Title: EXPANDING CHINESE LANGUAGE CAPACITY IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
1EXPANDING 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_at_doe.k12.de.us
2Create a Tipping Point for Expanding Chinese
Language Capacity
- Act when the context is right!
- Create sticky messages that stay in peoples
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?
4Chinas Economic 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.
5Chinas 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
6Chinas Cultural Heritage Enriches Our Lives
- Worlds 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
7New 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
8Create Your Own Sticky Messages
Its 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)
9Some Examples of Sticky Messagesfor Language
EducationBiliteracy 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
10Why 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
11Language 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)
12Start Young and Stay Long
- Time is needed to build oral proficiency and
literacy in Chinese/second language - Realistic expectations
- Comprehensive planning
- Long-term investment
13So the Context is Right, and there are Sticky
Messages
- Who Should be the Messengers?
- You!
- Create your own quotable!
14Michael 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,
LEnfant Plaza Hotel
15Howard Schultz Chairman, 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
16Conclusion Can We Tip the Status Quo in the
State of Washington Now?
- The Context?
- Sticky Messages?
- Effective Messengers?
- Thank you!