may learn a language because you need to, but you stick with it because it is interesting to think about.

In Beijing, as China prepared for the 2008 Olympics, I used to visit an English class for senior citizens. Officially, the purpose was instrumental: to increase the number of English-speaking residents for the benefit of the foreign tourists during the Games. The students’ questions for me, however, were more esoteric: What was the English for an electrified bus? For saying thunderstorms were coming? For “hidden microphone”? When I came back two years after the Olympics, the class was still full.

So like his other bilingual friends, our son is capricious about how and when to use his own abilities. Have I toweled him off enough? “Chabuduo,” I say, meaning “close enough.” “Chabuduo!” he says, and keeps saying it off and on for days. Language is a playground. He calls up Mandopop videos on YouTube, and snubs American pop. He shakes down a Brazilian babysitter for bits of Portuguese, and asks for Dora the Explorer’s Spanish to be translated to English.

If he came from Boston, I tell him, his animated heroine would be Dor-er the Explorah. “I’m from Beijing,” he says, in English. “I pronounce things correctly.”

Tom Scocca is the author of “Beijing Welcomes You: Unveiling the Capital City of the Future.” He is the managing editor of Deadspin and a columnist for Slate, and he lives in New York.

Wall Street Journal "Big Innovation" Program Picks Chinese Language School of Connecticut as a Finalist

2011-08-15T15:20:00.000-07:00

http://blogs.wsj.com/biginnovation/

Chinese Language School of

Connecticut

http://blogs.wsj.com/biginnovation/2011/08/15/chinese-language-school-of-connecticut/

Business: Chinese Language School of Connecticut
Headquarters: Riverside, Conn.
Industry: Education
Product/service: Mandarin Chinese as a Second Language
Number of full-time employees: 6
Year begun: 2002

What was the challenge your business was facing as a result of the economy?

Our company, the Chinese Language School of Connecticut, had lost about 15% of its revenue each year from 2008 through the first half of fiscal year 2011 from regular programs, and both corporate and individual fundraising were down dramatically.

What was the innovative idea you put in place?

We launched iVuChinese, our online distance-learning program, in July, 2011. iVuChineseused disruptive, simple-to-download and widely-available technology to access our online Chinese learning tools while students are online with a native speaking, fully trained, CLSC instructor.

What significant milestone has this innovative idea lead to since Jan. 1, 2009?

iVuChinese has hit goals in several ways: by increasing projected tutoring revenue by 25% this year alone; by expanding our programs and allowing anyone across the globe who has a personal computer and a set of headphones to learn Chinese using our award-winning, fully accredited curriculum; and by promoting all of our programs since iVuChinese has been picked up by many different media sites, schools, and forwarded to hundreds of individuals.

Please explain your innovation at greater length.

We adopted our two daughters from China in 1996 and 2000. Our older daughter, Emily, started asking, “How do I say ‘dog’ in Chinese? How do I say ‘flower’?” I realized how important it was to allow her to understand her native language and culture, so I worked with a native Chinese-speaking friend to start Chopstix, in 1999. Chopstix was a volunteer-run preschool Chinese program that donated all net proceeds to U.S. nonprofits working with children in Chinese orphanages.

When Emily was 5, I enrolled her in a traditional, “cultural” Chinese school, where we were the only non-Chinese speakers. She still loved learning Chinese, but this experience gave me the opportunity to work with some of the professional, highly dedicated colleagues I met there to form the nonprofit, dual-accredited Chinese Language School of Connecticut, in 2002. CLSC teaches Mandarin Chinese using U.S.-based immersion techniques and age-appropriate, interactive activities to students ages 18 months to adult via various programs.

CLSC hummed along from 2002 through 2008. We started to see a slowdown early in 2008, but it really wasn’t until 2009 that many of our programs began to be undersubscribed. At the same time, China’s emergence as a global powerhouse, with economic growth far surpassing the rest of the world, was becoming clear to most educated people, so our tutoring program began to expand dramatically. This continued through 2010, but in early 2011 we realized that our current, “local school” business model was not sustainable in the current business environment.

So, in spring of 2011, we started to develop and test our iVuChinese online distance-learning program. iVuChinese offers students (ages 7 to adult) the opportunity to learn Chinese using only a personal computer and a set of headphones. They may work with a custom-designed program, or can access our online Chinese programs, but are working one on one with a native speaking Chinese CLSC faculty member the whole time. iVuChinese allows students to practice speaking, reading, writing and listening to Chinese, all while online with their instructor.

We launched iVuChinese in July 2011, and results so far have been terrific. iVuChinese will allow CLSC to meet our objectives this year of both hitting our financial goals, but also by allowing even more students to explore the exciting challenge of learning Chinese.

Video on Chinese Characters

2011-08-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is pretty good; would be even better with pinyin so non-speakers could know how to pronounce, and would be great with translations and pinyin of the Chinese they're speaking. ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VhOCX5WLpw&feature=autoshare

How to Raise A Global Kid? Have them learn Mandarin Chinese

2011-07-27T10:39:00.000-07:00

Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/2011/07/17/american-kids-immersed-in-chinese-asian-education.html

How to Raise a Global Kid

Taking Tiger Mom tactics to radical new heights, these parents are packing up the family for a total Far East Immersion.

Happy Rogers was the only American in her graduating class at Nanyang Primary School in Singapore.

Happy Rogers, age 8, stands among her classmates in the schoolyard at dismissal time, immune, it seems, to the cacophonous din. Her parents and baby sister are waiting outside, but still she lingers, engrossed in conversation. A poised and precocious blonde, Hilton Augusta Parker Rogers, nicknamed Happy, would be at home in the schoolyard of any affluent American suburb or big-city private school. But here, at the elite, bilingual Nanyang Primary School in Singapore, Happy is in the minority, her Dakota Fanning hair shimmering in a sea of darker heads. This is what her parents have traveled halfway around the world for. While her American peers are feasting on the idiocies fed to them by junk TV and summer movies, Happy is navigating her friendships and doing her homework entirely in Mandarin.

Fluency in Chinese, she says—in English—through mouthfuls of spaghetti bolognese at a Singapore restaurant, “is going to make me better and smarter.”

American parents have barely recovered from the anxiety attacks they suffered at the hands of the Tiger Mom—oh, no, my child is already 7 and she can’t play a note of Chopin—and now here comes Happy’s father, the multimillionaire American investor and author Jim Rogers, to give them something new to fret about. It is no longer enough to raise children who are brave, curious, hardworking, and compassionate. Nor is it sufficient to steer them toward the right sports, the right tutors, the right internships, and thus engineer their admittance to the right (or at least a good enough) college. According to Rogers, who in 2007 left New York’s Upper West Side to settle in Singapore with his wife, Paige Parker, and Happy (Beeland Anderson Parker Rogers, called Baby Bee, was born the next year), parents who really care about their children must also ponder this: are we doing enough to raise “global” kids?

“I’m doing what parents have done for many years,” Jim Rogers says. “I’m trying to prepare my children for the future, for the 21st century. I’m trying to prepare them as best I can for the world as I see it.” Rogers believes the future is Asia—he was recently on cable television flogging Chinese commodities. “The money is in the East, and the debtors are in the West. I’d rather be with the creditors than the debtors,” he adds.

It has become a convention of public discourse to regard rapid globalization—of economies and business; of politics and conflict; of fashion, technology, and music—as the great future threat to American prosperity. The burden of meeting that challenge rests explicitly on our kids. If they don’t learn—now—to achieve a comfort level with foreign people, foreign languages, and foreign lands, this argument goes, America’s competitive position in the world will continue to erode, and their future livelihood and that of subsequent generations will be in jeopardy. Rogers is hardly the only person who sees things this way. “In this global economy, the line between domestic and international issues is increasingly blurred, with the world’s economies, societies, and people interconnected as never before,” said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in remarks in the spring of 2010 at the Asia Society in New York. “I am worried that in this interconnected world, our country risks being disconnected from the contributions of other countries and cultures.”

Despite Duncan’s articulate urgency (and the public example of Rogers and a few others like him), America is so far utterly failing to produce a generation of global citizens. Only 37 percent of Americans hold a passport. Fewer than 2 percent of America’s 18 million college students go abroad during their undergraduate years—and when they do go, it’s mostly for short stints in England, Spain, or Italy that are more like vacations. Only a quarter of public primary schools offer any language instruction at all, and fewer high schools offer French, German, Latin, Japanese, or Russian than they did in 1997. The number of schools teaching Chinese and Arabic is so tiny as to be nearly invisible.

Meanwhile, 200 million Chinese schoolchildren are studying English. South Korean parents recently threw a collective hissy fit, demanding that their children begin English instruction in first grade, rather than in second. Nearly 700,000 students from all over the world attended U.S. universities during the 2009–10 school year, with the greatest increases in kids from China and Saudi Arabia. “Not training our kids to be able to work and live in an international environment is like leaving them illiterate,” says David Boren, the former U.S. senator and current president of the University of Oklahoma. The gap between our ambition and reality yawns wide.

There is no consensus on remedies. According to a white paper issued in 2009 by the Institute on International Education, most colleges and universities say they want to increase participation in study-abroad programs, but only 40 percent are actually making concerted efforts to do so. Long immersion programs are expensive, and in an environment of tough statewide budget cuts, students and professors are too crunched for time to make international experience a priority. Educators disagree on which kinds of experiences are most advantageous for kids—or even what advantageous means. Is it enough for a teenager who has never traveled farther than her grandma’s house to get a passport and order a pint in a London pub? Or does she have to spend a year in Beijing, immersed in Mandarin and economic policy? Is the goal of foreign experience to learn a language or gain some special expertise—in auto engineering or peace mediation? Or is it to be of service to others by giving mosquito nets to poor children in an African village?

Jim Rogers sees an America in decline, and his solution has been to immerse himself in the countries and cultures that are ascendant. “We think we’re the world leader, but we’re not,” he says. “I don’t like saying that. I’m an American. I vote. I pay taxes. But the level of knowledge is not very high, and that’s going to hurt us, I’m afraid.” In the Rogers family’s five-bedroom bungalow, there is no TV. Instead, there are more than a dozen globes to look at and maps to ponder, a nanny and a maid who speak only Mandarin to the kids, bicycles to ride, and a new karaoke machine so the girls can learn Chinese songs.

A generation ago and as far back as Thomas Jefferson, a certain kind of child from a certain kind of family went abroad because it was done; a sojourn in Europe was as crucial to becoming a cultivated person as knowing the works of Mozart or Rembrandt. The point was to see the Great Museums, of course, but also to breathe the air—to learn to converse in another tongue, to adapt to the rhythms of another place. Hemingway did this, of course, but so did Benjamin Franklin and Johnny Depp. This is what Pamela Wolf, who just returned to New York City with her husband and children from a year in Barcelona, did. She enrolled her teenagers in an international school, where they made friends with kids from around the world and learned to speak fluent Spanish. Her children have a global perspective not only because of their language skills but also because arriving in a new place, knowing no one, forced them to be resilient. “It’s pushing yourself out of your comfort zone,” Wolf says. “It builds a very compassionate child. While, yes, grades and academics are as important to me as anyone, you need resilience to understand and have sympathy for other people.”

Such lengthy sojourns, though, are available to only a few: the very adventurous or the very rich. Wolf and her husband are both self-employed. “Financially,” she says, “we have the great privilege of earning money while we’re away.”

Without resources and connections, a foreign experience can be a misery. Two years ago, Maribeth Henderson moved from San Antonio with her husband, her college-age son, and her adopted 5-year-old daughter, Wei Wei, to a remote part of China, in Guangdong province. Wei Wei didn’t learn much Mandarin—her school taught mainly Cantonese—and Henderson felt lonely and alienated. “It was so Chinese that I couldn’t assimilate and feel comfortable,” she says. “I couldn’t speak the language; it was hard for us to even order food in a restaurant. If you ordered a chicken, they would literally hand you a chicken. You were lucky if it wasn’t alive.” Henderson abandoned ship, returning to Texas with Wei Wei ahead of schedule and leaving her husband and son in Guangzhou. Now, though, she’s planning to try again. This summer she and Wei Wei will move to Beijing, and Henderson hopes the big city will ameliorate her former isolation. About her goal—helping Wei Wei learn Chinese—Henderson has no doubts. “For children to be competitive and successful in a global economy,” she says, “it’s important for them to be bilingual.”

For parents who want to give their children global experience while keeping them safely on the straight and narrow American path of PSATs, SATs, and stellar extracurriculars, there’s an ever-growing field of options. Immersion schools have exploded over the past 40 years, growing from none in 1970 to 440 today, according to the Center for Applied Linguistics, and Mandarin, especially, is seen among type-A parents as a twofer: a child who learns Mandarin starting at 5 increases her brain capacity and is exposed to the culture of the future through language. (One mom in San Francisco laughs when she recalls that her daughter learned about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott in Chinese.) The education entrepreneur Chris Whittle and colleagues recently announced plans for the new Avenues school, to open in New York City in September 2012 and designed to compete with the city’s most exclusive (and expensive) private schools. Its curriculum will be fully bilingual—parents choose a Mandarin or Spanish track when their kids are 3—providing the Happy Rogers experience but with all the conveniences of home. “We think that any child that graduates from high school a monoglot is automatically behind,” Whittle says. Fourteen months before the school’s doors open, Avenues has already received 1,200 applications.

Study abroad is now a prerequisite on some college campuses, and a few professional schools, especially in business and engineering, have begun to require international study as part of their curricula. Nursing students at a community college in Utah must all spend a month at a hospital in Vietnam as part of their training. But Margaret Heisel, director of the Center for Capacity Building in Study Abroad, believes that a real global education comes from a long stay in a strange place; it gives kids skills that no amount of study can teach.

My own experience proves this point. During my sophomore year in high school, my father, a university professor, moved our entire family to Amsterdam for his sabbatical year and enrolled my brothers and me in local public schools. During that glorious year, I rode my bike through city streets, learned to roll a cigarette one-handed, and eventually spoke Dutch like a 15-year-old native. (I can still say “That’s so stupid” and “This is so boring.”) We saw Stonehenge and the Rijksmuseum and drove to Burgundy for the grape harvest, but the real impact of that adventure was that I learned a degree of self-reliance—a 15-year-old girl needs to make friends and will cross any cultural boundary to do so—that I didn’t know I had.

“I think it’s liberating to some extent,” Heisel says. “It touches people in places that being in a familiar place doesn’t. It requires versatility, flexibility. It’s a different culture and it’s pressing on kids in different ways.” Baby Bee is equally at home on visits to the U.S. and in Singapore, where her father rides her to school each day on his personal pedicab. There she sings the Singapore national anthem and pledges the Singapore flag. “She’s no different from the Chinese kids,” says her teacher, Fu Su Qin. “And her Chinese is just as good.”

With reporting by Lennox Samuels in Singapore

Far East Movement

2011-07-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

From Greenwich Time, July 18, 2011

http://www.greenwichtime.com/default/article/A-Far-East-movement-Chinese-school-launches-1470070.php/

A Far East movement: Chinese school launches online tutoring program

Nicole Narea, Special Correspondent

Published 07:46 p.m., Sunday, July 17, 2011

Madison Kung, 7, of Harrison, N.Y., a student of the Chinese Language School of Connecticut, works from a laptop at the Second Congregational Church in Greenwich Monday, July 11, 2011. The school recently introduced a new online tutoring program that allows students from all over Connecticut to take classes from home. Photo: Helen Neafsey / Greenwich Time

Seven-year-old Madison Kung barely looks up from the screen of his iMac computer when his mother, Terri, calls his name. The Looney Tunes-like sound effects coming from the laptop speakers would suggest that he is engrossed in a video game. On the contrary -- it is his Chinese homework.

The Chinese Language School of Connecticut has taught Mandarin as a second language to non-native students ranging from toddlers to adults since its creation in 2002, but, as it enters its 10th year of operation, the Riverside-based school is launching a new online learning system called iVuChinese.

The iVuChinese curriculum utilizes Better Chinese, an independent study website that provides homework assignments and lesson plans that correlate to textbooks for students ages 8 and above. It centers on interactive learning rather than simply rote memorization, offering games, stories and songs for each lesson.

"Once you complete something like homework, it adds a trophy to your collection," said Madison, a devout fan of Better Chinese. "They're really cool. I have a lot of them, but I've been studying for two terms already."

In addition, students can benefit from private instruction through Skype as part of the iVuChinese curriculum. Tutors can critique a student's pronunciation and intonation using a microphone, as well as operate a screen-sharing feature that allows a student to see exactly what is displayed on the tutor's computer during a lecture. Tutoring sessions mimic the experience a student would have if they were physically sitting next to a tutor and can be conducted anywhere with an Internet connection.

"There is a student that is studying this summer who is using a tablet pen to draw characters, reviewing his stroke order, making sure his tones are correct, reviewing things he has learned over the year all through Skype," Program Director Terri Kung said.

She describes Skype tutoring sessions as "highly individualized." Tutors work closely with parents and students to adjust their lesson plans accordingly, taking into consideration age, level and learning style.

"We are unique because we teach our tutors how to teach American students and non-native speakers," said Principal Daisy Laone, who conducts regular, "intensive" training workshops for the school's tutors.

Therefore, Kung views iVuChinese as an indispensable resource for Madison to maintain his current level of proficiency over the summer and supplement the school-year curriculum. Furthermore, it allows him to continue to develop an appreciation for Chinese culture.

"My husband was raised in Taiwan. I worked abroad for many years. We appreciate knowledge of other cultures and languages," she said. "It good exposure for Madison to other ways of thinking." When you learn in a different language, you start to think in a different language and a different way."

Based on the school's increasing number of students, it would seem that other parents are also beginning to see the benefits of learning Chinese.

"Everybody sees China as the economy of the future. We have seen an uptick in inquiries since the Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visited the States," Kung said. "No matter what he decides to do with it, it will always be good for my son to have Chinese in his back pocket."

To learn more about iVuChinese or CLSC's other Chinese language programs for children or adults, visit them at www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or contact info@chineselanguageschool.org.

The Magic of Learning Chinese

2011-07-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Great article on learning Chinese, and the Chinese Language School of Connecticut's impact on tech innovations in Chinese language learning.

http://greenwich.patch.com/articles/east-meets-west?ncid=M255

East Meets West

The magic of Mandarin Chinese in Greenwich.

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'Ni Hao' my friends - your children are learning a whole new language!

Pick up a newspaper, read a book about the global economy, stop and think about the next 100 years. Clearly, China will have a significant influence on pretty much every facet of our lives, our children’s lives and our grandchildren’s lives. With its booming industry and rapidly expanding cities, it has been predicted by many that China will soon become the world's biggest economy, surpassing the U.S. There are various dialects of Chinese already being spoken by billions worldwide, but according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, there are only 60,000 K-12 students in the United States that are studying Chinese. Compare this with the 300 million students in China currently studying English.

Here in Greenwich, many of us are lucky if we speak another language and most likely, it is the French or Spanish that we struggled to learn in high school. But, for about 130 Greenwich High School students, they are facing the future straight on and acquiring the language skills essential to competing in the global economy - they are studying Mandarin Chinese.

According to the The American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages, "Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience. The United States must educate students who are linguistically and culturally equipped to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad. This imperative envisions a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language, modern or classical."

Greenwich Public Schools' World Language Program "works to equip students linguistically and culturally to communicate and function in a "flat world" both as individuals and within a group,' according to the GPS website.

According to the website, "World Language study develops an awareness of other people's views, an understanding of their unique ways of life and a recognition and respect for their diversity and contributions to the world at large. Linguistic proficiency combined with cultural knowledge will enable students to interact in a variety of real-life situations."

Marcia Schenker, Greenwich Public Schools world languages program coordinator, says GHS offered its first Chinese course 5 years ago. For the past two years, GHS had about 130 students in seven sections, ranging from level 1-4 and, for the first time starting last year, an AP course. Additionally, GHS won a grant given by the Confucius Classroom Network for $10,000, which was used for books, materials and special events for students and professional learning for staff.

While other area high school programs including Greenwich Academy, Brunswick School, Convent of the Scared Heart, New Canaan High School , Wilton High School and Staples High School in Westport all have Chinese language offerings, Greenwich High School was the first. It was thanks to parent and community advocacy which led to the adoption Mandarin into the GPS curriculum.

While the Mandarin language has 21 consonants and 16 vowels, they can be combined together to create more than 400 mono-syllabic sounds. Therefore, becoming accustomed to the Mandarin pronunciation helps with both speaking and listening skills. While the thought of learning Mandarin Chinese may seem daunting, there are some features which make Mandarin easy such as no subject/verb agreement, no tenses, no plurals and no conjugations.

Even prior to the offerings at Greenwich High School, another group in town was committed to teaching the language. The Chinese Language School of Connecticut was started in 2002 by a group of parents who wanted their children to learn Chinese. Their vision, according to their website, was "to create a school that children looked forward to attending every week - where they could learn practical communication skills, develop a life-long appreciation for the Chinese language and culture, and build lasting friendships with their fellow students."

The mission of the Chinese Language School of Connecticut (CLSC) is to teach Mandarin Chinese as a second language to children ages 18 months and up. Their website states that their "activity-based curriculum enables students to acquire practical communication skills, develop competence and confidence, and experience the joy of learning another language."

Through early exposure to Chinese, the school seeks to provide students with a foundation for future learning and cultivate their long term interest in the language, culture and traditions of China.

CLSC initially only offered weekend classes and expected 50 students when they started. To their surprise however, 130 students signed up when began in September 2002. The school continued to grow over the next few years with the weekend program maxing out at 200 students.

With the understanding of the need for Mandarin speaking skills growing, CLSC opened corporate and weekday programs in 2009 which are held at its new program offices here in Greenwich. CLSC continues to expand with weekend and weekday classes, Before and After School programs, arts, culture and special events. Throw in private tutoring, small group tutoring, online distance learning (iVuChinese was launched in June 2011), adult classes, corporate group classes and consulting for those visiting China, it is obvious that the need and the thirst for learning Mandarin is growing.

Susan Serven, who was one of the originators of CLSC and now president and board member, describes how her daughter Emily, now 15 and a rising sophomore, first started learning Mandarin at the Chopstix preschool program in New Canaan (which Susan happened to have founded.) After 6 years at CLSC, she is entering her third year of Chinese at New Canaan High School having skipped a year due to her studies with CLSC!

As Serven explains, “a global worldview is so crucial for today’s students and I believe learning Chinese allowed Emily to form a connection with Asian culture, which, in turn, prompted her to start her international music web site (www.kaermusic.com) a few years ago." Serven’s 11-year-old daughter Rebecca also recently graduated from CLSC with honors and does extremely well in all languages (she earned an A+ in Latin this year which Serven believes is due in part to her very early exposure to a second language, which is of course Chinese.)

Cynthia Chang Scanlan, a CLSC board director said she believes that technology will have a major impact on how students of all ages can learn a language and that the typical classroom setting will evolve into 24/7 remote accessibility. Through computers Scanlan says that the students can “hear it, see it, touch it at their own pace.” This increased access will be able to cast a wider net that reaches beyond school aged students.

To drive home just how flat the world is, First Selectman Peter Tesei spoke at last week’s Board of Selectmen meeting about attending a June 20^th event at the Stamford Campus of the University of Connecticut with the Connecticut Hedge Fund Association and a business and government delegation from Shanghai.

The group hosted business representatives from Shanghai who are interested in exploring the Greenwich hedge fund community as a business model to be successful in the emerging world markets. Their intent is to establish such a hedge fund presence in Shanghai. According to Tesei, “the group from Shanghai is looking to understand what makes Greenwich such an attractive location for hedge funds to locate here.”

Tesei certainly sees the value in the ability to communicate internationally on a local level and the global impact it could have for Greenwich. “Understanding the Chinese language certain would facilitate relationship building for our community,” Tesei said.

Whether you say 'Xie Xie' (pronounced shay shay) or thank you, learning the language and culture of a country that will have major influence for years to come is your ticket to the world

iVuChinese Online Learning Program Launch!

2011-06-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Photo caption: Jackson Dapuzzo, Greenwich, prepares to log in to learn Chinese online with his instructor

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Announces New Online Learning Program, iVuChinese

--iVuChinese distance learning program allows students to learn Chinese online, with locally-based, native speaking teachers --

“As CLSC enters our 10th year, we’re pleased to announce our new online learning program, iVuChinese. iVuChinese allows students the opportunity to learn or practice Chinese nearly any time, from any place,” New Canaan resident, CLSC president and Board member, Susan Serven.

RIVERSIDE, CT, July 1, 2011 – The Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org), the non-profit Riverside, CT-based provider of Chinese language programs to students, schools and corporations, has announced the launch of their new online learning service, iVuChinese. iVuChinese is an online tutoring program, developed by CLSC’s education professionals, which allows students to connect with a native-speaking instructor remotely, using only their laptop or PC, and a standard application download.

iVuChinese allows students to work with native-speaking teachers to design a personal, customized curriculum, and learn remotely, at their own pace. The teacher will link to CLSC online learning tools and documents, while guiding the student’s learning process, correcting their pronunciation, and assisting them with reading and writing Chinese characters if necessary.

The student will be learning and practicing directly with the teacher, almost exactly as if she were sitting next to him.

CLSC parent of 3 sons, Pelham, NY resident and Board of Directors co-Chair Jeffay Chang noted, “CLSC’s faculty undergo regular, rigorous training to make sure they’re able to communicate at a level that is both comfortable and consistent for our non-native speaking audience. Most other online sites do not have teachers who are both trained in on-line teaching methods, and who also have classroom experience, so can understand and appreciate the differences in working with students of varying ages.

New Canaan resident, CLSC co-founder and president, Susan Serven, concurred. “One of CLSC’s key benefits is that we recruit native Chinese speakers, who have been rigorously trained in U.S. teaching methods, and are often parents, themselves. When we started the organization, back in 2002, we realized that no matter where each of us was born, our children were all learning in U.S. school systems, so we needed to be aware that they’d be most familiar with U.S. teaching methods. iVuChinese is an extension of CLSC’s dually-accredited programs which allow all students to have access learning Chinese as a second language.”

Darwei Kung, co-Chair and Harrison, NY resident, noted, “Many of our students have come from as far away as New Jersey and Chester, CT. Over the last couple of years, many people have said they wanted their children to learn Chinese, but needed to send them to an accredited program with instructors fully trained in how to best engage and motivate children who usually don’t speak Chinese at home. We are very pleased to offer this new program in response to the need for a quality, consistent, interactive Chinese program which uses various milestones to measure students’ progress.”

CLSC’s principal, Daisy Chen Laone, explained, “Key to students’ learning and retaining a language is usage and practice. Online learning allows students an easier way to practice Chinese. CLSC’s approach is unique because we stress interactive usage over rote memorization. Lessons are age-appropriate and are organized around themes such as family, food, travel, and games so that children can quickly gain useful communication skills. We’ve done considerable research to determine which learning methods and interactive, online support materials work best for American students learning Chinese as a second language, and it seems to be working; many parents say their children love learning Chinese!”

CLSC program director, Harrison resident Terri Kung, noted “Generally, younger children acquire a second language better than older children or adults, especially if their learning uses interactive methods and they are allowed plenty of time to practice, in order to build retention and understanding. Early introduction to Chinese exposes each child to a wider variety of its contexts. These contexts foster language proficiency and help develop insights into the nature of the language. With time and practice, each child will gain a deeper understanding and better command of the Chinese language and will ultimately develop a life-long interest of Chinese language and culture. “

To learn more about iVuChinese or CLSC’s other Chinese language programs for children or adults, please visit them at www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or contact them at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

For interesting articles on Chinese language learning and Chinese culture, please visit http://GreenTeaPop.blogspot.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut

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Chinese Puzzles at the MOCA

2011-06-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

MOCA Chinese Puzzles Family Workshop
Sat, Jun 25 from 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Museum of Chinese in America | 215 Centre Street | New York | NY | 10013

Come join MOCA for its second Chinese Puzzles Family Workshop! Hear stories related to puzzles, try your hand at solving puzzles, and experiment with a puzzles inspired art activity!

In conjunction with Chinese Puzzles: Games for the Hands and Mind, MOCA will offer a series of family workshops on the last Saturday of each month from March to August 2011.

These family workshops are shared experiences for children and their adult companions.

Ages 4 and older with adults.

Admission: $10 per child and adult pair; $5 per additional child; Free for MOCA Family Members. RSVP to programs@mocanyc.org

China Pace University Business School Trip

2011-06-15T10:05:00.001-07:00

Great blog with highlights from current students' and professors' trip.

http://dysoncollege.blogs.pace.edu/

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Elects New Board

2011-06-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Press Release

For immediate release

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Serven, Chinese Language School of Connecticut
203/918.8085
susan.serven@chineselanguageschool.org
please visit our web site: www.chineselanguageschool.org

Visit us on Facebook: facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Announces New Board

-- Professionals from Connecticut and Westchester to help expand program’s success in bringing Chinese to students --

“CLSC is entering it’s 10th year with an extremely competent, very dedicated Board of Directors, and we’re pleased to be helping the organization continue to develop its programs and expand its reach, ” Pelham resident and CLSC Board co-Chair, Jeffay Chang and Harrison resident and CLSC Board co-Chair Darwei Kung.

RIVERSIDE, CT, June 15, 2011 – The Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org), the non-profit Riverside, CT-based provider of Chinese language programs to students, schools and corporations, has elected their new Board of Directors for the upcoming year.

Newly elected co-Chairs are Harrison resident Darwei Kung and Pelham resident Jeffay Chang.

Jeffay Chang (Co-Chairman) Jeffay serves as the East Coast Trust Strategist for the Goldman Sachs Trust Companies. He was named Executive Vice President with responsibility over national marketing and sales in 2008. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in May 2004, Jeffay was a Corporate Vice President in the Private Wealth Services Group of UBS Financial Services where he provided counseling and planning services for ultra high net worth clients in such areas as wealth transfer and philanthropic planning, stock option exercise planning, and hedging and monetizing concentrated equity positions.
Prior to UBS Financial Services, Jeffay was a Financial Planner in the Financial Planning Group of US Trust and before that was a Trust Officer in the Trust Settlement Department of US Trust. Jeffay obtained his B.A. from Brandeis University and J.D. from Fordham University School of Law. He is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, New York State Bar Association, New York Bankers Association, Estate Planning Council of New York City and the Westchester Estate Planning Council.

Darwei Kung (Co-Chairman) Darwei is a Portfolio Manager for fixed income and commodity investment funds for Deutsche Asset Management. Prior to his current career in investment management, Darwei spent over 10 years in the telecommunications industry in a variety of professional and management roles in engineering, product management, strategic planning, and business development. Darwei received his bachelors and masters degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle, and received his MBA and Masters in Computational Finance degrees from Carnegie Mellon University. Darwei lives in Harrison, New York with his wife and son.

Cynthia Chang Scanlan (Director) - Cynthia Chang was born in Taipei, Taiwan and moved to New York City at the age of six, learning English after Taiwanese and Mandarin Chinese. She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and received a B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania. She worked in real estate and banking in New York City. Her husband, Brian Scanlan, founded a software company, and Cynthia joined the company soon after to manage administrative operations and facilities. The company had an initial public offering in 2000 at which time, Cynthia left to concentrate on family and community service in Greenwich, having moved there in 1997. She has been a board member at the YMCA of Greenwich since 2001, serving as the annual campaign chairman, Facilities Committee chair, and currently as Secretary of the Board. She also served as the First Selectman's representative on the Board of Trustees of the Greenwich Library, and is active with her alma mater, chairing the University of Pennsylvania's Secondary School committee in Greenwich. Cynthia lives in Greenwich with her husband and two children, Kevin, 18, who recently graduated Brunswick School and will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, and Paula, 11, who attends Greenwich Country Day School.

Dr. Sue Chang, M.D. (Director) is a graduate of the University of Michigan where she received her B.S., followed by her M.D. degree at Michigan State University. She completed her residency training in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Nephrology at Yale University where she served as a research fellow in the genetics of hypertension. She is in private practice with Metabolism Associates of New Haven, CT.

Joab Tjiungwanara (Director) is a Risk Manager with General Electric and has worked extensively in the credit and market risk area at GE Corporate Treasury. He is a graduate of University of Bremen, Germany (Electrical Engineering) and University of Rochester (MBA in Finance). Joab is an overseas Chinese who was born in Indonesia, went to Germany after high school and came to the US for graduate school. He speaks fluent Mandarin, German, English and is conversant in Indonesian.

Susan Serven (Director) - Susan has been with CLSC since the school’s founding in May 2002. Susan is a graduate of Pace University (BBA, Marketing) and Fairfield University (MBA, Finance, International Business, 2011). She has held positions in global marketing at Lever Bros. Co., and Save the Children Federation, and as Special Events Director for the American Cancer Society. Susan founded the Chopstix program in 1998 so her daughters and other children could learn Chinese; all Chopstix proceeds were donated to help fund various non- profit groups working with Chinese orphanage programs. She continued running Chopstix until it joined CLSC in 2003. Susan and her husband Lawrence adopted their daughters Emily in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China in August 1996, and Becky in Gao Ming City, Guangdong Province, in October, 2000. They live in New Canaan, CT.

Thomas K. Myers, Jr., (Director) Tom is the Director of Sales and Marketing for FocusVision Worldwide based in Stamford, CT. A graduate of Bucknell University with a B.A. in Political Science, Tom spent his early career in account service with New York based advertising agencies. During this time he met his Taiwan born wife Katy. Since then Tom has held sales and marketing positions for several international companies. Tom’s interest in Chinese language increased quickly with the birth of his daughter, Emily. “I have always believed a second language to be a useful tool. But a second language with ties to one’s heritage is a gift that should not be missed. My goal is to help CLSC continue its efforts to make learning Chinese as enjoyable and satisfying as possible”. Tom lives in Redding, CT with his wife and daughter.

For information on the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s weekday and weekend language programs, including their Before and After School programs, special workshops. lectures, events, private tutoring, online learning, and their corporate language program, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org. For interesting articles on Chinese language learning and Chinese culture, please visit http://GreenTeaPop.blogspot.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut

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Bi-Lingualism Can Delay Alzheimers

2011-06-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Ellen Bialystok is a cognitive neuroscientist who has found that bilingualism can delay the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Chris Young for The New York Times

A cognitive neuroscientist, Ellen Bialystok has spent almost 40 years learning about how bilingualism sharpens the mind. Dr. Bialystok, 62, a distinguished research professor of psychologyat York University in Toronto, was awarded a $100,000 Killam Prize last year for her contributions tosocial science. An edited version of our conversations follows.

Q.How did you begin studying bilingualism?

A.You know, I didn't start trying to find out whether bilingualism was bad or good. I did my doctoratein psychology: on how children acquire language. When I finished graduate school, in 1976, therewas a job shortage in Canada for Ph.D.'s. The only position I found was with a research projectstudying second language acquisition in schoolchildren. It wasn't my area. But it was close enough.

As a psychologist, I brought neuroscience questions to the study, like "How does the acquisition of asecond language change thought?" It was these types of questions that naturally led to thebilingualism research.

The way research works is, it takes you down a road. You then follow that road. So what exactly did you find on this unexpected road?

A.As we did our research, you could see there was a big difference in the way monolingual and bilingual children processed language. If yougave 5- and 6-year-olds language problems to solve, monolingual and bilingual children knew,pretty much, the same amount of language.

But on one question, there was a difference. We asked all the children if a certain illogical sentencewas grammatically correct: "Apples grow on noses."

The monolingual children couldn't answer. They'd say, "That's silly" and they'd stall. But the bilingual children would say, in their own words, "It's silly, but it's grammatically correct." The bilinguals, wefound, manifested a cognitive system with the ability to attend to important information and ignorethe less important.

Q.How does this work?

A.There's a system in your brain, the executive control system. It's a general manager. Its job is tokeep you focused on what is relevant, while ignoring distractions. It's what makes it possible for youto hold two different things in your mind at one time and switch between them.

If you have two languages and you use them regularly, the way the brain's networks work is thatevery time you speak, both languages pop up and the executive control system has to sort througheverything and attend to what's relevant in the moment. Therefore the bilinguals use that systemmore, and that regular use makes that system more efficient.

Q.One of your most startling recent findings is that bilingualism helps forestall the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. How did you come to learn this?

A.Bilingual older adults performed better than monolingual older adults on executive control tasks.That was very impressive because it didn't have to be that way. It could have turned out thateverybody just lost function equally as they got older.

We looked at the medical records of 400 Alzheimer's patients. On average, the bilinguals showedAlzheimer's symptoms five or six years later than those who spoke only one language. This didn'tmean that the bilinguals didn't have Alzheimer's. It meant that as the disease took root in theirbrains, they were able to continue functioning at a higher level.

Q.So high school French is useful for something other than ordering a special meal in a restaurant?

A.Sorry, no. You have to use both languages all the time. You won't get the bilingual benefit fromoccasional use.

Q.Would bilingualism help with multitasking?

A.Yes, multitasking is one of the things the executive control system handles.

Q.Bilingualism used to be considered a negative thing - at least in the United States. Is it still?

A.Until about the 1960s, the conventional wisdom was that bilingualism was a disadvantage. Someof this was xenophobia.

Thanks to science, we now know that the opposite is true.

Q.Many immigrants choose not to teach their children their native language. Is this a good thing?

A.There are two major reasons people should pass their heritage language onto children.

First, it connects children to their ancestors. The second is my research: Bilingualism is good foryou. It makes brains stronger.It is brain exercise.

The New York Times

(China Daily 06/12/2011 page11)

Why Should My Children Study Chinese?

2011-06-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

We're all so busy. We have no time. Besides, our kids will learn Spanish in school, right?

So, why should they study Chinese?

http://www.chineselanguageschool.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=37

According to the Chinese Language School of Connecticut, www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org, most education experts agree that the earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the chances are that the child will become truly proficient in the language.

For example, each Mandarin syllable has four tones that can mean different things. For example, "ma" in the first tone means "mother," while spoken in the third tone means "horse." Younger children find it much easier to learn a tonal language such as Chinese because they can mimic sounds much easier than older children or adults.
According to the Connecticut Department of Education, the number of public school students studying Mandarin, mostly non-Asian, has seen a more than ten-fold increase from 2004 to 2006(1). As more Connecticut public and private schools offer Mandarin classes at the middle school and high school level, CLSC students will have an educational advantage since they will have started at a much younger age.

In addition, for those students whose schools only offer Chinese once or twice per week, regular exposure to Chinese via CLSC tutoring and small private classes, will enhance their overall Chinese learning experience.

1 Winnie Hu, "Non-Asians Show a Growing Interest in Chinese Courses," The New York Times, November 29, 2006.

Culture: Learning the Chinese language and culture will allow students to explore an ancient culture, rich with innovation and historical significance. From writing Chinese characters, to learning about the 7 Sages during a watercolor painting exercise, to playing traditional Chinese games, students will be introduced to one of the oldest civilizations in the world.

Communication: Mandarin Chinese is spoken by nearly one out of every four people on the planet. As China grows in economic and political importance, it is critical that U.S. students become global citizens, and that they are given the opportunity to communicate in Chinese and to be familiar with Chinese customs and culture.

Enhanced Cognitive Ability: [From the BBC News and the Guardian, June 30, 2003] According to Dr. Sophie Scott, a psychologist at the Wellcome Trust, and colleagues from hospitals in Oxford and London who performed brain scans on volunteers as they listened to their native languages, when English speakers heard English, their left temporal lobes lit up on screen. When Mandarin Chinese speakers heard their native tongue, both right and left lobes buzzed with activity.

The left temporal lobe is normally associated with piecing sounds together into words; the right with processing melody and intonation.

"Speech really is a complex sound," said Dr Scott. "As well as understanding words, the brain uses the way in which words are spoken, such as intonation and melody, to turn spoken language into meaning. This system has to be robust and flexible enough to deal with variations in speech sounds such as regional accents. We think Mandarin speakers interpret intonation and melody in the right temporal lobe to give correct meaning to the spoken words."

The study suggests that language itself might affect the way the brain develops in a young child.

Improved Skills: In its 1992 report, College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, the College Entrance Examination Board reported that "students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the SAT than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area. This finding echoes many experts' belief that learning a second language can improve not only a child's aptitude in English, but also enhance creativity and problem-solving skills."

Global Edge: Mandarin Chinese is spoken by nearly 25% of the world’s population. Treasury Secretary TimGeithner, former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, commentator and fundmanager Jim Rogers, former president of Goldman Sachs John L. Thornton, formerU.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, and News Corp's chairman Rupert Murdochare just a few of the world's leaders that speak Chinese or realize theimportance of learning Mandarin.

And, in April, 2011, the IMF predicted that China’s economy willsurpass the U.S.’s as early as 2016(2).

With the emergence of China as a growing global superpower, the importance understanding China's global relevance cannot be understated.

2 http://www.marketwatch.com/story/imf-bombshell-age-of-america-about-to-end-2011-04-25?pagenumber=1

IMF bombshell: Age of America nears end Commentary: China’s economy will surpass the U.S. in 2016

2011-06-08T11:17:00.000-07:00

By Brett Arends, MarketWatch
This column has been updated to include a reaction from the IMF.

BOSTON (MarketWatch) — The International Monetary Fund has just dropped a bombshell, and nobody noticed.

IMF sees China topping U.S. in 2016
According to the latest IMF official forecasts, China's economy will surpass that of America in real terms in 2016 — just five years from now. Brett Arends looks at the implications for the U.S. dollar and the Treasury market.

For the first time, the international organization has set a date for the moment when the “Age of America” will end and the U.S. economy will be overtaken by that of China.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/imf-bombshell-age-of-america-about-to-end-2011-04-25

And it’s a lot closer than you may think.

According to the latest IMF official forecasts, China’s economy will surpass that of America in real terms in 2016 — just five years from now.

Put that in your calendar.

It provides a painful context for the budget wrangling taking place in Washington right now. It raises enormous questions about what the international security system is going to look like in just a handful of years. And it casts a deepening cloud over both the U.S. dollar and the giant Treasury market, which have been propped up for decades by their privileged status as the liabilities of the world’s hegemonic power.

More China news: U.S., China to hold economic talks in early May, Shanghai hit by tightening, China 2011 trade surplus may shrink to 2% of GDP

According to the IMF forecast, which was quietly posted on the Fund’s website just two weeks ago, whoever is elected U.S. president next year — Obama? Mitt Romney? Donald Trump? — will be the last to preside over the world’s largest economy.

Most people aren’t prepared for this. They aren’t even aware it’s that close. Listen to experts of various stripes, and they will tell you this moment is decades away. The most bearish will put the figure in the mid-2020s.

China’s economy will be the world’s largest within five years or so.
But they’re miscounting. They’re only comparing the gross domestic products of the two countries using current exchange rates.

That’s a largely meaningless comparison in real terms. Exchange rates change quickly. And China’s exchange rates are phony. China artificially undervalues its currency, the renminbi, through massive intervention in the markets.

The comparison that really matters

In addition to comparing the two countries based on exchange rates, the IMF analysis also looked to the true, real-terms picture of the economies using “purchasing power parities.” That compares what people earn and spend in real terms in their domestic economies.

Under PPP, the Chinese economy will expand from $11.2 trillion this year to $19 trillion in 2016. Meanwhile the size of the U.S. economy will rise from $15.2 trillion to $18.8 trillion. That would take America’s share of the world output down to 17.7%, the lowest in modern times. China’s would reach 18%, and rising.

Just 10 years ago, the U.S. economy was three times the size of China’s.

Naturally, all forecasts are fallible. Time and chance happen to them all. The actual date when China surpasses the U.S. might come even earlier than the IMF predicts, or somewhat later. If the great Chinese juggernaut blows a tire, as a growing number fear it might, it could even delay things by several years. But the outcome is scarcely in doubt.

Europe wrestles with Greece solutions: Germany and other strong euro-zone countries want the Greece's private-sector creditors to bear some of the burden, while the European Central Bank doesn't want to do anything that would cast Greece into default.

This is more than a statistical story. It is the end of the Age of America. As a bond strategist in Europe told me two weeks ago, “We are witnessing the end of America’s economic hegemony.”

We have lived in a world dominated by the U.S. for so long that there is no longer anyone alive who remembers anything else. America overtook Great Britain as the world’s leading economic power in the 1890s and never looked back.

And both those countries live under very similar rules of constitutional government, respect for civil liberties and the rights of property. China has none of those. The Age of China will feel very different.

Victor Cha, senior adviser on Asian affairs at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, told me China’s neighbors in Asia are already waking up to the dangers. “The region is overwhelmingly looking to the U.S. in a way that it hasn’t done in the past,” he said. “They see the U.S. as a counterweight to China. They also see American hegemony over the last half-century as fairly benign. In China they see the rise of an economic power that is not benevolent, that can be predatory. They don’t see it as a benign hegemony.”

The rise of China, and the relative decline of America, is the biggest story of our time. You can see its implications everywhere, from shuttered factories in the Midwest to soaring costs of oil and other commodities. Last fall, when I attended a conference in London about agricultural investment, I was struck by the number of people there who told stories about Chinese interests snapping up farmland and foodstuff supplies — from South America to China and elsewhere.

This is the result of decades during which China has successfully pursued economic policies aimed at national expansion and power, while the U.S. has embraced either free trade or, for want of a better term, economic appeasement.

“There are two systems in collision,” said Ralph Gomory, research professor at NYU’s Stern business school. “They have a state-guided form of capitalism, and we have a much freer former of capitalism.” What we have seen, he said, is “a massive shift in capability from the U.S. to China. What we have done is traded jobs for profit. The jobs have moved to China. The capability erodes in the U.S. and grows in China. That’s very destructive. That is a big reason why the U.S. is becoming more and more polarized between a small, very rich class and an eroding middle class. The people who get the profits are very different from the people who lost the wages.”

The next chapter of the story is just beginning.

U.S. spending spree won’t work

What the rise of China means for defense, and international affairs, has barely been touched on. The U.S. is now spending gigantic sums — from a beleaguered economy — to try to maintain its place in the sun. See: Pentagon spending is budget blind spot .

It’s a lesson we could learn more cheaply from the sad story of the British, Spanish and other empires. It doesn’t work. You can’t stay on top if your economy doesn’t.

Equally to the point, here is what this means economically, and for investors.

Some years ago I was having lunch with the smartest investor I know, London-based hedge-fund manager Crispin Odey. He made the argument that markets are reasonably efficient, most of the time, at setting prices. Where they are most likely to fail, though, is in correctly anticipating and pricing big, revolutionary, “paradigm” shifts — whether a rise of disruptive technologies or revolutionary changes in geopolitics. We are living through one now.

The U.S. Treasury market continues to operate on the assumption that it will always remain the global benchmark of money. Business schools still teach students, for example, that the interest rate on the 10-year Treasury bond is the “risk-free rate” on money. And so it has been for more than a century. But that’s all based on the Age of America.

No wonder so many have been buying gold. If the U.S. dollar ceases to be the world’s sole reserve currency, what will be? The euro would be fine if it acts like the old deutschemark. If it’s just the Greek drachma in drag ... not so much.

The last time the world’s dominant hegemon lost its ability to run things singlehandedly was early in the past century. That’s when the U.S. and Germany surpassed Great Britain. It didn’t turn out well.

Updated with IMF reaction

The International Monetary Fund has responded to my article.

In a statement sent to MarketWatch, the IMF confirmed the report, but challenged my interpretation of the data. Comparing the U.S. and Chinese economies using “purchase-power-parity,” it argued, “is not the most appropriate measure… because PPP price levels are influenced by nontraded services, which are more relevant domestically than globally.”

The IMF added that it prefers to compare economies using market exchange rates, and that under this comparison the U.S. “is currently 130% bigger than China, and will still be 70% larger by 2016.”

My take?

The IMF is entitled to make its case. But its argument raises more questions than it answers.

First, no one measure is perfect. Everybody knows that.

But that’s also true of the GDP figures themselves. Hurricane Katrina, for example, added to the U.S. GDP, because it stimulated a lot of economic activity — like providing emergency relief, and rebuilding homes. Is there anyone who seriously thinks Katrina was a net positive for the United States? All statistics need caveats.

Second, comparing economies using simple exchange rates, as the IMF suggests, raises huge problems.

Currency markets fluctuate. They represent international money flows, not real output.

The U.S. dollar has fallen nearly 10% against the euro so far this year. Does anyone suggest that the real size of the U.S. economy has shrunk by 10% in comparison with Europe over that period? The idea is absurd.

China actively suppresses the renminbi on the currency markets through massive dollar purchases. As a result the renminbi is deeply undervalued on the foreign-exchange markets. Just comparing the economies on their exchange rates misses that altogether.

Purchasing power parity is not a perfect measure. None exists. But it measures the output of economies in terms of real goods and services, not just paper money. That’s why it’s widely used to compare economies. The IMF publishes PPP data. So does the OECD. Many economists rely on them.

Brett Arends is a senior columnist for MarketWatch and a personal-finance columnist for The Wall Street Journal.

Registration for 2011 / 2012 Opens at Chinese Language School of Connecticut

2011-06-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Susan Serven, Chinese Language School of Connecticut
info@chineselanguageschool.org
please visit our web site: www.chineselanguageschool.org

Visit us on Facebook: facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Opens Registration for Fall 2011

-- New Online Learning Program New for 2011 / 2012 Year--

RIVERSIDE, CT June 10, 2011 -- The non-profit Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.chineselanguageschool.org) has announced that registration for its Fall 2011 programs is currently open. The school, which teaches Mandarin Chinese as a second language to students ages 18 months and up, uses an interactive, conversationally-based approach, and welcomes students from all backgrounds and every level, from beginner through advanced.

CLSC’s principal, Daisy Chen Laone, noted, “CLSC offers students a unique opportunity to explore Chinese language and culture through innovative, hands-on, age-appropriate programs. Students do not need to have prior experience in Chinese in order to attend. We offer interactive, engaging, customized programs, which are designed to teach Mandarin Chinese to non-Chinese-speaking students using U.S. teaching methods.”

Ms. Laone continued, “CLSC faculty members are all native speaking teachers who are required to undergo a rigorous training process of a minimum of 75 hours per year, in order to make Chinese language learning fun for younger students, engaging and exciting for elementary school students, and fairly rigorous for older students wishing to take Chinese in high school and beyond. We have designed our curriculum to include benchmarks and measurable objectives which allow all students to become as proficient as possible within set timeframes, while engaging their interest in learning about a culture which is more than 4,000 years old.”

New for 2011 is CLSC’s online Homework Help program, and new AP Chinese classes.

CLSC Prinicpal Daisy Chen Laone explained, “CLSC’s Homework Help program is designed to offer customized, online assistance for students learning Chinese. These online sessions are taught by CLSC-trained, native speaking Chinese instructors, who can assist current CLSC students with assignments they are working on, or can help them practice their pronunciation, and gain confidence with their conversational skills.

"We are also pleased to announce our newly-designed AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam Preparation Course. This prep course is designed to supplement what students are already learning in their AP Chinese class at school. It provides students with the extensive language skills practice and broad cultural exposure they need to help them prepare for the AP Chinese exam. According to the College Board, "The AP Chinese Exam assesses students' interpersonal communication skills, their abilities to present and interpret language in spoken and written forms, and their functional familiarity with Chinese culture."

For more information, or to register, please visit www.chineselanguageschool.org.

Stamford residents Hanna Martino (10 years old) and Gianna Martino (6), when asked why they liked to go to CLSC, and why they think learning Chinese is important, replied,

Hanna: "I like going to CLSC because when I have a question my teacher always explains it and because teachers are very nice,” and "Learning Chinese is important because it is always good to know more than one language because you can communicate with more people."

Gianna: "I like going to CLSC because we go to [art and] culture class and we paint. We also play games in Chinese," and, "Learning Chinese is important because you can translate to people, you can order food, ask questions and know your hotel number and what people are saying."

Expanding programs
According to CLSC’s President, Susan Serven, “We have focused considerable energy and resources on building the quality of our faculty and curriculum during the past nine years since our founding in 2002. The results of this strategy are evidenced by program expansion into various public and private schools, our conducting before and after school programs at more than 20 schools and organizations, the expansion of our private tutoring and small group private classes, our corporate program, and our new online learning programs.

Our school consists of families who have no Chinese background, but who want to allow their children the opportunity to learn Chinese and about Chinese culture; adoptive families, who want to have their children maintain language and cultural ties; Chinese-American families who may not speak Chinese at home, but encourage their children to learn, and many families who do speak some Chinese at home, but who want a more interactive, age-appropriate, engaging learning experience for their children.

“We are currently entering our 10th year, and we look forward to continuing to focus on providing students with a high quality educational product that strives to make learning Mandarin and experiencing Chinese culture fun by incorporating traditional language training techniques with interactive supplements, games and other activity based exercises.”

We’re very pleased that our school now consists of about 35% of families from the Westchester area, as well as 60% from Fairfield County.
Why study Chinese at an early age?

Principal Daisy Chen Laoneg explained, “Our approach is unique because we stress interactive usage over rote memorization. Lessons are organized around themes such as family, food and travel so that children can quickly gain useful communication skills. More than 50% of class time is devoted to conversation and activity-based learning to give children ample opportunity to practice communicating in Chinese. We’ve done considerable research to determine which learning methods and interactive, online support materials work best for American students learning Chinese as a second language, and it seems to be working; many parents say their children love doing their Chinese homework!”

Ms. Laone continued, “Generally, younger children acquire a second language better than older children. Early introduction to Chinese exposes each child to a wider variety of its contexts. These contexts foster language proficiency and help develop insights into the nature of the language. With time, each child will gain a deeper understanding and better command of the Chinese language. He / she will ultimately develop a life long interest of Chinese language and culture.

For information on the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s weekday and weekend language programs, including their Before and After School programs, special workshops. lectures, events, private tutoring, online learning, and their corporate language program, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org. For interesting articles on Chinese language learning and Chinese culture, please visit http://GreenTeaPop.blogspot.com and on Facebook at facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut

(END)

The Bilingual Advantage

2011-05-31T15:30:00.001-07:00

Good thing so many of us are learning Chinese!

Visit the Chinese Language School of Connecticut on Facebook at facebook.com/ChineseLanguageSchoolofConnecticut
to learn more.

from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/31/science/31conversation.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=general

he Bilingual Advantage
By CLAUDIA DREIFUS
Published: May 30, 2011

A cognitive neuroscientist, Ellen Bialystok has spent almost 40 years learning about how bilingualism sharpens the mind. Her good news: Among other benefits, the regular use of two languages appears to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Dr. Bialystok, 62, a distinguished research professor of psychology at York University in Toronto, was awarded a $100,000 Killam Prize last year for her contributions to social science. We spoke for two hours in a Washington hotel room in February and again, more recently, by telephone. An edited version of the two conversations follows.
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Chris Young for The New York Times
MENTAL WORKOUT Ellen Bialystok with a neuroimaging electrode cap.
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Q. How did you begin studying bilingualism?

A. You know, I didn’t start trying to find out whether bilingualism was bad or good. I did my doctorate in psychology: on how children acquire language. When I finished graduate school, in 1976, there was a job shortage in Canada for Ph.D.’s. The only position I found was with a research project studying second language acquisition in school children. It wasn’t my area. But it was close enough.

As a psychologist, I brought neuroscience questions to the study, like “How does the acquisition of a second language change thought?” It was these types of questions that naturally led to the bilingualism research. The way research works is, it takes you down a road. You then follow that road.

Q. So what exactly did you find on this unexpected road?

A. As we did our research, you could see there was a big difference in the way monolingual and bilingual children processed language. We found that if you gave 5- and 6-year-olds language problems to solve, monolingual and bilingual children knew, pretty much, the same amount of language.

But on one question, there was a difference. We asked all the children if a certain illogical sentence was grammatically correct: “Apples grow on noses.” The monolingual children couldn’t answer. They’d say, “That’s silly” and they’d stall. But the bilingual children would say, in their own words, “It’s silly, but it’s grammatically correct.” The bilinguals, we found, manifested a cognitive system with the ability to attend to important information and ignore the less important.

Q. How does this work — do you understand it?

A. Yes. There’s a system in your brain, the executive control system. It’s a general manager. Its job is to keep you focused on what is relevant, while ignoring distractions. It’s what makes it possible for you to hold two different things in your mind at one time and switch between them.

If you have two languages and you use them regularly, the way the brain’s networks work is that every time you speak, both languages pop up and the executive control system has to sort through everything and attend to what’s relevant in the moment. Therefore the bilinguals use that system more, and it’s that regular use that makes that system more efficient.

Q. One of your most startling recent findings is that bilingualism helps forestall the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. How did you come to learn this?

A. We did two kinds of studies. In the first, published in 2004, we found that normally aging bilinguals had better cognitive functioning than normally aging monolinguals. Bilingual older adults performed better than monolingual older adults on executive control tasks. That was very impressive because it didn’t have to be that way. It could have turned out that everybody just lost function equally as they got older.

That evidence made us look at people who didn’t have normal cognitive function. In our next studies , we looked at the medical records of 400 Alzheimer’s patients. On average, the bilinguals showed Alzheimer’s symptoms five or six years later than those who spoke only one language. This didn’t mean that the bilinguals didn’t have Alzheimer’s. It meant that as the disease took root in their brains, they were able to continue functioning at a higher level. They could cope with the disease for longer.

Q. So high school French is useful for something other than ordering a special meal in a restaurant?

A. Sorry, no. You have to use both languages all the time. You won’t get the bilingual benefit from occasional use.

Q. One would think bilingualism might help with multitasking — does it?

A. Yes, multitasking is one of the things the executive control system handles. We wondered, “Are bilinguals better at multitasking?” So we put monolinguals and bilinguals into a driving simulator. Through headphones, we gave them extra tasks to do — as if they were driving and talking on cellphones. We then measured how much worse their driving got. Now, everybody’s driving got worse. But the bilinguals, their driving didn’t drop as much. Because adding on another task while trying to concentrate on a driving problem, that’s what bilingualism gives you — though I wouldn’t advise doing this.

Q. Has the development of new neuroimaging technologies changed your work?

A. Tremendously. It used to be that we could only see what parts of the brain lit up when our subjects performed different tasks. Now, with the new technologies, we can see how all the brain structures work in accord with each other.

In terms of monolinguals and bilinguals, the big thing that we have found is that the connections are different. So we have monolinguals solving a problem, and they use X systems, but when bilinguals solve the same problem, they use others. One of the things we’ve seen is that on certain kinds of even nonverbal tests, bilingual people are faster. Why? Well, when we look in their brains through neuroimaging, it appears like they’re using a different kind of a network that might include language centers to solve a completely nonverbal problem. Their whole brain appears to rewire because of bilingualism.

Q. Bilingualism used to be considered a negative thing — at least in the United States. Is it still?

A. Until about the 1960s, the conventional wisdom was that bilingualism was a disadvantage. Some of this was xenophobia. Thanks to science, we now know that the opposite is true.

Q. Many immigrants choose not to teach their children their native language. Is this a good thing?

A. I’m asked about this all the time. People e-mail me and say, “I’m getting married to someone from another culture, what should we do with the children?” I always say, “You’re sitting on a potential gift.”

There are two major reasons people should pass their heritage language onto children. First, it connects children to their ancestors. The second is my research: Bilingualism is good for you. It makes brains stronger. It is brain exercise.

Q. Are you bilingual?

A. Well, I have fully bilingual grandchildren because my daughter married a Frenchman. When my daughter announced her engagement to her French boyfriend, we were a little surprised. It’s always astonishing when your child announces she’s getting married. She said, “But Mom, it’ll be fine, our children will be bilingual!”

A version of this interview appeared in print on May 31, 2011, on page D2 of the New York edition with the headline: A Conversation With | Ellen Bialystok.

Why Aren't More American Students Learning Chinese?

2011-05-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

The Challenges of Creating a Chinese Program for Multi-Cultural Students

Susan Serven, President, Chinese Language School of Connecticut
Daisy Chen Laone, Principal, Chinese Language School of Connecticut

Here’s a riddle: If a person who speaks two languages is bilingual, and one who speaks three languages is trilingual, what is someone called who speaks no foreign languages at all?

Answer: an American.

Sad but true, most Americans student are not required to learn a foreign language to graduate high school. Some schools require a minimum two year period of study in a foreign language to graduate; many students in these schools then pick the simplest Western language to learn, normally, Spanish.

Why U.S. Students Don’t Place a Greater Importance on Foreign Language Study.

How can such an innovative country’s students not recognize the importance of studying a foreign language? First, it’s in our history. Let’s face it, for two hundred years America was, first, breaking away from the British (who spoke English) and establishing itself as an independent nation. Second, most developed nations throughout the last hundred years, at least, used English as one of their primary languages to conduct trade, so U.S. students felt they did “not have to” learn other languages. Third, the U.S. is a big country; Europeans by necessity speak several languages, but, conveniently, our next closest trade neighbor is Canada, which is English [and French] speaking. Fourth, it’s harder, and more expensive, for U.S. residents to travel to different countries, so most students aren’t aware that a majority of the world’s population speaks more than one language (in Europe and Asia, most speak several).

The above distinctions are primary reasons why, historically in the U.S., foreign language learning less of a priority and more of an “elite” perk for highly educated students. So, because of this, foreign language study was not a priority for most schools, and, for a long time students lucky enough to go on to higher education studied the “romance languages” such as French or Italian.

Lastly, we get what we ask for; if most U.S. parents value sports over language learning, then schools will put a higher priority on athletics and less of a priority on foreign language learning.

In addition, a recent Newsweek article (December 6, 2010 available at http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/06/not-much-progress-in-america-s-chinese-problem.html) explains how, in response to (or because of) the above, the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act placed a large emphasis on math and reading, which resulted in cutbacks in arts and foreign languages. The lack of funding especially affects Mandarin instruction, which requires instructors and materials which are often more expensive than other languages (for example, Spanish).

This article goes on to note that:
“According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, in 2008 only 4 percent of middle and high schools that offer foreign-language instruction included Mandarin. That’s up from 1 percent in 1997. While that initially seems like respectable growth, the same survey reveals that 13 percent of schools still offer Latin and a full 10-fold more schools offer French than Mandarin.

We Know Chinese is Important, But…

If asked, most educated parents, and older high school students, in the U.S. will agree that China’s growing economic growth during the last 10 years necessitates the need to learn Mandarin in order to be better prepared to succeed in the global economy.

However, there are two key challenges to overcome in order for students to develop a global competency in Chinese: study time (it normally takes close to four times the amount of study needed to become as fluent in Chinese as in a Western language (such as French or Spanish), and teachers (there is a lack of dynamic, engaging, effective teachers).

According to the ACTFL, foreign languages are divided into 4 categories, category I being the easiest, and category IV being the most difficult. Chinese (category IV) takes four times the amount of study time than French, Italian, or Spanish (which are all in category I).
Category I
Dutch, English*,
French, Haitian Creole,
Italian, Norwegian,
Portuguese, Spanish,
Swahili and Swedish. + Category II
German, Hindi,
Indonesian,
Punjabi and Urdu. + Category III

Cambodian, Czech, Hmong,
Hebrew, Hungarian, Lao,
Polish, Russian,
Serbo-Croatian**, Slovak,
Tagalog, Turkish, Thai,
Ukrainian and Vietnamese.+ Category IV
Arabic, Cantonese,
Japanese, Korean
and Mandarin. +
Source: http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3642
Dealing with the amount of time needed to become proficient is the easier part. If students are motivated and have teachers who are dynamic and engaging, and who are using a curriculum which is effective and robust, students will learn. (Info on the National Standards for Foreign Language teaching includes information on the “5Cs” framework, which is required for curriculum design in public schools. http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3392 )
Identifying, recruiting, training and retaining the most highly effective teachers are the trickier part. In many situations, the first challenge a Chinese teacher faces while working in a public or private school is to overcome the cultural differences and learn how to interact within the new culture.

Stereotypes are often based in fact. Some are:
Chinese teachers are often quiet, sometimes rigid, and lack passion, so learning Chinese can be boring
American students can be disrespectful, so having to deal with them is frustrating
American parents are difficult (and sometimes litigious) so beware of them

During the last ten years, more students from China have come to the U.S. in order to teach. However, most have been raised in one-child homes, often without siblings or many cousins to engage with daily, so may not intuitively understand how to interact with children. Most of these teachers have come from a school system which values the teaching profession; respect for teachers is instilled from a very early age, so may find it hard to deal with the lack of respect teachers receive in the U.S. Those teachers who have grown up in China will have experienced larger classrooms, with a more “rote memorization” method of learning, little classroom interaction, and highly motivated students (due to cultural expectations, very strict standardized testing systems, and a great deal of competition due to lack of university spaces). Lastly, due to the growing need for Chinese teachers, many come here as students from China, are young, and do not have children of their own, so don’t understand the U.S. school system or U.S. teaching styles.

Americans (parents in particular, especially those on the East and West coasts) are culturally direct; Asians in general tend to use culturally indirect methods of communications.

From Brooks Peterson, Cultural Intelligence: A Guide to Working with People from Other Cultures (Boston: Intercultural, 2004, p 40):

A direct style means people prefer to
• be more direct in speaking and be less concerned about how something is said,
• openly confront issues or difficulties,
• communicate concerns straightforwardly,
• engage in conflict when necessary,
• express views or opinions in a frank manner, and
• say things clearly, not leaving much open to interpretation.
An indirect style means people prefer to
• focus not just on what is said but on how it is said,
• discreetly avoid difficult or contentious issues,
• express concerns tactfully,
• avoid conflict if at all possible,
• express views or opinions diplomatically, and
• count on the listener to interpret meaning.

These cultural challenges result in miscommunications and misperceptions which can only be overcome by each group reaching out to understand the other, but which are most effectively (and quickly) overcome by a comprehensive training program and ample opportunity for Chinese faculty members to engage with other teachers and participate in regular workshops, and observe classes / participate in teaching. This, however, results in a greater investment of resources by the school looking to implement the Chinese program.

Mandarin is easier than other Western languages in many ways: Chinese has negligible grammar - there is no need to conjugate verbs, worry about tenses, or match gender or number. What is much tougher for U.S students, however, is the number of characters students have to memorize and the mastery of tones (depending on the inflection, the word ji could mean “chicken” or “to remember”).

However, as most parents of U.S. students know, China will probably be the world's largest economy within twenty years and a monumental force in every dimension of life. Studying Chinese gives U.S. students insights into one of the world's great civilizations and creates a wealth of economic opportunities for those who can master the language and have an understanding of the culture.

As the Chinese economy surges, so does global interest in Mandarin. According to the Economist magazine [available at http://www.economist.com/node/17522444?story_id=17522444&fsrc=rss] the Chinese government estimates some 40m people currently study Mandarin outside the country, up from 30m in 2005. A tight job market in the West is partly responsible.

From this same report,

“According to a survey in September by Rosetta Stone, 58% of Americans believe the lack of foreign-language skills among native workers will lead to foreigners taking high-paying jobs. “The recession has focused people on where growth is going to come from,” says Tom Adams, the firm’s chief executive. Among existing corporate customers logging into the company’s multi-language programme, the number learning Mandarin increased by 1,800% between 2008 and 2010.”

The U.S.. needs to do better job training a culturally savvy workforce. However, according to Newsweek [available at www.newsweek.com/2010/12/06/not-much-progress-in-america-s-chinese-problem.html] even though those 40 million foreigners are studying Mandarin outside of China, only 50,000 of them are in the United States.

How to Teach Chinese to a Multi-Cultural Class of American Students?
What can we do? How can we ensure that our children will be able to take advantage of the opportunities that learning Chinese offers? At our organization, the non-profit Chinese Language School of Connecticut, we have always believed outreach is key. If parents, teachers, staff, students and volunteers can reach out to groups such as China Institute, Asia Society, Ascend Pan-Asian Leadership, Committee of 1,000, Families with Children From China, and others, the synergy will create a whole which is greater than the sum of its parts.

However, more actionable steps include:

1. Create a tight curriculum with relevant, engaging, hands-on, age-appropriate activities, which is integrated into other school programs

Remember that you are teaching American students; very young children are used to being encouraged to “express themselves” all the time. Preschool teachers routinely sing and dance with children. This approach has many merits, but also means young children are not taught to sit still, and won’t be happy in a class where they are required to do a lot of sitting. (Parents won’t be happy, either.)

Make sure your materials conform to age-appropriate, relevant, topics. At CLSC, in some cases we had tried to use books supposedly designed for very young children, but these materials discussed topics such as “telling time” in their books for 4 and 5 year olds (which meant that we had to design our own material). For elementary-age and older students integrate tools such as SmartBoards, iPods (which offer Chinese applications) and real-time chat activities to help students practice when they’re not in class.

2. Integrate history, art and culture into the classroom to keep things engaging and provide historical perspective

This doesn’t mean only “correct, Ancient Chinese culture,” but, depending on students’ ages, should include the history of the Chinese court, warlords, and the Boxer Rebellion. American students (and parents) like debate: China takes a more positive view of the Boxers than Western countries do (probably because Western countries were the ones doing the invading), so have students debate the issues. Field trips to museums and restaurants are terrific, and can put learning in context. Creating art based on periods in Chinese history, or developing models of items the Chinese invented is interactive and fun, and can give students a sense of the global power China held for much of its 5,000+ history.

3. Bring in facets of modern day Chinese society

All students are interested in what children of their own age in other countries are doing each day. Have them learn about and discuss food, school, pop music, and modern history. Include details on the huge Chinese presence all over the world, such as in Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Canada, and Malaysia. Engage your school in developing a sister school program with another school in China. Younger students can write (or email) pen pals. Older students can debate human rights, economic freedoms, and environmental issues.

Again, these activities are engaging for students of varying ages, but also put their Chinese language learning in context.

4. Teachers

Most important is recruiting and training teachers.

For younger students, preschool to grade 1, make certain the teachers are well-trained and focused on the curriculum, of course, but even more important should be the understanding of how they should interact and relate to the children. Smile, a lot. Laugh with them, sit on the floor and show interest in what they’re doing. Play music, sing songs, explain each word and then sing again. Do activities with music playing in the background. If teachers are hired who genuinely love children, and teaching, this will be relatively easy.

For older students, teachers should try to engage with them. This is relatively easy with first through fourth graders; they’re normally fairly easy going, friendly, and want to please their teachers. However, engaging with older students gets progressively harder, through the high school years. At CLSC we often see many teachers working diligently to engage with older students, they try and try, but often fail. Especially for older students, the teachers that normally accomplish the most are those who are friendly, but firm. Who establish and reinforce guidelines, lesson plans, and measurements. You may not be the most popular teacher, but you will gain students’ (and parents’) respect.

The best training for any teacher (indeed, anyone wishing to learn U.S. culture) is probably to “just do it” – get out there and experience as much as you can. Learn new topics in different areas, participate in as many professional development workshops as you can. Make friends with lots of different people. Ask other teachers (math, language arts, Spanish teachers) if you can observe their classes (they’ll be happy you asked). Share your culture and childhood experiences with your students.

5. Parents

Remember that most U.S. parents do not know anything about Chinese (except that they’ve heard it’s “really hard”). Many do not know there is no Chinese “alphabet.” They think each Chinese character is a “letter” that makes up a word. They don’t understand the idea of a tonal language, and often cannot even differentiate between tones; they literally don’t hear the difference.

If the children are young, and parents are with them in the class (or are expected to help them do homework or follow up with lessons), teachers need to communicate regularly, clearly, on what is expected. Parents are used to hearing from their children’s teachers regularly, and they will need to hear from you in order to understand what their child is learning. Provide ideas and links for educational materials they can purchase in order to help their child learn.
This goes for older students’ parents, as well, but you might additionally email relevant articles of interest, such as Goldman Sachs’ forecasts of how the Chinese economy will overtake the U.S.’s by 2027 (a good reason for their children to continue with Chinese), or how learning Mandarin can help them with standardized test-taking (the College Entrance Examination Board reported that "students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the SAT than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area,” from
http://www.chineselanguageschool.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=37).

When communities, schools, teachers and parents work together to help students understand China’s enormous (and growing) global economic presence, they will be more likely to understand the importance of learning Chinese in order to develop a sense of Chinese history and culture, while cultivating a global worldview.

Susan Serven （江华）is co-founder, president, and Board member of the non-profit Chinese Language School of Connecticut. She adopted daughters Emily （华铭娟）from Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, in August 1996, and Rebecca (江玉风)from Gao Ming City, Guangdong Province, China, in October 2000. Susan founded the Chopstix pre-school program in 1998 so her daughters and other children could learn Chinese; all Chopstix proceeds were donated to help fund various non- profit groups working with Chinese orphanage programs. She continued running Chopstix until it joined CLSC in 2003.

Coaching and Much More for Chinese Students Looking to U.S

2011-05-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

You think your kids have it rough? Read the below to find out how Chinese students are preparing themselves for top U.S. universities.

Coaching and Much More for Chinese Students Looking to U.S.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/business/global/30college.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

BEIJING — In December 2009, a rejection letter from Columbia University found its way to the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. It was addressed to Lu Jingyu, a top student and member of her school’s student government. As she read the disheartening words, Ms. Lu immediately began to panic. Where had she gone wrong? How could she fix this?

For answers, she turned to ThinkTank Learning, a college admission consulting company from California that had recently opened an office in Shenzhen, next door to Hong Kong.

“I wanted American professionals to look at my application and shed some new light on how I could make it better,” she said.

The price was steep: 100,000 renminbi, or $15,000. But it came with a 100 percent money-back guarantee — if Ms. Lu was rejected from the nine selective U.S. universities to which she applied, her family would get a full refund.

Ms. Lu brainstormed with a ThinkTank consultant on ways to redo her admissions essay, which had originally been about playing badminton. The new version she came up with focused on a cross-strait dialogue conference that Ms. Lu had organized with high schoolers in Taiwan.

Happily for Ms. Lu and for ThinkTank, the approach worked. She has just completed her first year at the University of Pennsylvania.

As a record number of students from outside the United States compete for a limited number of spots at the most selective American colleges, companies like ThinkTank are seeking to profit from their ambitions.

In the United States, students have long turned to independent college counselors, but in recent years, larger outfits have entered the market, offering full-service designer courses, extracurricular activities and focused application assistance. These services have spread to the fast-growing and lucrative market in China.

With China sending more students to American colleges than any other country, the competition for spots at the top schools has soared. During the 2009-10 academic year, 39,947 Chinese undergraduates were studying in the United States, a 52 percent increase from the year before and about five times as many as five years earlier, according to the Institute of International Education, a U.S. organization.

But students from China can find themselves ill-prepared for the admissions process at American colleges. The education system in mainland China focuses on assiduous preparation for the national university entrance exam, the gaokao, often at the expense of extracurricular activities.

About 400 overseas education agencies — including joint Chinese-foreign schools, language training centers and college application consulting agencies — are certified by the Chinese Ministry of Education. The ministry is affiliated with the two largest application consulting agencies in China, the China Center for International Education Exchange and Chivast Education International.

Some of these agencies offer to write their clients’ college essays from scratch, train them for alumni interviews and even modify student transcripts, consultants have said.

Capitalizing on the increasingly globalized education system, ThinkTank Learning has tapped into the market in the United States and China.

The founder of the company is Steven Ma, 32, a former Wall Street analyst who started the company as a business for preparing students for college entrance tests in 2002 before expanding into application consulting in 2006, starting with seven students. In 2010, that number had risen to 300, including 75 from China. The company said it made about $7 million last year, with 50 percent from admission consulting.

ThinkTank said it was able to distill the college admissions process into an exact science, which Mr. Ma compared with genetic engineering. “We make unnatural stuff happen,” he said.

Students, whose parents often pay tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, are molded by ThinkTank into well-rounded, socially conscious overachievers through a regimen often beginning as early as the year before entering high school. The company designs extracurricular activities for the students; guides them in essay writing; tutors them for the SAT, the U.S. college admission exam; and helps them with meet-and-greet sessions with alumni.

“There’s a system built by colleges designed to pick out future stars and we are here to crack that system,” Mr. Ma said.

LuShuang Xu provides an example of that approach. Ms. Xu, who was born and raised in China before emigrating to suburban California at age 9, had high hopes that she would be the first in her family to go to college. But poor results on a practice SAT and a dearth of extracurricular activities convinced Ms. Xu, 17, that she needed a scholastic makeover if she were to make it into a school her parents could brag about to relatives.

ThinkTank sent her to a public speaking camp, helped her improve her college essay and gave her the e-mail addresses of all the members of the Stanford University history department. At the company’s prompting, she found two internships with department professors. She also enrolled in ThinkTank’s college prep courses, which helped improve her SAT score 410 points to 2160 out of 2400. Next autumn, she will start at Harvard University.

ThinkTank’s success with students in California’s Asian-American community, which accounts for 90 percent of the company’s American clients, has drawn interest from wealthy parents in China. Mr. Ma opened an office in Shenzhen in 2009 and another in Beijing last year.

The company entered China at a time when the college consulting industry on the mainland was booming, with numerous agencies promising to make Chinese student’s academic dreams come true, often through questionable practices.

One company, Best Education, has offices across China and charges clients an average of 500,000 renminbi for writing clients’ essays, training them for the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and providing career guidance.

“The students just supply their information and we do all the work,” said one representative, who requested anonymity to protect his job. Best Education offers a 50 percent refund if an applicant is rejected by the student’s chosen schools.

Chinese agencies may not want to alert colleges to their involvement, because applications that clearly appear to come from agencies are rejected by U.S. colleges, but the agencies promote their success in Mandarin. The Future Boshi Overseas Education Agency in Beijing gives a tally on its Web site of clients admitted by each university, including two to Harvard in 2010 and one in 2011.

Reached by telephone, an agency representative said the company did a lot more than just polish résumés. “If a client’s English is poor, our trained professionals can write the essay to make sure it looks perfect,” she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to avoid repercussions from her employer.

The industry’s aggressive practices have been condemned by many American colleges, which say they disapprove of students’ families hiring consultants.

“Students have a responsibility to identify their own path toward future goals, rather than keying in how to get into a certain school,” said Barbara Knuth, the vice provost at Cornell University in New York State, who oversees undergraduate admissions.

Harvard said in an e-mail that it “reviews every application individually and has no interaction” with college admission consulting firms, “though we are certainly aware of their existence.” The University of Pennsylvania, which accepted Ms. Lu from Shenzhen, did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite the universities’ unease with these practices, application consulting has proved too profitable to ignore.

Mr. Ma said that out of 110 mainland students, only one has needed a refund, though two clients have been granted admission only if they pay full tuition.

Helping students from China clear the college entry hurdles has presented ThinkTank with a fresh set of challenges. Often they have poor English language skills and have done little with their free time beyond homework. Yet their parents often demand the Ivy League.

“We really have to hold their hand and do everything along with them,” Mr. Ma said, including deliberately leaving spelling mistakes on college essays so they look authentic, training them for the Test of English as a Foreign Language and building extracurricular activities from the ground up.

ThinkTank has founded Model United Nations groups, built a Web site for a Shanghai student’s photography project to get news media coverage and helped another obtain funding to build a hydroelectric generator. For ambitious Chinese parents, ThinkTank’s sales pitch is difficult to resist. Li Manhong, a homemaker from Beijing, has planned for years to send her 17-year-old son to an American college, going so far as to enroll him in a private high school in Portland, Oregon, for the past two years to improve his English and his résumé.

After learning about ThinkTank from a neighbor, Ms. Li persuaded her husband to sign a contract for 90,000 renminbi, which focuses on nine selective U.S. schools. ThinkTank will train her son for the SAT and help him pick internships and even college courses once he becomes a freshman. Ms. Li sees the cost as an investment in her son’s future.

“Whatever it takes to reach his maximum potential,” she said. “It’s worth it.”

CLSC and 7th Annual St. Jude's Salsa Fest

2011-05-10T08:33:00.001-07:00

Thanks to CLSC parent Soraya Martino and the 7th Annual St. Jude's Salsa Fest for allowing CLSC to participate in their festivities this year!

http://www.ctsalsafest.com/St_Jude.html

For more information on the Salsa Fest (held over Memorial Day weekend, in Stamford), or for information on the Chinese Language School of Connecticut's programs, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

10 Extraordinarily Useful Chinese Phrases

2011-04-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

From giving a compliment to refusing that extra helping of food, Jocelyn Eikenburg supplies 10 practical Mandarin phrases.

From: http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/10-extraordinarily-useful-mandarin-chinese-phrases/

(Want to learn more useful Chinese phrases? Whether you're planning on moving to China to start a business, or are just planning on a vacation there, contact us at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org to find out about our customized tutoring programs, classes for adults, corporate Chinese, and new online learning program!)

You’re just as likely to hear “Ni Hao” as “Hello” in my home. After living in China for five and a half years, I returned to the US with a Chinese husband, the fluency to be a freelance Chinese translator, and a heaping rice bowl of expressions in Mandarin.

If you’re traveling to China and looking to dig your own linguistic chopsticks into Chinese culture, I recommend these 10 extraordinarily useful phrases.

1. Nǐ zhēn niú!
“You’re outstanding!”

In China, you can actually compare someone to a cow (niú) to compliment his outstanding character. Yao Ming is definitely niú, and so is anyone who scores you train tickets after they’re “sold out” or tries the baijiu liquor sold in plastic squeeze bottles in grocery stores.

2. Yìqǐ chīfàn, wǒ qǐngkè.
“Let’s go out to eat, my treat.”

In China, eating together is how people build and maintain good relationships. So if you want to make a new friend, ask a favor, or thank someone, do it as the Chinese do — over a lunch or dinner on your Chinese yuan.

Photo by vikkies
3. Méi bànfǎ, rén tàiduō.
“There’s nothing you can do, too many people.”

In a country of 1.3 billion people, it only takes a small percentage of them to wreck your trip. When my Chinese husband and I traveled to Beijing during the national holiday in October, we spent half the day slogging through a mob that stretched across Tian’anmen Square just to get into the Forbidden City. I’ve also had to stand on crowded trains because I couldn’t get a seat and, while living in Shanghai, experienced my share of being sandwiched between anonymous butts and groins on rush-hour subway cars.

4. Nǎlǐ, nǎlǐ!
“Not me!” (lit. “where, where!” — for deflecting compliments)

Confucian values — such as modesty — still run strong in China, so people don’t say “thank you” when praised about anything. The Chinese, however, assume foreigners like you do the opposite. This phrase is guaranteed to surprise your new Chinese friends and get a good smile out of them.

5. Yǒu yuán qiānlǐ lái xiānghuì.
“We have the destiny to meet across a thousand miles.”

Chinese people believe love and destiny go hand in hand – which is why my Chinese husband loves describing our relationship with this phrase. It’s best for romantic situations, and could even be a poetic pickup line.

Ceiling of Temple of Heaven and Earth. Photo by Lall
6. Wā! Zhōngguó de biànhuà hǎo dà! Zhēnshì fāntiān fùdì!
“Whoa! China is changing so much! It’s as if heaven and earth changed places!”

Shanghai’s Pudong District, with a skyline straight out of a science-fiction flick, used to be rural farmland before the 1990s. Until the 1980s, the high-rise miracle of Shenzhen was just another tiny village on the South China Sea known for fresh fish and oysters.

Every year, China races to build more bridges, buildings, high-speed train lines and subway routes, changing the landscape faster than a speeding Beijing taxi driver. This expression is great for repeat visitors to China and anyone blown away by the pace of development.

7. Zhēnde! Wǒ yìdiǎn dōu búkèqile!
“Really! I’m not being polite at all!”

Perfect for when people keep piling kung pao chicken into your bowl long after you’re full, or pouring you glass after drunken glass of baijiu — and think you’re just saying “búyào” (“I don’t want it”) to be polite.

Once, when a Chinese friend insisted I drink another round of Tsingdao, I had to repeat this phrase over and over while shielding my glass from his swinging beer bottle. Be ready to battle for your stomach and sobriety.

8. Fēi xià kǔgōngfū bùkě.
“It requires painstaking efforts.”

Some 5,000 tumultuous years of history have taught the Chinese that nothing comes easy. People usually say this when faced with any challenge, such as taking the national college entrance exams or pounding the pavement for a job.

It’s useful for climbing China’s mountains, squeezing into crowded transport, or walking into one of the noxious bathrooms at the train stations.

9. Bùhǎoyìsi, yǒushì. Yàozǒule.
“I’m sorry, I have something to do. I must go.”

Chinese people prefer to be vague about the details — which means you never have to explain why you need to leave right now. It’s ideal for uncomfortable situations of any kind. Add another “bùhǎoyìsi” at the end if you feel a little guilty for bolting.

10. Wēiwēi zhōnghuá, yuányuán liú cháng!
“China is awesome [in size], and has a long history!”

Show your love for the Middle Kingdom by praising two things that make the Chinese extra proud: their large country and nearly 5,000 years of history. Shout out this expression on the summit of Huangshan, from a watchtower on the Great Wall, or overlooking that grand vault of Terracotta Warriors.

Next time you’re in Beijing, Shanghai and beyond, see if you can use all 10 of these expressions. You would definitely be niú in my book.

ABC News: Mandatory Chinese Gives Students An Edge

2011-04-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

PACOIMA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Southern California is a gathering place for people from many countries and many cultures. People talk about the need to be bilingual. At one Pacoima school, Latino students are trilingual, the third language being Chinese.

High school students learn Chinese at Vaughn International Studies Academy charter school in Pacoima.

As a senior at Vaughn International, Aridai Sanchez is in her fourth year of studying Chinese. Along with learning English and Spanish in the elementary and middle grades at Vaughn Next Century Learning Center charter school, the mostly Latino student body is required to take at least two years of Chinese in high school.

"The requirement is actually two years, but I am actually on my fourth year. I wanted to continue speaking Chinese. It's really fun," said Sanchez.

A delegation of educators from China recently visited the charter school. The Chinese educators are spending more than a week in Southern California visiting grade schools and colleges to learn how American children are educated.

Charter school officials say a few of its graduates have had a chance to visit China in the past. Officials say while students gain a strong footing in Spanish and English, speaking a third language like Chinese is going to make them even more marketable for future jobs. Officials say in the coming years they'd like to offer students a choice of more languages to study.

The charter school started its mandatory Chinese classes when it instituted its high school about six years ago.

"It has been a little difficult to grasp it at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's easier," said student Belen Villanueva.

"The fact that our world is shrinking and we need each other and we need to have that communication, have them be globally ready," said Anita Zepeda, executive director of the Vaughn Next Century Learning Center.

(Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

New Online Chinese and AP Classes offered by Chinese Language School of Connecticut

2011-04-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Opens Registration for Fall 2011

-- New Online Learning Program New for 2011 / 2012 Year--

RIVERSIDE, CT May 1, 2011 -- The non-profit Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.chineselanguageschool.org) has announced that registration for its Fall 2011 programs is currently open. The school, which teaches Mandarin Chinese as a second language to students ages 18 months and up, uses an interactive, conversationally-based approach, and welcomes students from all backgrounds and every level, from beginner through advanced.

CLSC’s principal, Daisy Chen Laone, noted, “CLSC offers students a unique opportunity to explore Chinese language and culture through innovative, hands-on, age-appropriate programs. Students do not need to have prior experience in Chinese in order to attend. We offer interactive, engaging, customized programs, which are designed to teach Mandarin Chinese to non-Chinese-speaking students using U.S. teaching methods.”

Ms. Laone continued, “CLSC faculty members are all native speaking teachers who are required to undergo a rigorous training process of a minimum of 75 hours per year, in order to make Chinese language learning fun for younger students, engaging and exciting for elementary school students, and fairly rigorous for older students wishing to take Chinese in high school and beyond. We have designed our curriculum to include benchmarks and measurable objectives which allow all students to become as proficient as possible within set timeframes, while engaging their interest in learning about a culture which is more than 4,000 years old.”

New for 2011 is CLSC’s online Homework Help program, and new AP Chinese classes.

CLSC Prinicpal Daisy Chen Laone explained, “CLSC’s Homework Help program is designed to offer customized, online assistance for students learning Chinese. These online sessions are taught by CLSC-trained, native speaking Chinese instructors, who can assist current CLSC students with assignments they are working on, or can help them practice their pronunciation, and gain confidence with their conversational skills.

"We are also pleased to announce our newly-designed AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam Preparation Course. This prep course is designed to supplement what students are already learning in their AP Chinese class at school. It provides students with the extensive language skills practice and broad cultural exposure they need to help them prepare for the AP Chinese exam. According to the College Board, "The AP Chinese Exam assesses students' interpersonal communication skills, their abilities to present and interpret language in spoken and written forms, and their functional familiarity with Chinese culture."

For more information, or to register, please visit www.chineselanguageschool.org.

Stamford residents Hanna Martino (10 years old) and Gianna Martino (6), when asked why they liked to go to CLSC, and why they think learning Chinese is important, replied,

Hanna: "I like going to CLSC because when I have a question my teacher always explains it and because teachers are very nice,” and "Learning Chinese is important because it is always good to know more than one language because you can communicate with more people."

Gianna: "I like going to CLSC because we go to [art and] culture class and we paint. We also play games in Chinese," and, "Learning Chinese is important because you can translate to people, you can order food, ask questions and know your hotel number and what people are saying."

Expanding programs
According to CLSC’s President, Susan Serven, “We have focused considerable energy and resources on building the quality of our faculty and curriculum during the past nine years since our founding in 2002. The results of this strategy are evidenced by program expansion into various public and private schools, our conducting before and after school programs at more than 20 schools and organizations, the expansion of our private tutoring and small group private classes, our corporate program, and our new online learning programs.
Our school consists of families who have no Chinese background, but who want to allow their children the opportunity to learn Chinese and about Chinese culture; adoptive families, who want to have their children maintain language and cultural ties; Chinese-American families who may not speak Chinese at home, but encourage their children to learn, and many families who do speak some Chinese at home, but who want a more interactive, age-appropriate, engaging learning experience for their children.
“We are currently entering our 10th year, and we look forward to continuing to focus on providing students with a high quality educational product that strives to make learning Mandarin and experiencing Chinese culture fun by incorporating traditional language training techniques with interactive supplements, games and other activity based exercises.”
We’re very pleased that our school now consists of about 35% of families from the Westchester area, as well as 60% from Fairfield County.
Why study Chinese at an early age?

Principal Daisy Chen Laoneg explained, “Our approach is unique because we stress interactive usage over rote memorization. Lessons are organized around themes such as family, food and travel so that children can quickly gain useful communication skills. More than 50% of class time is devoted to conversation and activity-based learning to give children ample opportunity to practice communicating in Chinese. We’ve done considerable research to determine which learning methods and interactive, online support materials work best for American students learning Chinese as a second language, and it seems to be working; many parents say their children love doing their Chinese homework!”

Ms. Laone continued, “Generally, younger children acquire a second language better than older children. Early introduction to Chinese exposes each child to a wider variety of its contexts. These contexts foster language proficiency and help develop insights into the nature of the language. With time, each child will gain a deeper understanding and better command of the Chinese language. He / she will ultimately develop a life long interest of Chinese language and culture.

For information on the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s weekday and weekend language programs, including their Before and After School programs, special workshops. lectures, events, private tutoring and their corporate language program, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

(END)

Study of Mandarin Chinese by U.S. Students Booming

2011-04-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

From: April 5, 2011 Education Week at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2011/03/study_of_foreign_language_cree.html
Study of Mandarin Chinese By U.S. Students Booming
By Erik Robelen on March 29, 2011 12:12 PM | Leave a comment | Recommend
Chinese is in. Latin and French, it seems, are out. And Spanish is still, well, el jefe. (Translation: the boss or chief.) That's my quick-and-dirty takeaway from new data on the study of foreign languages by U.S. students.

In another sign of China's growing prominence on the world stage, the number of U.S. students learning Mandarin Chinese has tripled in recent years, according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. But the roughly 60,000 young people studying it as of the 2007-08 academic year was dwarfed by the millions learning Spanish, by far the most popular language.

Overall, the data released today show that enrollment in foreign-language courses and programs has increased slightly. That may sound like good news, but as officials at the council are quick to note, it's nothing to celebrate, as fewer than one-in-five American students at the K-12 level are enrolled in foreign-language education. That's right, only 18.5 percent in 2007-08, or 8.9 million students, up from 18 percent in 2004-05.

"We're still woefully behind almost all other countries of the world, particularly industrialized countries," Marty Abbott, the education director at ACTFL, told me in an interview. "When you look at all the countries that surpass us on the PISA tests, they all have early-language programs, they start children learning language in elementary schools."

She added: "In Europe, the whole effort is to learn another language besides your language to a near-native level, and a third or fourth at what they call a 'functional proficiency level,' " she said.

Abbott did note that the data are more favorable when looking at the middle and high school levels, where most U.S. students study foreign languages. In grades 7-12, 32 percent were taking a foreign language. But that still suggests that most students will graduate from high school without ever having studied a foreign language.

As for Mandarin, Abbott said she's not surprised to see more students studying it, noting that this is consistent with previous trends when the rise in a nation's prominence led to more U.S. students studying the language. In the 1960s, she said, there was a big rise in the study of Russian, and Japanese in the 1980s. (I wrote last fall about the growing role of the Chinese government itself in promoting Mandarin-language instruction in the United States.)

I also spoke with Bret Lovejoy, the executive director of the ACTFL. He said the question is whether Mandarin will remain popular.

"The problem I see is that, and this can be with any language that seems to grab the attention of a lot of people, is how well is it going to be sustained over time," he told me. "And too often, what we see is that a new language program is installed in a school system or a school, and that one that's there and that may be very successful is eliminated."

Here's a snapshot of key findings, based on comparing 2004-05 enrollment with 2007-08. The languages that saw an increase include:

• Mandarin, up 195 percent to 60,000;
• Japanese, up 18 percent to 73,000;
• German, up 8 percent to 395,000;
• Russian, up 3 percent to 12,000; and
• Spanish, up 2 percent, to 6.42 million.

Meanwhile:

• French is down 3 percent to 1.25 million; and
• Latin is down 9 percent to 205,000.

There are plenty more data to mine in this report, so you should check it out.

One other thing. President Barack Obama just yesterday promoted the learning of foreign languages in a speech at a District of Columbia public school.

"For all the young people here, I want you guys to be studying hard because it is critical for all American students to have language skills. And I want everybody here to be working hard to make sure that you don't just speak one language, you speak a bunch of languages."

Lovejoy said he was pleased by the plug for learning other languages, but said he's been disappointed by the president when it comes to action.

"He's saying the right things, but we're not really seeing this translate into policy," Lovejoy told me.

He highlighted the fact that President Obama has proposed to consolidate funding for the $27 million Foreign Language Assistance Program at the U.S. Department of Education into a broader, competitive fund focused on promoting a "well-rounded education."

"The only proposal we've seen is to fold the FLAP into the well-rounded child [program]," Lovejoy said, "and I think that will lead to less money for languages."

Kathleen Ho Feng Shui and Intuitive Design

2011-04-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Visit their site for ways to enhance your life with feng shui.

Kathleen Ho graduated from the New England School of Feng Shui in 2001, completing a year-long study under the instruction and guidance of Feng Shui Masters from around the world.

She brings a unique approach to this ancient art, by employing her feng shui knowledge, intuition,and her love of style and design, home decorating and organized spaces.

www.kathleenhofengshui.com

Growing Diversity Fuels Chinese School

2011-03-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

The bi-lingual CAIS school in San Francisco uses many of the tools and teaching methods that are used at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut.

For more info on ways to engage your children in learning Chinese please visit: www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704461304576216613309652724.html?mod=wsj_share_facebook

By YUKARI IWATANI KANE

San Francisco's Chinese American International School has long had a reputation for strong academics, but it has grown more popular as a rising number of non-Chinese parents bank on Chinese-language skills for their children's future.

Lianne Milton for The Wall Street Journal
First-grader Martha Chessen gets help from instructor Xiu Geng in a math-in-Mandarin class at the Chinese American International School, where a growing number of students come from non-Chinese backgrounds.

When Christine Chessen decided to send her oldest child to CAIS eight years ago, her blond-haired daughter stood out among the sea of mostly Asian or half-Asian children. Her stock-trader husband opposed the idea, and friends thought she was crazy.

She went ahead and enrolled her daughter, because she wanted to expose her to a completely different culture. The move made sense to Ms. Chessen when she learned that there are more native speakers of Chinese in the world than those whose mother tongue is English or Spanish.

These days, her daughter isn't so unusual at CAIS, a private school that instructs in both Mandarin and English from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

"With the rise of Asia, people are finally jumping on the bandwagon," said Ms. Chessen, a stay-at-home mom who now has all three of her children—a first-, fourth- and sixth-grader—enrolled in the school. Her children, she said, are growing up singing Chinese songs, playing Chinese instruments and learning Chinese calligraphy, which she said she now considers all "part of our culture."

A recent survey by the school found that CAIS's non-Asian population has grown 42% over the past decade and currently makes up 27% of its 472 students. The remainder are children with partial or full Asian backgrounds, though most come from non-Chinese-speaking families.

Even though the school has increased its overall student population by 35% since 2000, it continues to be difficult to get into. More than 100 families vied for the 25 to 30 pre-K spots available next year. In the lower grades, instruction is half in Chinese, half in English; in middle school, which starts with grade six, 35% is in Chinese. The day school, in Hayes Valley, costs about $22,000 a year.

CAIS's growth is part of a nationwide trend as China's rise in the global economy prompts parents to seek Chinese-language instruction for their children—including President Barack Obama, whose daughter Sasha is learning Mandarin.

The San Francisco Unified Public School District said Chinese, including the Mandarin and Cantonese dialects, was the most requested language program by parents of kindergartners after Spanish for the next academic year. There are several public Chinese schools in San Francisco, and a new Chinese-language charter school is set to open in the Oakland area in the fall.

While there are no overall figures on how many students take Chinese-language classes nationwide, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages said it saw a threefold increase in the number of public-school students taking such classes to 60,000 in the 2007-08 academic year from three years earlier.

Programs like CAIS's carry little risk, said Marty Abbott, director of education at ACTFL, because even those students who spend their entire day in another language eventually catch up to and might even surpass their peers in English-language skills.

"The beauty of immersion programs, whether they're partial or full, is that students spend a considerable amount of time hearing the language and develop it and use it," Ms. Abbott said.

At CAIS one recent afternoon, a Chinese-speaking teacher led a kindergarten class in a game. The children sat in a circle around a collection of sea animal toys and tried to guess which were each other's favorites by asking questions in Mandarin.

On other floors, a fourth-grade class took an English spelling test while a group of seventh-graders practiced playing the Chinese yue qin guitar and the zither-like guzheng in a music class.

Tzara Geraghty, a tall, 13-year-old eighth-grader, plays the yangzin, a Chinese dulcimer, in a Chinese music ensemble, loves to eat tangyuan (dumplings made of rice flour with red bean, sesame and peanut butter fillings) and is looking forward to a coming school trip to Beijing.

Tzara, who has been at CAIS since pre-kindergarten, said she didn't realize she was Caucasian until she grew much taller than her classmates in fourth grade. "I never felt like I was different," said Tzara, who also plays volleyball, basketball and soccer.

For parents and teachers, it's a slightly different matter. Jeff Bissell, the head of the school, said the greater number of non-Asian families has prompted CAIS to adopt the more collaborative American educational approach along with the traditional top-down Chinese style.

Even then, there are challenges, because teachers are dealing with parents and students who are unfamiliar with Chinese teaching methods, such as the rote memorization required to learn the written script.

"Ten years ago, I could demonstrate how to write a character and make sure students got it, but now we have to break down the steps more," said Kevin Chang, the lower school's director.

Last year, the Parent Association took an extra step, holding a Mandarin 101 class for parents for the first time. The goal was not to teach Chinese but to familiarize parents with how the language works so they could understand what their children were learning.

Ms. Chessen said she values the school's lessons. "What my kids have learned about the Chinese culture they apply to the rest of the world," she said. "It makes us feel like we're part of a bigger community."

Write to Yukari Iwatani Kane at yukari.iwatani@wsj.com

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Open House April 17

2011-03-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Nearly 25% of the world's population speaks Mandarin Chinese. Yet, very few American children study any foreign languages at all.

Please plan to join us on April 17. For more information, www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Open House April 17

-- CLSC Welcomes Prospective New Families to View Classes and Meet Staff --

RIVERSIDE, March 25, 2010– The non-profit, fully accredited Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org) will hold their annual Open House with guided tour and demo classes on Sunday, April 17, from 10:30-12:00 at their Riverside location: Eastern Middle School, 51 Hendrie Avenue, Riverside, CT. Registration for Fall 2010 programs begins May 1. This event is free, but spaces are limited and registration is required.

CLSC Principal Daisy Chen Laone, explained, “We are inviting any families or students who are interested in Chinese language or culture to visit us and find out more about our school and our programs. We offer weekday and weekend classes, Before and After School programs, cultural workshops, winter and spring break programs, summer classes, private tutoring, and AP Prep sessions.

“Anyone interested in attending our Open House should send an email to Principal@ChineseLanguageSchool.org to make an appointment,” she continued.

According to CLSC president, New Canaan resident Susan Serven, “CLSC offers our diverse student body a unique opportunity to explore Chinese language and culture through innovative, hands-on, age-appropriate programs. Students do not need to have prior experience in Chinese in order to attend. We offer interactive, engaging, customized programs with small classes, designed to teach Mandarin Chinese to non-Chinese-speaking students, using U.S. teaching methodologies.”

Serven continued, “CLSC faculty members are all native speaking teachers who are required to undergo a rigorous training process of a minimum of 75 hours per year, in order to make Chinese language learning fun for younger students, engaging and exciting for elementary school students, and fairly rigorous for older students wishing to take Chinese in high school and beyond. We have designed our curriculum to include benchmarks and measurable objectives which allow all students to become as proficient as possible within set timeframes, while engaging their interest in learning about a culture which is more than 4,000 years old.”

New Canaan resident and CLSC Parents Committee Chair, Janet Leung Fonss, noted, “Our daughter, Ava (age 6), loves learning Chinese at CLSC. She doesn't think of CLSC as going to ‘school’, but as a place to play while learning Chinese. Every Sunday is a new adventure - whether it is learning numbers and animals through playing board games or learning about the Silk Road by making paper tissue quilts in Culture class. The CLSC teachers always make learning Chinese fun through age appropriate FUN activities. We could not be happier with our experience so far at CLSC!!”

Old Greenwich resident Robyn Wasserman, parent of a child who is studying at CLSC, said, “"Our family's experience at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut has been wonderful. The teachers are knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and highly educated. They have challenged our daughter to learn Mandarin and have made her experience quite enjoyable. We would definitely recommend the Chinese Language School of Connecticut."

Harrison resident, CLSC Board member Darwei Kung, explained, “[My wife] Terri and I have explored several alternatives for our son’s Chinese Education. After comparing different options, we decided CLSC’s communicative approach to language learning is best suited for our child to learn Chinese.

Pelham resident, CLSC Board member Jeffay Chang, noted, “We have found CLSC to be an engaging and relaxed atmosphere for our children to learn Chinese. With two children already enrolled in the school and a third that will be attending in the fall, we look forward to working with the school to further expand our children's cultural experience.”

Wilton resident and CLSC Advisory Committee member Zheng Wang said, “I was a Board member at CLSC long before my daughter was born, because I believe in the idea of having a community where children with Chinese heritage can get exposure to the language and culture and form a bond among themselves, and I admire the entrepreneurial and can-do spirit of the parent founders, board members and school leadership. I enrolled my daughter last fall when she turned two, and have been going to classes with her ever since. We both enjoy the experience tremendously. My daughter asks every weekend - are we going to Chinese school? I'm impressed with the level of energy and creativity our teacher puts into every session. The 'low-fi' crayon, paper, scissor, glue format really gets the kids engaged.”

Orange resident Sue Chang, noted, "CLSC has continued to build a progressive language program in tune with technology, and is now launching an online-based homework help session that will enhance reinforcement. It's very exciting for this to evolve for our students as our teachers are dedicated to enriching their learning experience."

Manhattan resident, Wendy Feldman Wainapel, explained, "We have sampled other Chinese language learning options [private tutoring, after school programs, small local Chinese schools/classes] but the curriculum and educational goals were not well formulated and there was no continuity of staff..

CLSC has provided exactly what we were looking for: a formalized program; a well trained, committed, stable staff; and, a well-defined, engaging curriculum where each teaching level builds upon the previous one. An extra perk is that there are culture classes which add another dimension to her educational experience.

Our daughter loves learning Chinese! She has made great progress in speaking, reading and writing which has been extremely gratifying to both her and us."

Event Agenda:

• 10:30-10:40—Principal’s opening remarks

• 10:40-10:55—Demo I: For students 5 and under

• 10:55-11:10—Demo II: For students 5 and up

• 11:10-11:20—Registration process and policy

• 11:20-11:30—VP Art & Culture, Katy Chen Myers introduces CLSC Art class

• 11:30-11:50—Tour of the school and culture class observation

• 11:50-12:00—Q&A

To register to attend CLSC’s Open House, please email Principal@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

The non-profit, fully accredited Chinese Language School of Connecticut (CLSC) (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org) teaches Mandarin Chinese as a second language to children and adults in their weekday and weekend classes, Before and After School programs, cultural workshops, winter and spring break programs, summer classes, private tutoring and AP Prep sessions. CLSC is the only fully-accredited supplemental Chinese language program in the U.S. which uses U.S. teaching methods in order to engage children in learning Chinese.

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

* * *

China On Their Minds Language

2011-03-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

China on their minds
Language, culture classes become more common in schools

(Does your school system offer Chinese? If not, please contact the Chinese Language School of Connecticut, www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org for information on how to introduce Chinese language and culture to your children.)

As the world shrinks and China continues to grow as an economic powerhouse, more area public school districts are embracing its language and culture in an effort to better prepare their students.

Last fall, Medfield High School freshman Katrina Simon and her family hosted an exchange student from China, immersing the young woman in American experiences ranging from apple picking to shopping at the Apple computer store.

Now, Simon hopes Melody — the student’s adopted American name — can return the favor and be her guide in China.

“After talking to her and learning more about Chinese culture, I thought it was really interesting,’’ Simon said. “I really wanted to go and see it for myself with my own eyes.’’

Medfield’s school district has partnered with a school in Bengbu, a city in China’s Anhui province, for an extensive exchange program. Medfield hosted the school’s principal two years ago, followed by a visit to China by Superintendent Robert Maguire.

The next step was an exchange of teachers, with two from Bengbu visiting Medfield while a local teacher spent six weeks at the school in China.

Most recently, Medfield hosted two teachers and 10 students, including Melody. Next fall, Medfield will send students to Bengbu, and Simon has applied to be among them.

Melody’s family has already agreed to host Simon if she is selected. “She was thrilled that I wanted to come,’’ Simon said.

All of the trips are paid for with grants and private funds, Maguire said.

Medfield started teaching Mandarin in its high school three years ago, and expanded course offerings into the middle school this year. Educators say a growing number of schools are offering the language, with the local list including Belmont, Brookline, Concord-Carlisle Regional, Dover-Sherborn, Hopkinton, Lexington, Marlborough, Needham, Newton, and Weston.

“Most of them, 80 or 90 percent, they added it in the past five or 10 years,’’ said Wanli Hu, director of the China Program Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston, which offers conferences for Chinese language teachers.

Maguire said the Chinese language instruction is helping to prepare students for an increasingly global workplace.

“We’re in a different world,’’ he said. “Making students aware of the rest of the world, having them become cognizant of other languages and cultures, is going to be critical in the future.’’

Medfield is one of 60 districts across the country given Confucius Classroom status by the Asia Society, in recognition of exemplary Chinese language and culture programs. The honor has brought at least $30,000 in grants into the district, with the possibility of more to come.

Simon traveled to Washington, D.C., earlier this year for an event focused on school exchange programs, where she met the president’s wife, Michelle Obama, and Medfield’s school district contributed to the official state gift given to the president of China, Hu Jintao, during his visit to the United States.

Simon said she was surprised to learn how much more Melody knew about American society than she knows about other cultures. Simon was unable to name any Chinese music artists, while Melody was “totally obsessed’’ with Michael Jackson.

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And when she asked Melody, a talented singer and dancer, to perform, Simon said, “We thought she would sing a traditional Chinese song, and she sang the ‘Titanic’ song.’’

Medfield social studies teacher Richard DeSorgher, who spent six weeks in Bengbu, said the differences between the two systems are stark. He said students in China spend long hours at school, and extra time being tutored on nights and weekends for college entrance exams. Class sizes of up to 60 students mean rote learning is common, he said.

DeSorgher said he asked a Chinese-born student living in Medfield for advice before the trip. “He said, ‘Make it fun. The more you can make it fun, the more they’ll want to continue to learn English.’ So I went over there armed with a ton of American candy.

“I think I was kind of an oddity there,’’ DeSorgher added. “I put them in groups, I had them standing and sitting. It was just very different, I think.’’

Medfield’s burgeoning relationship with the Chinese language started when Spanish teacher Maura Batts took a one-year sabbatical to learn a new language.

“I was deciding between Chinese and Italian,’’ Batts said. “My heart wanted Italian, but Chinese is so up and coming, and I thought it would kind of rock my language world a little bit, because it’s so different.’’

Students are signing up for Chinese instead of French or Spanish for a variety of reasons, she said.

“One boy in the seventh-grade class was really into kung fu, and he just really loves watching Jackie Chan movies,’’ Batts said. “Other parents have told their children, ‘This is a new opportunity, it would be great for you to try this.’ A lot of those parents understand the global perspective.’’

DeSorgher said that, in addition to being potentially useful to students later in life, the Chinese exchange exposes them to diversity, something he said the district otherwise lacks.

“With this exchange, it brings in a different culture, a different language, different thought patterns,’’ DeSorgher said.

Maguire, who adopted the Chinese name Ma Bao Bo when he visited Bengbu, said he hopes his district will eventually be able to offer a full slate of Chinese classes, from middle school through high school.

The superintendent said the Chinese program is helping Medfield students make important personal connections across continents.

He told a story of sixth-graders participating in a video conference with their Chinese pen pals. One of the Chinese students became especially excited seeing her American counterpart, Maguire said.

“The Chinese kid looks at the American girl and says, ‘You are so beautiful.’ And she looked back and said, ‘You’re beautiful too,’ ’’ Maguire said. “And they’re doing this in front of 100 other sixth-graders.

“That’s been a very powerful piece for me. They’re getting a fundamental understanding that, as people, they’re not much different from each other.’’

CNBC Says Chinese Year of the Rabbit is "Lucky"

2011-02-08T08:05:00.000-08:00

Burrowing for Wealth in the Year of Rabbit
Published: Sunday, 6 Feb 2011 | 9:54 PM ET Text Size By: Geraldine Tan
CNBC Asia Pacific

Perhaps it's time to whip the bunny out of the hat. After the volatility that marked the year of the Golden Tiger in 2010, the incoming Metal Rabbit may be what's needed bring some calm back to the markets.

The Rabbit is said to be the luckiest sign in Chinese astrology; and according to CLSA's annual Feng Shui Index, the new Lunar Year will bring plenty of luck and material gains for investors.

The report combines the traditional Chinese practice of predicting fortunes through dates — or feng shui — and current market trends to see what 2011 holds for equities, commodities and property.

"The year of the Metal Rabbit provides great opportunity for investors to reap the rewards of astute investing," said the report. "But they should be forewarned: those who chase two rabbits will not catch one."

That means staying focused in whatever you invest in, as market movements will remain choppy this year, though less than what was experienced the year before, the report says.

And the best way to get richer this year, according to CLSA, is to accumulate indirect wealth, in the form of dividends paid from stocks.

In terms of asset classes, metals will do well this year, especially gold, said CLSA. The yellow metal could very well break above $2,000 per ounce; while silver and rare metals like gadolinium will also fare well.

Still, it's looking to be a volatile year for stocks. CLSA says the year will start slow, with rallies expected in the months of July, August, October and November. But investors should brace for market corrections in September and October.

Remember to mark 4 August on your calendar — according to the CLSA's Feng Shui Index, this will be a particularly profitable day.

So which animal signs are expected to profit this year? Those born under the Cow, Sheep, Dog and Pig signs.

But it will be a bumpy ride for Tigers and Roosters.

That said, CLSA maintains that the feng shui predictions are just, well, predictions. Investors will still need to do their homework and apply good judgement in investing.

NY Times: Forbidden City Treasure at the Met

2011-02-04T09:25:00.001-08:00

From:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/arts/design/04emperor.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Art%20Review:%20A%20Man%20of%20Contradictions,%20With%20a%20Collection%20to%20Match&st=cse,
where you can see a slideshow of the treasures on exhibition.

February 3, 2011
A Man of Contradictions, With a Collection to MatchBy HOLLAND
COTTER

When China’s last emperor finally left the premises in 1924, the Forbidden
City was renamed the Palace Museum, and a labyrinthine complex of ceremonial
and domestic spaces, off limits to all but a few for centuries, was suddenly
open to the world.

Still, it kept some secrets. Few visitors, for example, knew of the
existence of a self-contained suite of small pavilions and gardens tucked
away at the Forbidden City’s northeast corner, echoing its shape.

They made up the Tranquillity and Longevity Palace, which, in the mid-18th
century, had been remodeled as a potential retirement home by the adamantly
unretiring and design-obsessed Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong.

He lavished attention on the palace — covered its walls with trompe l’oeil
paintings, fitted it out with false doors, see-through partitions, Buddhist
shrines and clocks — to make it a place that reflected his adventurous
tastes, a place where he might want to live. But in the end, he spent little
time there. And the palace, often referred to now as the Qianlong Garden,
had only a handful of imperial tenants after he died in 1799.

For most of the 20th century it stayed empty. The Chinese government had no
cash to spare for its upkeep, and conserving Qing culture was on no one’s
list of priorities. The building exteriors were maintained, but the
interiors, with their frozen-in-time ensembles of furniture, painting,
textiles and luxury objects, were left to fend for themselves.

Things have changed. China, now (and not for the first time) a global power
in need of an agreeable self-image to sell, has seen the wisdom of
preserving its visual heritage — all of it. And international scholars of
that heritage, once separated by distance, are now thoroughly networked. A
concrete result of this new one-worldism is a collaboration, now in
progress, between the Palace Museum and the World Monuments Fund to restore
the Qianlong Garden to its former splendor.

Among the art historians acting as consultants to the project is Nancy
Berliner, the curator of Chinese art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem,
Mass. By 2003, the year the restoration got under way, Ms. Berliner had
already scored a Qing-related coup of her own by overseeing the transfer,
from China to the Salem museum, of an intact house dating to the dynasty.
And last fall she scored a second one with “The Emperor’s Private Paradise:
Treasures From the Forbidden City,” an exhibition she organized for the
Peabody Essex, and which now appears, in a different form, at the Metropolitan
Museum of
Art
.

The show is made up primarily of freshly conserved Qing objects — thrones,
cabinets, screens, religious sculptures, paintings — from the collection of
the Palace Museum, many specifically from Qianlong Garden buildings.
Qianlong himself probably commissioned some of the items. Certainly his
sensibility is written all over them.

Born in Beijing in 1711, Qianlong (pronounced Chee-en lohng) descended from
non-Chinese-speaking northerners who called themselves Manchu and ruled
China as the Qing dynasty from 1644 to 1911. Self-confident and adventurous,
he was a ceaseless mover and doer, constantly making inspection tours of a
country that during his reign was the largest and richest in the world.

Largeness, in fact, was his calling card. His cultural initiatives seem
conceived precisely to generate preposterous statistics. He commissioned and
participated in the creation of an anthology of 2,000 years of Chinese
literature: it appeared in the form of 36,000 handwritten volumes, which he
ordered to be copied several times.

A writer himself, he left more than 40,000 poems behind when he died. When
he was 50, he published a compendium of his calligraphy. He acquired art of
all kinds in record-breaking quantities. At one point he cataloged a
collection of some 10,000 of his paintings, then went on to collect more.

He was a knot of contradictions. He preserved thousand of books in his
anthology, but also destroyed thousands, some of them legendary classics,
that he considered politically subversive. As an art connoisseur, he had an
uncannily sensitive eye, yet he insisted on incising his name into precious
ceramics and writing it repeatedly on priceless paintings, effectively
defacing them.

Although he had many self-portraits made, no cohesive reading of his
personality can be drawn from them. In one painting he is an imposing
Confucian ancestor figure; in another, a humble young Daoist scholar. In a
third piece we find him floating at the center of a Tibetan Buddhist mandala
as the embodiment of the bodhisattva of wisdom, which he believed himself to
be.

As a highly self-aware performer, he exploited the public relations uses of
shape-shifting, offering alternate versions of himself to different
audiences, Manchu, Han Chinese and European.

He was wary of Europe politically, but entranced by vision-tickling aspects
of its art, like vanishing-point perspective and trompe l’oeil realism.
Christianity left him cold — why should he worship a supreme being when he
was one? — but he treasured Jesuit missionary artists like Giuseppe
Castiglione and kept them on his payroll.

Contradiction is also the animating dynamic of the art in the Met show
created to adorn the various buildings — reception halls, studios,
libraries, Buddhist shrines — in the Qianlong Garden.

In the circular portrait of the young Qianlong in scholar robes in the first
gallery, the pictorial space is pancake-flat, depthless. But in a
Western-style mural painting on silk nearby, life-size figures of woman and
child beckon us into a three-dimensional hall. (Several such murals cover
walls in the one Qianlong Garden building that was fully restored in 2008
and can be digitally toured in another Met gallery.)

Realism in Qing art, however, often veers into the surreal, as is evident in
a mesmerizingly bizarre furniture ensemble. Like some version of rustic
Victoriana, all three units — chair, couch bed, foot stool — appear to be
woven from roots and vines, though in this case the interwoven strands look
freakishly alive, writhing and twisting like nests of snakes. Only when you
inspect the furniture closely do you see that this organicism run riot is
strictly an illusion. The roots and vines have been painstakingly puzzled
together from many small pieces of wood, in a design meant to evoke a Daoist
immersion in nature.

This kind of interplay between opposites — the unnatural and the natural,
the grotesque and the spiritual — powers the show. Qianlong went for art and
design that pushed such contrasts to the limit and beyond, short-circuiting
received notions of good taste and bad taste to deliver little shocks of
pleasure.

You can feel such zaps radiating from one work in particular: a 16-panel
wood-and-lacquer screen carrying portraits of early disciples of the Buddha,
known as luohans. These figures are traditionally pretty gross: ragged and
repellent old men, with cartoon faces and hair sprouting from unlikely
places. They’re shown that way here too, but in a medium — white jade inlaid
on black lacquer — that is so ethereal, and worked with such fineness, as to
all but cancel out any impression of ugliness.

The screen holds another surprise too. When conservators moved it from its
original position against a wall, they found that the reverse sides of the
panels were painted with images of trees and flowers in tones of gold.
Stunning!

At the Peabody Essex, the screen was free-standing and could be viewed from
both sides. The Met, by contrast, has placed it in a long wall case, with
the luohans face out, and a few panels flipped to give a sampling of the
painting. And this is just one of the ways in which the Met edition of the
show differs from the Salem original.

Judging from photographs, you can see that the installation Ms. Berliner
devised at the Peabody Essex was spaciously laid out, with an effort made to
simulate the architectural interior in which the objects were once found. At
the Met, the same objects have been squeezed into the narrow Chinese
painting galleries, with almost everything confined to tall cases designed
to hold scrolls.

As if to compensate for a more straightened and prosaic approach, the New
York presentation — organized by Maxwell K. Hearn, curator of Chinese art,
with an ingenious design by Daniel Kershaw — has been enriched with examples
of Qing art from the Met’s collection, including a large Castiglione drawing
and a pair of panoramic scrolls depicting two of Qianlong’s imperial road
trips.

We also get something that in most museums we can only imagine: a real
garden, in the form of the Astor Court. It’s based on a Ming rather than a
Qing prototype, but the components — twisty river rocks set in greenery —
are right. And, because the Met’s display cases are as shallow as they are
tall, we can see everything in them close-up: the cloisonné medallions
adorning a doorway surround, the stitch work in a satin chair cover, the
chips of jade, coral and lapis lazuli embedded in a relief of a blossoming
plum tree that comes across as both garish and sumptuous.

Up close was the emperor’s perspective too: proprietary, absorbed,
evaluative. And — who knows? — it may not be available again, once these
objects return to Beijing and are placed, where they belong, in the
completely restored Qianlong Garden that is scheduled to reopen in 2019, to
what will surely be an avid new public.

*Forbidden-City Treasure*

*WHAT* “The Emperor’s Private Paradise: Treasures From the Forbidden City.”
*WHEN AND WHERE* Through May 1, Metropolitan Museum of
Art;
(212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org
.

恭贺新喜! Xin Nian Kuai Le! Happy Chinese New Year!

2011-02-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110131/LIFE/101310303/Year-of-the-Rabbit-dawns

There's more to the Chinese Zodiac than a hippety hop into year 4708 for people born under the sign of rabbit.

Rabbit babies are private, introverted and withdrawn. Or quietly charismatic, thoughtful and calm? It's hard to generalize a destiny using a centuries-old system based on natural elements, marked by fixed colors and assigned a dozen animals as they correspond to the hour, date, month and year of birth.

One thing is clear, said Elizabeth VanderVen, an assistant history professor at Rutgers University in Camden, N.J., and a specialist on Chinese and eastern Asian culture.

"Rabbits are considered to be especially lucky financially," she said, noting some believe rabbits are the luckiest of all signs in the Chinese zodiac.

That, VanderVen said, could be especially true this year because the 2011 rabbit year corresponds with the element of metal, symbolizing great wealth.

This we can make easy sense of: Alex Rodriguez is a rabbit. Same for Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Drew Barrymore, Enrique Iglesias, George Orwell, Frank Sinatra, Albert Einstein and Leon Trotsky.

In Vietnam, the rabbit's not a rabbit at all but a cat, which failed to make the top 12 in China, according to legend.

The rabbit comes fourth in the zodiac's 12-year cycle. Rabbit years include 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987 and 1999 on the more international Gregorian calendar, as opposed to the lunisolar Chinese calendar that pegs 2011 as 4708.

The major holiday in Asia shifts somewhat over January and February. This year it starts Feb. 3 and always lasts for 15 days.

The Chinese calendar not only follows the 12-year cycle but characteristics within the cycle are touched by the influences of fire, earth, metal, water and wood — each with a yin (female) form and a yang (male) form. To make leap year adjustments, the colors of white, black, green, red and brown are also assigned.

This rabbit year is white yin metal, likely making the precious metal of silver prominent, so watch for lots of silver souvenirs.

"The 2011 rabbit will obtain wealth if s/he works hard and diligently," VanderVen predicts.

Her personality list for rabbits: honest, sensitive, tactful, stylish, sophisticated, virtuous and modest, but they're also viewed as snobbish, standoffish, self-righteous, oversensitive and a little unpredictable.

Pardon My French [but] We're Teaching the Wrong Language

2011-02-01T12:47:00.001-08:00

From:
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/01/26/pardon-my-french-we%E2%80%99re-teaching-the-wrong-languages/,

Pardon My French: We’re Teaching the Wrong Languages
Chinese school children during lessons at a classroom in China’s Anhui
province (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Of late, it has been considered glum news when a university such as the
State University of New York at Albany eliminates its French major. Yet
there were those who mourned the eclipse of the horse-and-buggy not so long
ago. I highly suspect that this news from SUNY and elsewhere, in conjunction
with reports of universities bulking up instruction in Arabic and Chinese,
is the beginning of a more sensible future in language teaching in the
United States.

In fact, I, despite having earned a B.A. in French myself, have a tripartite
vision for what the language teaching norm in America should be by 2050. It
includes many fewer me’s and many more students prepared for the linguistic
reality of our world as opposed to Woodrow Wilson’s. Ideally, we will also
see not only a revolution in the array of languages most taught, but in how
they are taught as well.

1. *Chinese* *and Arabic first, with Spanish as training wheels*. With China
poised to become the economic behemoth, and our most pressing diplomatic
problems being with people most of whom speak Arabic, an America where
Western European languages are considered central to an education has become
a puzzlement.

There was a time when French, for example, was Europe’s international
language, when for most Westerners, Europe was also effectively shorthand
for “the world.” This has changed: English, for better or for worse, is the
international language for Europe and far beyond. French is the vehicle for
an interesting culture, indeed—but in 2011, upon what grounds does this
culture exert a higher priority upon our acquaintance than any number of
others? To many, the cultures of China and the Middle East would seem to
have a certain primacy for modern Americans, and a Martian observer would be
baffled as to why there would be any question about the matter.

Our embrace of French as a mark of wider horizons is a conditioned reflex,
making about as much sense in our modern moment as throwing rice at a bride.
Why not barley? Or corn flakes? Or blowing on little plastic bassoons?
Whatever the reason, the chances are infinitesimal that we would choose rice
if starting over in ignorance of past tradition. The same goes for French,
German, and Italian. Europe is home to a mere couple of hundred of the
world’s 6,000 languages. Quite a few of the remaining 5,800 are important to
America’s present and future. Chinese and Arabic stand out among them.

This is all the more important because both are structured so much
differently than English—that is, they are “diverse” as we moderns term it.
There are those who question a mission in “identity” departments to
encourage students to study themselves rather than to broaden their horizons
to study the world. Such cavils would apply equally to the Western Europe
fetish in language teaching. French and German belong to the same language
family as English, Indo-European: they are cats to English’s dog.

Chinese is based on a collection of monosyllables that become a vocabulary
through pronouncing the syllables on different tones to indicate meanings:
in Cantonese, depending on the pitch *yau* can mean worry, paint, thin, oil,
again or friend. To acquire Chinese, along with its magnificently baroque
writing system, is to expand the mind into a greater awareness of the
immense variation possible in human expression. It is a different planet. In
comparison, French and German are like a vacation two towns over.

Arabic, meanwhile, has another fabulous writing system as well as a grammar
unlike the “amo, amas, amat” style we are familiar with, in which a skeleton
of three consonants can become a world of related words based on what you
squeeze around them: *katiib* “writer,” *kitaab* “book,” *kataba* “he
wrote,” *maktab* “school.” Again, this is education in its etymological
sense of “being led out of,” as opposed to the shorter trip offered by
European languages. And as for the argument that European languages are
vehicles of massive literatures, let’s face it—when were most of us going to
get around to reading “Madame Bovary” in the original?

Of course, European languages should be available for those interested—as
Arabic and Chinese have been “available” on the sidelines. However, only one
of them should be held front and center: Spanish. For one, its utility to us
is much more immediate than the rice at a wedding, useful to communication
with a massive contingent of Americans. And then, because Spanish, as a
Western European language, is so much easier to pick up for us than Chinese
and Arabic, it can serve as a “gateway” language for younger people. An idea
would be for schools to offer Spanish starting in elementary school as a
linguistic warm-up, with exposure to Chinese and Arabic beginning in middle
school.

2. *Reading** should be secondary to speaking. *One of the pitfalls in the
teaching of languages with non-Roman writing systems is that so much time is
spent from the outset on teaching the script that the students do not learn
how to actually say much. Yet he who offers a conversational repertoire
consisting largely of naming objects, exclaiming set expressions like *Good
morning*, and reciting sentiments such as *My uncle is a lawyer but my aunt
has a spoon* is at a distinct social disadvantage.

Yet too often this is most of what students of Chinese, Arabic, Japanese and
the like are capable of after even a whole school year of study, because so
much time is spent drilling the writing system. It’s also easy for students
to get weary or discouraged when this is most of the yield after so long.

Certainly one should be able to read in a language one has
learned—eventually. However, the idea that reading must happen at the outset
of one’s acquaintance with a new language is based on a mistaken impression,
understandable but pernicious, that writing “is” language on a certain
level. To be a literate modern person is to think of a language as its
written version, with speaking as a casual reflection of it. However, only
about 200 of the world’s 6,000 languages are written ones, and writing has
only existed for less than 6,000 years. Fundamentally, language is speech
and always has been. Speech is not a messy reflection of language; writing
is a studied and inaccurate refraction of speech.

We intuitively understand the primacy of speech when it comes to our native
language. We do not discourage an infant from speaking until he or she
masters writing. Note also a cognitive disjunction one encounters with
foreigners or children of immigrants who speak a language like Tamil
fluently and yet sheepishly mention that they can’t write it. In such cases
we do not think, “Then you don’t really know the language, do you?” as they
converse in it on the phone.

This means, however, that in my ideal language-teaching scenario, languages
like Chinese and Arabic should be taught first in Romanized transliteration.
The writing system should be introduced gradually, with no sense of it being
the primary object of study. This will mean, it should be clear, that the
student of Arabic will only very gradually be able to decode Arabic writing
– but will much more quickly be able to have modestly contentful
conversations, which will only heighten students’ motivation to learn the
writing system (it’s no more fun to read about uncles and spoons than to
talk about them, after all).

3. *Revise the conception of what idioms are*. To get as far beyond those
uncles and spoons as quickly as possible, in my 2050 utopia there will have
been a complete revision of what are considered idioms in language teaching.
Too often, we come away from years of studying a language unable to express
things as utterly everyday in a human experience as “It’s the wrong kind
anyway.” Instead, one is able to refer eagerly to cousins, bathing suits,
silverware and other things often rarely engaged at length in conversation.

Much of the reason is a sense that a language consists of 1) the basic
meanings of individual words and 2) grammar such as tables of endings, with
all else as idioms one is expected to pick up, if one ever does, upon living
in the language. However, linguists are increasingly aware that the brain
processes idioms like words. For example, “up a storm” in “He talked up a
storm” is retained as a “word” alongside words you could substitute in the
sentence like “copiously,” or other constructions like “a lot” or “at
length.” To the extent that expressing a concept is fundamental to being
human, then “idiom” or not, it is as vital to language teaching as the word
for “Tuesday.”

A certain few idioms have a classic status and are taught early, such as
French’s “*Je m’appelle,*” (“I call myself”) for “My name is,” a usage of
“call” that, from an English perspective, is non-basic. Yet what makes “My
name is” more important than “pretend,” which in French is “*faire semblant*”
(“make seeming-as”)? This is an “idiom” much more central to speaking a
language than venturing insights about your aunt or even counting past 30.

Namely, in my experience grappling with languages, I find six basic concepts
key to not rolling into the linguistic gutter at every second attempt to say
what you are actually thinking. Key ways of expressing these concepts should
be imparted long before most irregular verbs or how to say “socks.” They
amount to an acronym, DEPICT. To speak is to be able to: Disapprove beyond
just not liking (“the wrong hat,” “it doesn’t fit,” “it’s supposed to be…”);
Experience beyond mere liking (“looks,” “sounds,” “smells,” “tastes,” “feels
like,” “you can tell”); Precisify (“all the way up to,” “that much,” “right
into”); render the Inexact (“and things like that,” “about four of them,”
“not necessarily”); convey Counterexpectation (“even without a shirt,” “do
it anyway”); and Transform (“make it nicer,” “pretend”).

These things are generally no more difficult to acquire than basic words, as
witnessed by how quickly students take to German’s “*Wie geht’s”* and
French’s “*il y a”* for “there is.” In the language teaching of the future,
concepts in the DEPICT class must be taught as urgently as words and grammar
if students are to actually learn to use the languages they are taught.

In the future, then, language teaching should expand minds further than we
are accustomed to, unshackled from linguistic assumptions which can only be
termed prejudices: that the languages most like ours are central to
enlightenment, that there is no meaningful progress in learning a language
without being able to read it, and that beyond words and tables is an outer
ring of idioms rather than the very heart of speaking. Surely, this expanded
sense of language study would bring us closer to the heart of the liberal
arts mission than expounding in French about what color our niece’s forks
are.

*John McWhorter is the William Simon Fellow at Columbia University and a
contributing editor to the New Republic.*

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Student Grant Wang

2011-01-31T09:46:00.000-08:00

Current CLSC student Grant Wang, resident of Old Greenwich and freshman at Greenwich High School, will be performing at First Congregational Church, 108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT, on Sunday, March 6, 4pm, with GHS senior Kahori Tanaka. Admission is free, reception will follow the recital.

Chinese Language School of Connecticut's Annual Chinese New Year Festival

2011-01-28T11:14:00.000-08:00

CLSC's 9th Annual Chinese New Year Festival made the front pages of all area papers for the 9th year in a row...huge thanks to Anita Lai, Dana Lupton, Terri Kung, Samantha Connell and the intrepid Chinese New Year Volunteer Committee for their stupendous efforts again this year!

From www.greenwichcitizen.com.

Photo: Julie Ruth / Greenwich Citizen

Greenwich resident Emanuel Lai, 8, gets to stay up really late one night each year: Chinese New Year's Eve. How late? "Till he passes out," said his mother Anita Lai, laughing. "Traditionally you let children stay up late that night because it's a way children wish longevity for their parents."

The Chinese New Year, also called Asian New Year, will be celebrated in Greenwich, as it is around the world, with plenty of ancient customs and family-centered dinners of dumplings and noodles, fish and other traditional dishes.

Cynthia Chang, a Greenwich resident who is Chinese but grew up in Taiwan, said the Chinese New Year celebrates multi-generational families and is a time when people pay respect to their elders and ancestors.

In China, people will pick up and travel for the Chinese New Year to the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects and thank them for what they have done for the current generations, said Chang.

It is also time to start fresh, and Chinese families in town will observe many customs that represent a new beginning. "For the New Year, you don't want your old clothes with you; you want new clothes," Lai explained. "We'll first clean the house in the morning to sweep out old spirits, and, when we're ready, we'll dress ourselves in new clothes. If you wear something red, that's even better, because it means very good luck in Chinese culture."

Though the Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 3 this year, the celebration officially began last Sunday for more than 30 Greenwich families with a festival in Stamford sponsored by the Greenwich-based Chinese Language School of Connecticut (CLSC), a non-profit school that teaches Mandarin Chinese as a second language along with lessons about Chinese culture.

The festival, which doubles as a fundraiser for CLCS, also drew children and parents around Westchester and Fairfield County. Some are Chinese and want their children to learn or retain the language and culture. Others have adopted children and want them to stay connected with their Chinese heritage, and still others simply want their children to learn about Chinese culture.

The Chinese Language School of Connecticut is relatively new; it has only offered the festival since the school opened in 2002, when parent Susan Serven and other area parents co-founded the school. But it has fast become the center of a vibrant and diverse community in Greenwich that wants its children to know and appreciate Chinese culture and language.

Greenwich resident Mary Murphy, who spent much of her childhood in Thailand, already had strong ties to Asian culture before she and her husband adopted daughter Robin, 5, from Southeast Asia. She enrolled her in the school because she feels it is very important for Robin to learn Mandarin. "It's her biological heritage and it will also be a huge advantage for her to speak Mandarin. It's a beautiful language," Murphy said.

English-born Anita Lai, who chaired the festival, felt it was important to teach her son, whose father is Chinese, about Asian culture, so he studies Mandarin and Chinese culture on Sundays year-round. "I didn't want Emanuel to lose that beautiful culture and those rich traditions: the art, singing styles, the instruments, the calligraphy, the beautiful characters, the traditions for everything," Lai said.

CLSC's New Year celebration this year featured the ancient Chinese dragon and lion dances, a musical performance by the Chinese Musical Ensemble, a martial arts demonstration, Chinese arts and crafts along with traditional Chinese New Year dishes, such as long noodles -- which are eaten uncut -- to symbolize a long life. "Almost every dish has a symbolic meaning or name that sounds like a Chinese character for fortune, happiness longevity and prosperity," explained Lai. "There're very traditional foods, like dumplings, which promise wealth and prosperity, fish prepared whole, special vegetables, jello with fruit, Hong Kong-style egg tarts -- you could go on and on about what they stand for."

For months CLCS children prepared to perform the Chinese dragon dance, a highlight of the festivities. The dragon, an emblem of the Chinese emperors, appears on Chinese New Year to wish everyone peace, prosperity and good luck. Another highlight came when several performers in a large multi-colored lion costume pranced around to the sound of drums, to ward off evil spirits. According to tradition, children, many in Mandarin garb, fed the lion red envelopes with money. "The lion's coming and he's hungry. He's getting rid of all of bad stuff that happened and bringing in the new year, and you give him the traditional red envelopes to thank him for doing his job," Lai explained.

Last week the Second Congregational Church also held a Chinese New Year celebration, which 100 peoople attended. The church also houses classrooms for the CLSC in its preschool building. "It's great; we get to teach the pre-schoolers about Chinese culture," said Chang.

Though the New Year will be a family-centered celebration, it will be observed differently by Greenwich residents. "We like to go down into Chinatown in the city and really get an authentic Chinese meal," Murphy said. "It's a lot of fun; you have banquet-style eating, with the family all sitting in a circle."

Lai will be cooking for family in her home, while Chang will follow a tradition that her family began in Taiwan. "We always have a group of family and close friends with us. We'll select a restaurant on the West side in Manhattan and have a big new year's dinner," she said.

After family dinner celebrations, the elders in the family traditionally give the children good luck money: red envelopes with crisp dollar bills. The amount in the envelope? It varies by family, but one thing, Chang says, is for sure: the amount will not contain a four, which is bad luck. Best to slip an amount in that has an eight in the total: it's the Chinese lucky number.

NOTE: The Chinese Language School of Connecticut will hold an open house for interested families on Sunday, April 17. Registration opens on Sunday, May 1.

For more details, visit www.chineselanguageschool.org. You can also contact the school by phone at 866-301-4906 or email: info@chineselanguageschool.org.

CLSC holds classes on Sundays at Eastern Middle School, 51 Hendrie Avenue, in Riverside, and on weekdays at the Second Congregational Church, Room 19, 139 E. Putnam Ave,, Greenwich, CT 06830.

Photo: Julie Ruth / Greenwich Citizen

Senator Blumenthal Welcomes in the Chinese Year of the Rabbit

2011-01-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Senator Richard Blumenthal and Stamford Mayor Pavia Welcome All to the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s 9th Annual Chinese New Year Festival

-- 9th Annual Chinese New Year Festival Rings in the Year of the Rabbit --

Riverside, CT, January 25, 2011 – Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal opened the ceremony celebrating the Chinese Year of the Rabbit at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s 9th Annual Chinese New Year Festival, held Sunday, January 23, 2011, from 12-3pm, at the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center.

Old Greenwich resident, and CLSC Chinese New Year Chair Anita Lai noted, “CLSC's Chinese New Year Festival is a wonderful way to celebrate the New Year traditions with your family. It’s a wonderful way to explore Chinese culture and traditions with your children.”

CLSC co-founder and organization president, New Canaan resident Susan Serven, said, “Especially in light of President Hu’s recent visit to Washington, and with China’s growing economic expansion, it’s critical that we build bridges between cultures, and allow our children to learn important second languages such as Chinese. This will allow our children to compete successfully in an international marketplace, and can enable them to become global citizens.”

Nearly 300 guests and attendees attended the Festival, which welcomed guests at the entrance with music provided by the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York, and which offered traditional food, and entertainment such as a Dragon Dance performed by CLSC students, a Lion Dance and Martial Arts demonstration by Kwan’s Kung Fu of Peekskill, NY, children’s name painting, Chinese calligraphy, and crafts, face painting, Chinese vendors, an exhibit of CLSC student’s art, and a special performance and workshop by the Columbia Chinese YoYo Troupe. Dessert was a custom-made, 3-tiered Chinese Year of the Rabbit cake created by Stamford’s Samantha Connell.

The non-profit, fully accredited Chinese Language School of Connecticut (CLSC) (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org) teaches Mandarin Chinese as a second language to children and adults in their weekday and weekend classes, Before and After School programs, cultural workshops, winter and spring break programs, summer classes, private tutoring and AP Prep sessions. CLSC is the only fully-accredited supplemental Chinese language program in the U.S. which uses U.S. teaching methods in order to engage children in learning Chinese.

* * *

Celebrating Chinese Language and Culture at the Ferguson Library in Stamford

2011-01-22T04:44:00.000-08:00

From: http://stamford.patch.com/articles/stamford-families-celebrate-the-year-of-the-rabbit

The Chinese Language School of Connecticut and the Chinese Language School of Fairfield County held a Chinese New Year Celebration Sunday at Ferguson Library.

As the program began, Daisy Laone, principal of the Chinese Language School of Connecticut moved around the room at lightning speed, engaging the children in conversation about the celebration.

“What year is it?” Laone asked.

“2011,” a few of the adults in the room replied.

“The year of the rabbit,” Fiona Bischoff said.

Fiona Bischoff and her twin sister, Caoilainn Bischoff, attended the Chinese Language School of Connecticut in the past and frequently attend programs at the library.

“When you greet people at the Chinese New Year, you say ‘gong xi gong xi — best wishes,” Laone instructed the crowd.

The children quickly repeated after Laone — she then went around the room and helped them each to identify and pronounce their Chinese zodiac sign.

“This is the second year we’ve held this event,” Laone told Patch. “It’s a good chance for children in America to experience the celebration.”

“I hope today that the residents of Stamford can embrace Chinese culture and learn something new,” Yelena Klompus, world languages librarian at Ferguson, told Patch. “Our goal is to make everyone aware of other cultures.”

Klompus chairs the Diversity Task Force at Ferguson Library and is responsible for many of the cultural programs seen throughout the year.

Later in the day, the Chinese Language School of Fairfield County presented a martial arts demonstration and a dance performance.

Dance instructor Erica Hsu’s young students demonstrated a Taiwan aboriginal dance. Their costumes were made by parents and teachers at the school. Martial arts instructor Anastasia Lebrun led four students through a series of moves. Lebrun has been working with her students on and off since September.

“We are a very serious school,” Yulin Tsao, principal of the Chinese Language School of Fairfield County told the crowd. “But when we have fun, we have fun.”

The Chinese Language School of Connecticut will host their ninth annual fundraiser, a Chinese New Year Festival, on Jan. 23 at the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center. Visit their website for more information.

American Students Learn Their ABCs and Chinese

2011-01-20T11:03:00.000-08:00

From http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/19/eveningnews/main7263167.shtml

American Students Learn Their ABC's and Chinese
Only 9% of Americans Speak a Foreign Language - Compared to 44 Percent of Europeans

(CBS) China's president said Wednesday young people are the future of the relationship between his country and the U.S. The problem is, he said it in Mandarin - a language most Americans don't understand.

CBS News correspondent Terry McCarthy reports there are some American children who don't have to wait for the translation.

Americans generally assume everyone speaks English. Often, they exceed our expectations. Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin surprised Mike Wallace in 2000 by reciting the Gettysburg Address in English.

Even the French President speaks English - kind of.

But Americans do not generally share such multilingual talents. Only nine percent of Americans speak a foreign language, compared to 44 percent of Europeans - something President Obama is painfully aware of.

"We need to learn foreign languages," Mr. Obama said at a campaign rally in 2008. "I don't speak a foreign language - it's embarrassing."

Instead of struggling with foreign grammar, Americans would rather struggle with headphones to hear the translation.

But not in City Terrace public school in east Los Angeles - where 90 students have been learning Chinese since kindergarten. Like his classmates, third-grader Nelson Enriquez even has his own Chinese name.

"At five years old they are like little sponges," Principal Elaine Fujiu said.

Nelson's family speaks Spanish at home, so he is trilingual - which the
8-year-old is already planning to exploit. "I might get a better job - and a raise too."

The students have been learning Chinese for four years and they are pretty good - but it's an unusual school. Across the country only 50,000 Americans are learning Chinese. In China, by contrast, there are 200 million students learning English.

The numbers are increasing. A decade ago about 300 schools in the U.S. taught Chinese. Now it's close to 1,600 - driven by interest in China's $6 trillion economy, now the second biggest in the world.

At City Terrace the Chinese immersion program is so popular they have a waiting list.

"Learning Chinese as a second language will help their children to get a better job later on," said third-grade teacher Theresa Kao.

Two languages, two cultures - and no one at a loss for words.

Chinese poised be the #1 most popular language on the web

2011-01-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

English Is Out: Chinese to Rule the World Wide WebBy: Hillary Brenhouse

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/03/english-is-out-chinese-to-rule-the-world-wide-web/#ixzz1A7EtNjKU

“Great Firewall” or not, Chinese Web surfers have overtaken the intertubes and so, it turns out, has their mother tongue. The stats are in: Chinese is poised to outpace English as the dominant language online.
Some say we (sort of) have Al Gore to thank for the Internet, but it may as well have been made in China: the number of Web users in the Middle Kingdom soared to 450 million—more than a third of the country's population—this year, according to Wang Chen, head of China's State Council Information Office. The U.S. boasts just under half that many, but since English is more widely spoken globally, a majority of sites are published in that language.

Not for much longer. An infographic by Nextweb, based on statistics culled by the marketing firm Internet World Stats, shows that—with Web use in China growing at such a rapid rate—it could take less than five years for Chinese to become the most popular language on the Net.

With the boom in China's Internet usage has come a rise in government censorship. Sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are still frequently off-limits to its denizens. China's extensive Internet policing system this year shut down more than 60,000 websites deemed harmful or politically subversive. It's safe to say that almost all the rest of them speak Beijing's language, or will soon.

(Visit the Chinese Language School of Connecticut's web site to see how you can begin your children's Chinese language learning.)

Help Us Usher In the Year of the Rabbit!

2010-12-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

photo caption: Kwan's Kung Fu performs a traditional lion dance to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year Festival at Stamford’s Plaza Hotel and Conference Center

-- 9th Annual Chinese New Year Festival Welcomes in the Year of the Rabbit --

“We are very excited to have such an exciting group of performers, artists, and wonderful food at our Chinese New Year Festival this year,” said Greenwich resident, CLSC Chinese New Year Festival Chair, Anita Lai.

Riverside, CT, December 12, 2010 – Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia will welcome in the Year of the Rabbit at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s 9th Annual Chinese New Year Festival to be held Sunday, January 23, 2011, from 12:0-3:00pm at the Stamford Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, 2701 Summer Street, Stamford, CT . For information and tickets please visit: www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

The non-profit Chinese Language School of Connecticut (CLSC) (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org) teaches Chinese as a second language to children and adults in their weekday and weekend classes, Before and After School programs, cultural workshops, winter and spring break programs, summer classes, private tutoring and AP Prep sessions.

Martial Arts performers, drummers, and a Dragon Dance will be performed by Kwan’s Kung Fu Studio, of Peekskill, NY. Since 1982, martial arts have been taught at Kwan's Kung Fu in Westchester, NY by Sifu Shue Yiu Kwan. This traditional Kwoon (school) offers its students training in Fu Jow Pai (Tiger Claw System), which originated in the mid 19th century, as well as Tai Chi Chuan and Lion Dance. Fu Jow Pai training includes aerobic activity, strength training, increased flexibility, practical self defense, respect, self discipline, values, improved coordination and concentration. Master Kwan has been featured in prominent martial arts publications such as Inside Kung-Fu magazine.

This year’s Chinese New Year Festival will usher in the year of the rabbit and, along with Kwan’s Kung Fu performers, will feature music provided by the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York, gravity-defying Chinese Yo-yo performances and children’s workshops by the Columbia University Chinese yoyo troupe, name painting artists, brush calligraphy demonstration, traditional crafts for children; Asian vendors, an authentic Chinese buffet luncheon included as part of the price of admission, and much more.

Susan Serven, president of CLSC, noted, “We’re very pleased to welcome the retirement planning advisory and investment firm, www.YourOwnRetirement.com, as a lead corporate sponsor of this year’s Chinese New Year Festival. Their donation helps fund our event, and allows us to introduce Mandarin Chinese to even more children in the area.” For more information on how to plan your retirement using annuities please visit www.YourOwnRetirement.com.

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

* * *

from the BBC: Chinese archaeologists unearth 2,400-year-old 'soup'

2010-12-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

Chinese archaeologists unearth 2,400-year-old 'soup' Experts say the 'bone soup' in the vessel turned green due to the oxidation of the bronze

Chinese archaeologists have unearthed what they believe is a 2,400-year-old pot of soup, state media report.

The liquid and bones were in a sealed bronze cooking vessel dug up near the ancient capital of Xian - home to the country's famed terracotta warriors.

Tests are being carried out to identify the ingredients. An odourless liquid, believed to be wine, was also found.

The pots were discovered in a tomb being excavated to make way for an extension to the local airport.

"It's the first discovery of bone soup in Chinese archaeological history," the newspaper quoted Liu Daiyun of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology as saying.

"The discovery will play an important role in studying the eating habits and culture of the Warring States Period (475-221BC)."

The scientists said the tomb could have held the body of either a member of the land-owning class or a low-ranking military officer, the report said.

Xian served as China's capital for more than 1,100 years.

In 1974, the terracotta army was found there at the burial site of Qin Shihuang, China's first emperor.

He presided over the unification of China in 221BC and ruled until 210BC

Top Scores From Shanghai Stun Educators

2010-12-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

How can U.S. students compete globally? They can start by learning Chinese....

from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/education/07education.html?_r=2

Top Test Scores From Shanghai Stun Educators
By SAM DILLON
Published: December 7, 2010

With China’s debut in international standardized testing, students in Shanghai have surprised experts by outscoring their counterparts in dozens of other countries, in reading as well as in math and science, according to the results of a respected exam.

American officials and Europeans involved in administering the test in about 65 countries acknowledged that the scores from Shanghai — an industrial powerhouse with some 20 million residents and scores of modern universities that is a magnet for the best students in the country — are by no means representative of all of China.

About 5,100 15-year-olds in Shanghai were chosen as a representative cross-section of students in that city. In the United States, a similar number of students from across the country were selected as a representative sample for the test.

Experts noted the obvious difficulty of using a standardized test to compare countries and cities of vastly different sizes. Even so, they said the stellar academic performance of students in Shanghai was noteworthy, and another sign of China’s rapid modernization.

The results also appeared to reflect the culture of education there, including greater emphasis on teacher training and more time spent on studying rather than extracurricular activities like sports.

“Wow, I’m kind of stunned, I’m thinking Sputnik,” said Chester E. Finn Jr., who served in President Ronald Reagan’s Department of Education, referring to the groundbreaking Soviet satellite launching. Mr. Finn, who has visited schools all across China, said, “I’ve seen how relentless the Chinese are at accomplishing goals, and if they can do this in Shanghai in 2009, they can do it in 10 cities in 2019, and in 50 cities by 2029.”

The test, the Program for International Student Assessment, known as PISA, was given to 15-year-old students by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a Paris-based group that includes the world’s major industrial powers.

The results are to be released officially on Tuesday, but advance copies were provided to the news media a day early.

“We have to see this as a wake-up call,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview on Monday.

“I know skeptics will want to argue with the results, but we consider them to be accurate and reliable, and we have to see them as a challenge to get better,” he added. “The United States came in 23rd or 24th in most subjects. We can quibble, or we can face the brutal truth that we’re being out-educated.”

In math, the Shanghai students performed in a class by themselves, outperforming second-place Singapore, which has been seen as an educational superstar in recent years. The average math scores of American students put them below 30 other countries.

PISA scores are on a scale, with 500 as the average. Two-thirds of students in participating countries score between 400 and 600. On the math test last year, students in Shanghai scored 600, in Singapore 562, in Germany 513, and in the United States 487.

In reading, Shanghai students scored 556, ahead of second-place Korea with 539. The United States scored 500 and came in 17th, putting it on par with students in the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and several other countries.

In science, Shanghai students scored 575. In second place was Finland, where the average score was 554. The United States scored 502 — in 23rd place — with a performance indistinguishable from Poland, Ireland, Norway, France and several other countries.

The testing in Shanghai was carried out by an international contractor, working with Chinese authorities, and overseen by the Australian Council for Educational Research, a nonprofit testing group, said Andreas Schleicher, who directs the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s international educational testing program.

Mark Schneider, a commissioner of the Department of Education’s research arm in the George W. Bush administration, who returned from an educational research visit to China on Friday, said he had been skeptical about some PISA results in the past. But Mr. Schneider said he considered the accuracy of these results to be unassailable.

“The technical side of this was well regulated, the sampling was O.K., and there was no evidence of cheating,” he said.

Mr. Schneider, however, noted some factors that may have influenced the outcome.

For one thing, Shanghai is a huge migration hub within China. Students are supposed to return to their home provinces to attend high school, but the Shanghai authorities could increase scores by allowing stellar students to stay in the city, he said. And Shanghai students apparently were told the test was important for China’s image and thus were more motivated to do well, he said.

“Can you imagine the reaction if we told the students of Chicago that the PISA was an important international test and that America’s reputation depended on them performing well?” Mr. Schneider said. “That said, China is taking education very seriously. The work ethic is amazingly strong.”

In a speech to a college audience in North Carolina, President Obama recalled how the Soviet Union’s 1957 launching of Sputnik provoked the United States to increase investment in math and science education, helping America win the space race.

“Fifty years later, our generation’s Sputnik moment is back,” Mr. Obama said. With billions of people in India and China “suddenly plugged into the world economy,” he said, nations with the most educated workers will prevail. “As it stands right now,” he said, “America is in danger of falling behind.”

If Shanghai is a showcase of Chinese educational progress, America’s showcase would be Massachusetts, which has routinely scored higher than all other states on America’s main federal math test in recent years.

But in a 2007 study that correlated the results of that test with the results of an international math exam, Massachusetts students scored behind Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Shanghai did not participate in the test.

A 259-page Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report on the latest Pisa results notes that throughout its history, China has been organized around competitive examinations. “Schools work their students long hours every day, and the work weeks extend into the weekends,” it said.

Chinese students spend less time than American students on athletics, music and other activities not geared toward success on exams in core subjects. Also, in recent years, teaching has rapidly climbed up the ladder of preferred occupations in China, and salaries have risen. In Shanghai, the authorities have undertaken important curricular reforms, and educators have been given more freedom to experiment.

Ever since his organization received the Shanghai test scores last year, Mr. Schleicher said, international testing experts have investigated them to vouch for their accuracy, expecting that they would produce astonishment in many Western countries.

“This is the first time that we have internationally comparable data on learning outcomes in China,” Mr. Schleicher said. “While that’s important, for me the real significance of these results is that they refute the commonly held hypothesis that China just produces rote learning.”

“Large fractions of these students demonstrate their ability to extrapolate from what they know and apply their knowledge very creatively in novel situations,” he said

From CNN: Education survey shows eight of top 10 performing countries are in Asia-Pacific region

2010-12-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

From: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/07/school.results.us.asia.desai/index.html

You can also watch a video about this at http://asiasociety.org/video/education-learning/asia-top-class and also a video called Why Languages Matter at http://asiasociety.org/video/education-learning/why-language-matters

The U.S. must start learning from Asia
By Vishakha N. Desai, Special to CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Education survey shows eight of top 10 performing countries are in Asia-Pacific region

Studies show higher test scores in math and science are associated with higher growth

High quality teachers and emphasis on math and science are factors, Desai says

Desai: Asia can look to America for clues in cultivating innovation and creativity
Vishakha N. Desai is president of Asia Society, which promotes the teaching of Chinese language and international studies in U.S. schools.

(CNN) -- Results of a global education survey today show U.S. high school students come in a dispiriting 26th out of 65 places worldwide in combined scores for math, science and reading tests.

The OECD's Program for International Assessment (PISA) suggests that while America lags, Asia soars: Out of the top 10, eight are in the Asia-Pacific region -- led by Shanghai and Hong Kong in China, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.

The rise of education in Asia is no accident. It reflects deliberate policies and long-term investments that recognize the centrality of quality education to a nation's economic growth.

Studies on PISA data show that higher test scores in math and science are associated with higher growth rates that, in turn, lead to higher incomes. These countries understand, as former Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has said: "A nation's wealth in the 21st century will depend on the capacity of its people to learn."

What do Asian school systems do to produce such achievement?

There is no one "Asian way" to academic success, just as not all Asian nations are equally successful. Shanghai is the leading edge in China but disparities remain within the country.

There are, however, common themes that permeate high-performing Asian school systems. These include:

• Rigorous standards and coherent curricula. Asian nations establish high academic standards and a demanding school curriculum that clearly defines the content to be taught and is sequenced to build on a student's abilities step by step. Teachers are expected to teach the full curriculum to all students, and schools have substantial responsibility and autonomy to design a program of instruction that meets students' needs.

• High-quality teachers and principals. Teachers are routinely recruited from among the top high-school graduates and, unlike in the U.S., principals generally do not apply to become school leaders as much as they are selected and prepared to do so. There are comprehensive systems for selecting, training, compensating and developing teachers and principals -- delivering tremendous skill right to the classroom.

• Emphasis on math and science. Math and science training begins early in primary school and rigorous courses such as biology, chemistry and physics, as well as algebra and geometry are part of a core curriculum for secondary school. Specialist teachers are often employed in elementary schools unlike "generalists" usually found in U.S. schools.

• Time and Effort. With longer school years and sometimes longer school days, Asian students often have the equivalent of several more years of schooling by the time they finish high school than the typical American student. Asian students are also expected to work hard in school, reflecting a societal belief that developing one's skills and knowledge reflects effort more than innate ability.

Aligning education goals to economic development, Asian nations have built strong school systems by scouring the world -- including the United States -- for effective practices and weaving them together in ways that mesh with their cultural values.

Recognizing the fast pace of change in the world's economic and civic environment, their focus now is on developing teachers, principals and students who are expected to have a global outlook and be "future ready."

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has said: "The simple truth is that America has a great deal to learn from the educational practices of other countries."

Models of best practice exist all over the world, but are most noticeably increasing in Asia. And, it's not a one-way street. Asian nations struggle with outmoded instructional practices and an over-reliance on high-pressure examinations -- and they continue to look to America for clues in cultivating innovation in teaching and creativity in their students.

The time has come for America to learn from -- and with -- Asia and the world.

Our ability to compete and lead in a global economy may well depend on it.