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EXPANDING CHINESE LANGUAGE CAPACITY IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

EXPANDING CHINESE LANGUAGE CAPACITY IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON International Education Leadership Summit January 30, 2006 Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D. Education Associate World Languages & International Education Delaware Department of Education swang@doe.k12.de.us

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EXPANDING CHINESE LANGUAGE CAPACITY IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

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  1. EXPANDING CHINESELANGUAGE CAPACITY IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON International Education Leadership Summit January 30, 2006 Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D. Education Associate World Languages & International Education Delaware Department of Education swang@doe.k12.de.us

  2. Create a Tipping Point for Expanding Chinese Language Capacity • Act when the “context” is right! • Create “sticky messages” that stay in people’s minds • Identify and engage mavericks who can be your “contagious” messengers - Malcolm Gladwell, 2000

  3. The Context Is Chinese a “Fad”? In a flattened world, a more compelling question would be: Why Not?

  4. China’sEconomic Power as A New “Globalizer”(World Bank, 2002) • Now the largest producer of coal, steel and cement in the world • 2nd largest consumer of energy • 3rd largest importer of oil • Imports to US have grown by 1600 % in the past 15 years • Exports to China from the US have grown by 415 % • China manufacturers 2/3rd of the world copiers, microwave ovens, DVD players, toys and shoes • In the past 25 years, 300 million people moved out of poverty and quintupled the average income • Wal-Mart is the largest company in the world: • Employs 1.4 million people---more than GM, Ford, GE and IBM combined • Revenues are 8 X that of Microsoft • 80% of everything sold in Wal-Mart is manufactured in China • Economic output of 1.6 trillion is expected to triple in the next 15 years *Data taken from Newsweek Magazine, "Special Report, China's Century." May 9, 2005.

  5. China’s Political Power: Engagement with China is Crucial • An emerging superpower of the world • A player in balancing international stability • A key to the national security of the US • An actor to ensure global human security challenges: environment, health, poverty, human rights, migration, peace and so on

  6. China’s Cultural Heritage Enriches Our Lives • World’s longest uninterrupted civilization • Literary and artistic traditions • Influence on East-Asian philosophy, social structure, and ways of being in the world • Linguistic influences • Culinary arts • Scientific and technological inventions • Chinese medicine

  7. New Initiatives in the U.S. • Handbook on Chinese Language Programs (Led by Asia Society, funded by College Board) — to be completed in April 2006 • K-16 Flagship at the University of Oregon and Portland Public School District • ChenGo Web- or CD-based Chinese Learning System developed by China and the US • National Security Language Initiative

  8. Create Your Own Sticky Messages: It’s All about Framing • Increase awareness • Make it relevant • Create a sense of urgency • Make it concrete: Success stories speak volumes! - Adapted from Harry Harding (2002) & Susan Bales (2003)

  9. Some Examples of Sticky Messagesfor Language Education:Biliteracy for All Children • Biliteracy is capital in the global funds for the 21st century • Language minority children need to acquire English, but they also need to maintain their heritage language and culture • English dominant children need to learn another language other than English

  10. Why Does the US Need Pluralistic Citizens? • “Everybody else is learning English” — a double-edged sword for the US Others can understand us, but we cannot comprehend them! • Know our own language and culture better through studying others • It is a waste to dry up our rich linguistic and cultural resources

  11. Language Study Helps Development of Problem-Solving and Creative-Thinking Skills • Linguistic: Knowledge of and skill in another language; Native language becomes concrete • Cultural: Knowledge of another culture outside Europe; stronger self- and US-identities • Social: Pride in being able to learn a “difficult” language; Feeling “smart” • Cognitive: • Tap into multiple intelligences • Develop and use better learning strategies • Become self-managed and life-long learners • Character-Based languages: 2-dimensional patterning, geometry • Relationship with Math (e.g., number values)

  12. Start Young and Stay Long • Time is needed to build oral proficiency and literacy in Chinese/second language • Realistic expectations • Comprehensive planning • Long-term investment

  13. So the Context is Right, and there are Sticky Messages Who Should be the Messengers? You! Create your own quotable!

  14. Michael Eskew CEO, United Parcel Service Education in an Age of Globalization Six traits in future employees at UPS • Trade literate • Sensitive to foreign cultures • Conversant in different languages • Technology savvy • Capable of managing complexity • Ethical December 8, 2005 States Institute, L’Enfant Plaza Hotel

  15. Howard SchultzChairman, Starbucks China's emerging as one of the centers of the world, if not the center of the world…. If my kids were of very young ages today, I would be asking them, and encouraging them, to learn Chinese. - Seattle Times, 12/25/2005

  16. Conclusion:Can We Tip the Status Quo in the State of Washington Now? The Context? Sticky Messages? Effective Messengers? Thank you!

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