Chinese government sponsors Mandarin in USA high schools

[confucius]

I read an interesting article in USA Today (December 10) about the rising popularity of Mandarin in American high school curriculums.

A new advanced placement course will begin in fall 2006. The Chinese government is underwriting the costs (millions of US dollars) of developing the coursework and training teachers.

Most American students never have an opportunity to receive formal training in Mandarin until they go to college. If they can get 2 or 3 years under their belt before high school graduation then imagine how fluent they could become after advanced university coursework and practical study abroad.

It's going to be interesting to watch the next generation of American Mandarin learners perform xiangsheng on CCTV's New Year show.

[niubi]

that's very cool. i didn't have a chance to start studying chinese until after i graduated from college.

[eion_padraig]

This is an insidious plot by the Chinese to send their brokenhearted, drunk, and useless graduates to America to hook up with beautiful American women under the guise of "foreign experts". Ha, ha, I'm on to them; it'll never work.

But really, this is pretty cool. I wonder what the requirements to be a teacher would be. American has lots of really poor Spanish, German and French teachers in the school system (there are lots of good ones too!).

I have heard that there is a Chinese immersion school in Portland, OR. I don't know which one though. I wouldn't have the skills to be a teacher there, it might be interesting to teach some of the subjects they still teach in English. I think only half of the subjects are taught in Chinese.