CLSC Staff Invited to Harvard Chinese AP Workshop

CLSC Staff members recently returned from an October workshop on Chinese AP training, sponsored by the ACTFL and Harvard University.

This workshop was by invitation, and a grant covered the fees. For info on the program, what was covered, or how to advance your child's studies in Chinese via classes or private tutoring, please contact the Chinese Language School of Connecticut at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

Pictured are CLSC Principal Daisy Chen Laone, Program Director Jopi Shen, Vice Principal Xian Xian Feng, teachers I-Hui Li, Wendy Zhou Witkowsky, and member Xian Wu, outside Harvard's Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations and the famous Jan Ying library.


Photo includes Mr. Bai, Committee Chair of the workshop.

CLSC Chinese Art and Culture

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

Art & Culture Levels 1 & 2

· Animal PuppetsDecorate Oversized Puppet Characters from

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

For a Story written by Students based on

Shopping for objects from ancient China.

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

Ming & Qing periods



· Bowls and Chopsticks

Food and chopstick 3D display of what we

Eat at home with our families

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

the world in the 1600s which carried over

twenty eight thousand men.



CLSC Art & Culture: Levels 3 & 4




· Children & Pet Puppets
Decorate “Self Portrait” or “Pet” puppets to

Dance to Chinese music.

· Family Cookbook
Students create illustrations for the first

CLSC cookbook

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

Heroes from the Ming dynasty

· Two Thousand Ships
Illustrations of the goods traded with the

merchants of Europe during the world

voyage: Chinese innovations

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

Qigong as performance art




CLSC Art & Culture: Levels 5& 6






· The Victors:

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

Costumes for men & women

· Temples of worship

Two backdrops depicting the interior of a

Small temple from the 1400s

· Jade & Earth
Recreate ornamental objects and vessels in

miniature for a household



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

Students create shadow box & puppets



· Qigong: Eight Brocades

Eight exercise movements, performance to

music; Daoist teachings to relax the mind





CLSC Art & Culture: Levels 7-9

· The Dancing Immortals

Puppet portrait: Bamboo & paper

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

Story using masks & puppets



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



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

“Monkey” & “American Born Chinese”



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

works of Joseph Needham: illustrations &

collage on canvas



· The CLSC photo bookStudents take photos of Asian influences

they see in everyday life to incorporate in to

large mix-media installation





Upcoming CLSC Events



October: Parent Forum: Dr. Jessica Offir

“Parenting: Setting Boundaries for your child”





November: The 2nd Annual CLSC Baking contest

This years’ theme: Decorative arts of China





December: Parent Forum: Patricia Lord

“Self Image for Girls: What moms need to

To Know”





January: Lantern Painting and Art Show





February: Cooking Demo; Steamed buns







CLSC

Wheat & Rice Cooking Workshops





Steam buns with assorted fillings



Fried rice, home style



Glutinous rice with chicken & wine



Dumplings with veggies, shrimp or chicken





Join us to learn how to cook simple and nutritious

home style comfort foods which are easy to

prepare. Class will be held at a private home in

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



* Bring your own rolling pins

CLSC Students Skip Levels of High School Chinese

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

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

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

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

Congress Targets Chinese Education

CLSC was profiled on the CBS Evening News a few years ago, as one of the pioneers in U.S. Chinese education (thanks to parent and Chinese New Year Chair Sam Connell for this link):

http://www.examiner.com/x-15615-Asia-Headlines-Examiner%7Ey2009m7d15-Congress-targets-Chinese-language-education

Congress targets Chinese language education

WASHINGTON - A bill pending in Congress would dramatically expand
Mandarin Chinese language classes for American students. The
measure, the U.S.-China Language Engagement Act, would award
competitive grants to schools to “establish, expand or improve”
Chinese language and cultural classes. It also expands technology op
tions to help American schools establish “virtual connections”
with schools in China.

U.S. Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., who authored the legislation, said
the measure can increase the competitiveness of American workers.

“While an estimated 200 million Chinese school children are studying
our language and culture, less than 50,000 American elementary and
secondary students are studying Chinese,” Davis said. “This bill
is part of a broader legislative package seeking to improve our comp
etitive edge and relationship with China.”

School districts around the country are increasingly adding Mandarin
language courses to their curriculum, but a lack of funding and
qualified teachers often makes program implementation difficult.
Linguists are divided as to whether studying foreign languages at an
earlier age is essential for fluency in the target language. The so-
called “critical learning period” has been challenged by more
provocative research which demonstrates the “plasticity” of the
human brain in people of all ages and backgrounds.

Mandarin Chinese, called “Putonghua,” is widely considered one of
the most difficult languages for native English speakers to master.
It is classified by the Defense Language Institute as a “category fo
ur” (out of four) language in regards to difficulty of mastery by na
tive English speakers. On the Foreign Service Institute language dif
ficulty scale, Mandarin is rated as a “category three” language
(out of three), due to the exceptional difficulty it poses for Engli
sh speakers to learn.

National security experts have said that the U.S. has a shortage of
qualified “critical language” speakers – specifically Mandarin
and Arabic. Both the CIA and FBI regularly advertise positions with
their agencies for Americans who possess some Chinese ability. In Ma
y, CIA Director Leon Panetta announced that he was boosting the agen
cy’s foreign language training programs. The 9/11 Commission Report
criticized the weak foreign language capabilities of the government’
s national security agencies.

On the campaign trail, then-candidate Barack Obama stressed that
foreign language instruction should be expanded in American schools.
“I don’t speak a foreign language. It’s embarrassing,” he
said. “It’s embarrassing when Europeans come over here, they all
speak English, they speak French, they speak German. And then we go
over to Europe and all we can say is merci beaucoup, right?”

A number of current Washington officials studied Mandarin as college
students. Democratic New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand studied the
language for six months in Mainland China and Taiwan. Treasury
Secretary Tim Geithner spent two summers learning the language at
Beijing’s Peking University, called “BeiDa” in Chinese.

The bipartisan bill, H.R. 2313, is cosponsored by U.S. Reps. Charles
Boustany, R-La.; Gerry Connolly, D-Va.; Mike Honda, D-Calif.; Steve
Israel, D-N.Y.; Mark Kirk, R-Ill.; Rick Larsen, D-Wa.; and Erik
Paulsen, R-Minn.

The legislation is currently awaiting further action in the House
Committee on Education and Labor.

First Chinese American Woman Elected to Congress

First Chinese American Woman Elected to Congress



Here is a great news item from the San Gabriel Valley (southern
California):

Judy Chu Becomes First Chinese American Woman Elected to Congress
On Tuesday, adding to a 24-year political career launched on a local school
board, Judy Chu became the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress.
She won a special election -- with nearly 62% of the vote -- to succeed
longtime ally Hilda Solis, now U.S. Labor secretary, in the 32nd Congressional
District.
L.A. Times -- July 15, 2009

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-judy-chu16-2009jul16,0,2984735.story

Ms. Chu is here with her two nieces, both adopted from China:

http://www.judychu.net/

Museum of the Chinese in America

The Newly Renovated Museum of the Chinese in Americas has Free Thursdays.

MOCA Target Free Thursday! Gran Torino Forum Discussion With Actors on July 16, 2009

Come to MOCA's Target Free Thursday on July 16!
Gran Torino Forum Discussion With Actors
Thu, Jul 16 from 7pm – 9pm

Free gallery admission this and every Thursday, made possible through the generosity of Target.

11 am - 9 pm Educator-led tours of the new space, plans for core exhibit and the Core Portraits.

11:30 am; 1:00 pm; 2:30 pm; 4:30 pm; 5:30 pm Screenings of Chinatown Film Project

7 pm - 9 pm GRAN TORINO FORUM DISCUSSION WITH ACTORS
A conversation and documentary screening with Bee Vang (played lead “Thao” in Gran Torino and making his only appearance in New York), Doua Moua (played gangbanger “Spider” in Gran Torino), and Louisa Schein (Asian American media expert, Rutgers University)


Join the Museum of Chinese in America and New York University’s Asian/Pacific/American Institute, for an exclusive and intimate conversation with actors Bee Vang (played lead "Thao" in Gran Torino), Doua Moua, (played gangbanger "Spider" in Gran Torino) and Louisa Schein (Asian American media expert, Rutgers University). Clint Eastwood's blockbuster was number 1 in the box office when it was released to critical acclaim. For Hmong Americans, Gran Torino marks a cinematic debut - the first they have participated in as characters, cast and crew in a major motion picture.

The event will include the New York City premier screening of "Gran Torino: Next Door" (directed by Mark D. Lee, produced by Cedric Lee), accompanied by a lively discussion and Q&A as the actors discuss their experiences as Asian Americans in the film industry and how they crafted their roles and their culture in Gran Torino.


"Gran Torino: Next Door", a short documentary made by two Detroit Hmong filmmakers, takes an intimate look at the Hmong actors' experiences and their stories, both on and off set, by mingling glimpses of early auditions and production shots with interviews - from Bee Vang, to Clint Eastwood, to writer Nick Schenk.

This event is free and open to the public. RSVP’s recommended. Email education@mocanyc.org with name and number of guests.

This exciting benefit has been made possible through the generosity of Target.


Upcoming Target Free Thursday performances:
July 30: Cynthia Lin (acoustic/folk/jazz), Alice Hu (alternative/folk)
August 13: Kelly Tsai (spoken word)

Travelling to China!

We recently returned from a wonderful twelve day trip to China (Beijing, Xian, Hangzhou and Shanghai) with our two children, ages 9 and 13. The trip was arranged by China Connections, and was very professionally organized, terrific guides, wonderful sites, extemely courteous attention, very well organized. I would receive a reply to every email within 24 hours. http://www.china-tour.cn/

June 26

We arrived in Beijing’s sparkling new international airport, and made it thru security and the H1N1 flu check. Security came on board the plane to do a temperature scan; technicians were wearing all white, surgical masks and visor-helmets. Sort of techno-scary, but very interesting way to start our trip. Very few crowds, so easy to get thru security and immigration was a snap.

June 27

Tianammen Square and Forbidden City were amazing so historical. Lots of people, mainly tourists from Korea, Japan and around Chinese. Very few Americans or Europeans.

In the afternoon we went to the Summer Palace and rode the Dragon Boat (a ferry across the lake to the exit, definitely worth doing. Then a visit to a
pearl factory.

Dinner was at this very upscale restaurant, Baizha Da Zhai Men - costumed actors in Qing dynasty wear, it was like a courtyard home, meticulously maintained; very expensive / exclusive. Most tourists, I've heard, do not know about this restaurant - definitely worth a visit!

Our hotel is good, not as upscale as 4 star would be in the States, but very good for us, because almost no one speaks English, so Em, Becky and I have to really make an effort to speak Chinese (and sometimes we draw pictures!).

We didn’t have cold water the first morning, but they fixed it fairly quickly after I called a couple times and finally went downstairs (at 6 AM).

Emily’s Ipod with Chinese app is coming in handy to look up all kinds of words (it gives Chinese, pinyin, English, with tones).

Food is great, we found the chef will make fresh Beijing noodles right in
Front of you, for breakfast.

Our guide, Robert Huang, is warm, funny, delightful, his English is great. If you travel to China and use China Connection Tours, I would recommend you ask for Robert. (info@ChinaConnectionTours.com, ask for Michael Xu.)

June 28

Yesterday we went to the Jade Factory then on to the Great Wall, Juyonguong Pass (this is a section of the Wall I did about 3 years ago, but I did it in April, 70 degrees, not end of June, 100 degrees…)

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/scene/beijing/juyongguan.htm

We had lunch at the friendship store / cloisonne factory (I've been to this
Factory before, but they’ve renovated it, so they no longer have glass separating most of the workers which meant we were able to get up close to them while they worked, it was great.

We went to the Olympic Village, went inside the water cube,
and then went to a tea house and then to the Hard Rock for dinner (had to do it).

June 29

Today we visited the hutong area of Beijing, amazing, wonderful, in rickshaws, it covers a much larger area than I thought it would. You cannot skip this if you are in Beijing.

Then we visited Wangfujing Street, like Rodeo Drive, gorgeous, new, then on to the Temple of Heaven, a beautiful, big park, was where the royal families worshipped.

Then to dinner and to a gongfu show. It was great, very crowded, this is where all the tourists go. When we left someone managed to get into my bag and steal my wallet. (There were a lot of crowds, buses, chaotic.) You have to remember to watch your children, bags, when traveling, a good reminder.

June 30

The next day we went to the bank to get $$ from American Express and
turned out we were the first of anyone ever to try to do that, so took
1.5 >> hours, (we cancelled our field trip for the day, which was supposed to
be a 3 hour bus drive to an even more ancient hutong area, Cuandixia Village http://www.china.org.cn/travel/gallery/2008-11/13/content_16759910.htm but that was okay...our guide Robert Huang said we still had time, and could go, but we wanted to be sure we had cancelled credit cards, called insurance, etc.

Miraculously, though, after getting $$ from bank, Robert got a call, a car park attendant at the Crowne Plaza found my wallet - everything intact except cash, credit cards and ring, so we went over to pick it up. The car parking lot attendant said the wallet had been thrown under a car, so most likely what happened was that a gang of professional thieves scoped out the most tourist-y area they could find, found someone distracted (me) to accost, then within 30 minutes went to Wangfujing Street (Rodeo Drive) to charge about $12K worth of items, (including about $4K woth of clothes from Zara!) tossing my wallet with things they didn’t need out, along the way.

Surprisingly, everything left in my wallet was scrupulously in order, so the thief was very neat.

We made a trip to the Beijing Zoo, which wasn’t on our itinerary, but which China Connections graciously substituted since we had to cancel Cuandixia Village. This is another “don’t miss” in Beijing, especially if you have children. The pandas, of course, were the biggest hit, and I was surprised at the extent of the panda exhibit; I expected 2 or 3 pandas, but there were at least 6 or 8, many outside, climbing trees.


July 1

Today got up at 6, and took a walk to this great park we found, where Olympic baseball was played. People were doing tai chi, Chinese yoyo, walking dogs,
sitting outside with their birds in cages, wonderful.No matter how much you may want to sleep in, it’s worth it to set the alarm and get up to see some tai chi in the early, cool AM.

We went to Hong Qiao Flea Market, a large indoor market where you can pretty much buy anything you’d want. My children thought it was hysterical that shop girls would accost me in the aisles, sometimes grabbing me, four or six at a time, trying to get us to buy things.

Had a Beijing Roast Duck dinner, then on to the very clean, new-ish train station for the overnight soft sleeper train to Xian. We had 4 berths in a very small cabin, but very new, clean, air conditioned, so we actually all slept well.

July 2

Arrived in Xian at 8:30AM, this was tricky, at first we couldn’t find the way out / correct exit, and had to meet our guide outside the exit…but we managed, after paying someone much too much to help with bags (er shi liang kwai for oone or two large bags on wheels, 22 kwai RMB, about $3.50).

Our guide was Elsie, very knowledgable, very nice, she had a bit of a tendency to get short tempered with our questions, though!

Very hot, hotter than Beijing (if anyone has a chance to travel to China, but can make the trip in October or April, I’d recommend doing that, even if it means pulling your children out of school).

On to hotel to check in (lovely hotel, Arum International, beautiful, connected rooms, sophisticated staff, many people spoke English, easy to get an internet connection, great breakfast).

After breakfast went to Shaanxi History Museum (first capital of China in 220 BC, emperor Qin unified China, standardized currency, connected various walls to form the Great Wall). Xi'an was the center for international trade in the Tang Dynasty period - this was before the Silk Road / Marco Polo / Kubla Khan.

Then went to the Huaxian Peasant Painters Village (very famous, they came to
Greenwich a couple years ago), one woman, Mrs. Pan, who was a local crafts person when much younger, got local artists together to help promote their way of painting, and it's gotten international awards. Saw paper cutting, then back to hotel, had dumpling banquet and show (Tang Dynasty music and dance).

July 3

Today got up early, went to Terra Cotta Warriors museum, where we saw the
pottery area, kiln, a demonstration of how the warriors were made, how lacquer and pottery is made, and how the smaller (souvenirs) ones are made now, very similar, except now they use molds, back then they did not (220 BC). The Terra Cotta Warriors were part of the Emperor (Emperor Qin, above) tomb, to act as guards.

On to the actual excavation site, unbelievable and amazing, they 're still
excavating more. Met the farmer who discovered the stone warriors; he is in his 80s now, Mr. Yang.

Then on to the Big Goose Pagoda (buddhist monastery) and to the ancient
Xi'an City Wall, where we rode bikes on the wall, a great thing to do. Dinner was Szechuan hot pot, we walked through the city of Xian to get to the restaurant, much like parts of NYC. Older children would love this, you get to cook your own food.

July 4

We took an early flight to Hangzhou. Hangzhou is a very upscale, famous, water resort town, lots of BMWs,Mercedes (and with import taxes, they pay about 4X what we'd pay for the same car...).

Saw the West Lake, went boating on the lake, went to Ling Yin Temple and a
silk factory (supposedly the biggest in China), as well as a tea
plantation. Really beautiful.

Had dinner at Lou Wai Lou restaurant on the West Lake. Would definitely recommend this for the experience and views of the lake, except we seem to keep getting chicken and fish with bones, hard to eat…think about requesting “nothing with bones” when you are planning your trip, especially if you have children. (I’ll eat anything, but the bones get to me…)

Next AM took the van to Shanghai, checked in, and went to see the Yuyuan Gardens (with ancient bazaar; this market with buildings and zig zag bridge has been around for centuries), the Cheng Huang Temple (passed by, didn't go in), did Nanjing Road, then shopping, dinner, then acrobats at the gorgeous performing arts center. Puts anyhing in NYC to shame.

The next day we did the Shanghai Museum (I've been there before, we loved it), the Children's Palace (which was really a community center, strange naming), a wonderful Jade Museum, and then to the Pudong district, the Bund, TV Pearl Tower, and dinner at the top of the Pearl Tower's spinning restaurant. Again, this is something that might not make it to your itinerary unless you ask, and it's definitely worth it!

We finished up with a boat tour on the Huangpu River, which is amazing, All lights at night. This is another “must do” in Shanghai.

The next day took the maglev bullet train to the Pudong Airport and headed home!

A fantastic trip.

For more information on Chinese programs (especially Chinese language classes for children and adults, Chinese preschool classes, culture, history) please contact www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or email us at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

Children's Chinese Art Exhibit

New Canaan Library Welcomes Chinese Language School of Connecticut Art Exhibit

“It’s very gratifying to see how many students are inspired to learn Chinese through their interest in art and Chinese culture,” noted CLSC Board member and president, New Canaan resident Susan Serven.

Riverside, CT, June 20, 2009 – The Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org), the fully-accredited, non-profit Riverside, CT-based provider of Chinese language programs to students, schools and corporations, will be presenting an exhibit of children’s Chinese art at the New Canaan Library from June 25 through the end of July.

New Canaan Library Director Alice Knapp, explained, “We are very pleased to help promote global community awareness through this international exhibit. The Chinese Language School of Connecticut’s students and staff have created some wonderful pieces of art exploring what they’ve learned, and what Chinese culture means to them.”

“It’s wonderful to see so many of our students showing what they’ve learned, through art,” said CLSC president, New Canaan resident Susan Serven. “Creating art helps students integrate what they are learning, and makes it all so much more fun,” she continued.

CLSC VP Art and Culture, Redding resident Katy Chen Myers, explained, “the exhibits will include student-created artwork such as “The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove,” which is a Recreation of the third century Wei dynasty poets and writers as Taoist sages engaged in music and conversation; Traditional folk art of China and Taiwan made for the spring festivals and dragon boat races in honor of Chinese hero Qu Yuan; “Collage of the Ancients,” which are Early Chinese pictographs arranged in artful patterns; “Let a Hundred Kites Fly; Virtues Remembered: A tribute to the victims of the Cultural Revolution,” which is an installation of one hundred kites made by CLSC students stamped with Chinese characters representing virtues forgotten by the communist leaders during the Cultural Revolution; and “The Horses of the Tang Dynasty,” which is an installation of the pastel/abstract ponies arriving for inspection for the emperor,” she continued.

Explanations of each group will accompany the art.

For information on this exhibit or on CLSC weekend or weekday language programs for children or adults, Before– and After- School programs, special workshops, private tutoring or corporate language programs, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or email them at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

* * *

Musical Mandarin 2.5 hour preschool class

Thanks to our parents of preschoolers for your suggestions on forming an expanded preschool class! We're happy to offer Musical Mandarin, a drop off class for children ages 3-5, which uses activities, songs and music to introduce children to Chinese!

Chinese Language School of Connecticut Introduces Musical Mandarin

-- Non-Profit School offers 2.5 hour Weekday Preschool Class --

“So many of our parents have asked for an expanded preschool class utilizing music, and we’re pleased to help introduce even more children to Chinese through Musical Mandarin,” noted CLSC Board Co-Chair, Greenwich resident Cynthia Chang Scanlan.

Riverside, CT, June 1, 2009 – The Chinese Language School of Connecticut (www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org), the fully-accredited, non-profit Riverside, CT-based provider of Chinese language programs to students, schools and corporations, is pleased to announce Musical Mandarin, an expanded, 2.5 hour preschool class developed to introduce Chinese to children through activities and music.

CLSC Principal, Daisy Chen Laone, explained, “Young children learn best through music and song. We are extremely fortunate to have some exceptionally talented teachers with wonderful musical ability. With the start this fall of our new Musical Mandarin program, we hope to engage even more preschoolers in learning Chinese.”

“Musical Mandarin is available to children ages three through five, Wednesdays, 9:30-12:00, starting October 14, 2009, at our weekday program offices at the Greenwich Family Y, 50 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT. Registration is open now; early registration rates apply until July 15.

“We are offering our summer preschool Chopstix programs in Greenwich, as well, for any students who can’t wait until the fall to begin learning Chinese!” she continued. “The registration deadline is June 15.”

CLSC parent Robyn Wasserman explained, "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."

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

* * *

Thanks for Another Great Year at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut

Even in all this rain, they tell us summer's nearly here.


Congrats to everyone at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut on another wonderful year.

And for those who may have missed our Year End Celebration on Sunday...

Congratulations to Cameron Yick and Alex Chou, who graduated this year, but will be back to assist our teachers and mentor our younger students. (Pictured: CLSC Principal Daisy Laone, Alex Chou, Cameron Yick, CLSC President Susan Serven)

Thank you to all our teachers and students who put on such a wonderful performance today, we're very proud of you!

Thank you to outgoing Parents Committee Chair (for 2 years!), Amy Yu.

Thank you to outgoing VP Marketing (for 3 years!) Marie Howe.

Thank you to outgoing VP Development, Chinese New Year Chair (for 3 years!) Sue Lue.

Thank you to incoming Parents Committee Chair, Deborah Serianni.

Thank you to incoming Chinese New Year Chair Samantha Connell, and co-Chair, Michelle Fang.


We have some wonderful things planned for next year, including our expanded class for preschoolers, Musical Mandarin.

We are introducing a Pen Pal program with Chinese students this summer...for info please email info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org (you must be a current or past student of the Chinese Language School of Connecticut's weekday, weekend, Before / After School Chinese or private tutoring programs to participate).

And, Daisy and our teachers have been developing our own Level 1 Beginner materials...as well as working with various interactive Chinese learning materials providers to create an engaging Chinese curriculum at all levels!


For info on registration for the school year 2009/2010, please visit www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org or email us at info@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

Why Study Mandarin Chinese?

Since so many people ask how young a child should be before learning a second language, or why a child should learn Chinese, as opposed to a more "westernized" language such as Spanish, I thought it could be helpful to post an article from our web site, www.ChineseLanguageSchool.org, on "Why Study Chinese."

Here we go...

"Congratulations on starting the search for your child's Chinese language introduction.

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 20061. 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: Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Australia Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, commentator and fund manager Jim Rogers, former president of Goldman Sachs John L. Thornton, and News Corp's chairman Rupert Murdoch are just a few of the world's leaders that speak Chinese or realize the importance of learning Mandarin.1 With the emergence of China as a global economic superpower (Goldman Sachs famously prophesizes that China will overtake the US as the world's largest economy by 2050, and China is now the world's third-largest trading nation.2), the importance understanding China's global relevance cannot be understated. "

1 Ellen Gamerman, "Drilling Kids in Chinese," The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2007.

2 Kevin Rudd, Peking University, April 9, 2008

Networking for Chinese Language and Culture

Visit our new group at LinkedIn to see job postings, connect with others interested in promoting Chinese language and culture...www.LinkedIn.com and search Chinese Language School of Connecticut.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Planning to travel to China?

Several parents and alumni families have recommended China Connection Tours, which has offices in several locations in China as well as the U.S. Professional service, wonderful trips, vacations may be customized.

http://www.china-tour.cn/

or, contact the Chinese Language School of Connecticut for more details about where some students have visited in China!

CLSC Principal Receives Worldwide ACTFL OPI Certification

Congratulations to CLSC Principal Daisy Chen Laone on achieving official certification through the ACTFL as an ACTFL OPI rater for Mandarin Chinese.

This is a worldwide certification, acknowledging that Daisy is eligible to work globally with ACFTL to rate performance and determine students’ placement levels after the take the OPI.

The OPI allows students who rate at various levels to receive college credit in their chosen language. http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3348

The ACTFL is the American Commission on Teaching Foreign Languages; the OPI is the Oral Proficiency Interview, a standardized procedure for the global assessment of functional speaking ability. It is a face-to-face or telephonic interview between a certified ACTFL tester and an examinee that determines how well a person speaks a language by comparing his or her performance of specific communication tasks with the criteria for each of ten proficiency levels described in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.

The ACTFL OPI is currently used worldwide by academic institutions, government agencies, and private corporations for purposes such as: academic placement, student assessment, program evaluation, professional certification, hiring and promotional qualification. The ACTFL OPI is recognized by the American Council on Education (ACE) for the awarding of college credit.

Students must be in at least 10th grade to receive college credit, but any student may take a version of the OPI to determine their current status. CLSC currently follows OPI guidelines as part of the assessment process to determine students’ levels before they graduate.

Any student who has studied Chinese and is interested in finding out about taking the OPI, in order to receive college credit should please contact Daisy at Principal@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.

Any younger students who wish to find out their proficiency level, in order to advance their Chinese studies so they can test officially in 10th grade should contact Principal@ChineseLanguageSchool.org.