Chinese for Kids: Learning to Greet and Compete in Mandarin
Programs offering Chinese for kids have become tremendously popular in recent years, as parents and educators anticipate a changing world where English is not necessarily the dominant language. No longer a sleeping giant, China now boasts the fastest growing national economy, recently surpassing Great Britain to become the fourth largest in the world. Moreover, with a population of nearly 1.3 billion people, the Chinese appear increasingly willing to extend their influence across the globe, presenting the U.S. with new challenges and opportunities.
Will our children be ready to meet—and compete with—the new kids on the block? To address this issue, many elementary schools throughout the U.S. have initiated programs with Mandarin Chinese for kids — helping children learn Mandarin Chinese to prepare for the world that awaits them.
Compared to ten years ago, there are now three times as many Chinese language programs in the country, with up to 50,000 children enrolling in Chinese classes in elementary and secondary school, according to published reports.
Previously, it was uncommon for schools to offer classes in Chinese for kids, and the few courses that were available were generally limited to the high school level. That situation has dramatically changed. Across the country, from Boston to San Francisco, school systems have begun to teach children Chinese at a very young age. Children and parents have responded enthusiastically, creating a demand for more classes and home-based instructional programs.
Early Exposure in Chinese for Kids is Important
Studies have shown that early exposure to a second language greatly increases the likelihood that the student will attain fluency and a native accent. Taking advantage of this ‘window of opportunity’ is especially critical in Mandarin Chinese for kids.
The Foreign Service Institute, which trains American diplomats, estimates that it takes 1,300 hours to become proficient in Chinese. That is nearly three times as long as French, for example, which requires about 480 hours to achieve proficiency.
Parents of young children might consider Chinese for kids a daunting challenge. Despite being the world’s most spoken tongue, many Westerners perceive Chinese as a difficult and exotic language. Given the right approach, however, children often respond with excitement and enthusiasm. “It really appeals to kids,” Frances Weightman, an expert in Chinese Studies, recently told BBC News. “They find the different characters fun and grasp the different tones well. It’s like singing for them.”
Chinese for Kids: A Bright Future and a Bigger World
Daria Taubin, a first-grader in the elementary Chinese for kids program at the Driscoll School in Brookline, Mass., was interviewed by a reporter from The Boston Globe. The young girl declared: “I want to keep learning, learning, learning and then go to China.” She said she planned to continue her Chinese classes through high school, and added, “I teach my mom every word I really know.”
The director of the Driscoll School’s program predicted success for children like Daria who participate in programs offering Chinese for kids. She says by the time they reach eighth grade, they should be capable of holding conversations and writing brief essays in their new language.
In Chicago, the Alcott Elementary School introduced a Mandarin Chinese program two years ago. Today, there are more students enrolled in Chinese than Spanish classes. The majority of these students are not of Chinese descent. Interviewed in The New York Times, the school’s principal, David J. Domovic, described the overwhelming response to the program. “Chinese is our new baby,’ he said. “Everybody just wants in.”
But... What if the school doesn’t offer Chinese for kids?
Despite the increased popularity of making Chinese programs available for kids, many schools are either unable or unwilling to embrace a new language curriculum. Often, school systems struggle to financially support preexisting linguistic programs, much less introduce new ones like helping children learn Mandarin Chinese.
Finding qualified personnel can also be an issue. The No Child Left Behind Act requires that public school teachers be certified by an American university. Though Chinese émigré instructors might seem a logical choice, they cannot teach Chinese for kids in a public school without specific (and costly) accreditation.
Many parents have turned to after-school tutors. Others have discovered multimedia immersion programs for children that can be used at home. Knowing that the more exposure to the new language the richer the learning experience for their child, many parents compliment their child’s classroom learning with at-home programs.
Additional resources may be on the way. Senators Lamar Alexander and Joseph Lieberman introduced a bill to fund Chinese language programs in American schools. They have requested $1.3 billion in federal money. That’s a dollar for every person in the world who speaks Chinese. For our kids, perhaps it’s worth a whole lot more.
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