The Chinese Language Core Team invites you to a program in support of our goal to have 10% of students in Washington state learning Chinese by 2015. This workshop will be of great interest to teachers, parents, administrators, school board and community members who want to know more about how to launch a new program or ensure the quality of learning in an existing Chinese language program.

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Program

The program takes an in-depth look at the resources and information available in the recent publication from Asia Society, Creating a Chinese Language Program in Your School: An Introductory Guide. Members of the Chinese Language Core Team facilitate small groups, as needed, to cover particular points of interest and help connect the suggestions in the Guide to the realities in Washington State.

Creating a Chinese Language Program in Your School: An Introductory Guide In response to the unprecedented interest in schools and communities in expanding instruction in Chinese, Asia Society has produced an introductory handbook. Intended for school board members, educators and parents, the guide identifies key elements of a successful program, outlines practical action steps, and connects readers to professional resources.

We supplement the guide with information about local resources available in Washington state to help schools and communities launch (or continue) high-quality, effective Chinese language and culture programs.

For more details and useful links, visit: Workshop Resources.

Outline of the Workshop

1. Understanding the Context: Why is everyone interested in learning Chinese these days?
    
2. Understanding the Language: What do we need to know about Chinese?
   • Which variety? (Cantonese or Mandarin)
   • Why is learning Chinese challenging for native English speakers?
   • What about the writing system(s)?
   • Which is used on the AP exam? (Answer: Both)
      
3. Planning the Program: Where do we begin?
   • Who needs to be involved? (stakeholders)
   • What are the program goals?
   • What levels of proficiency can learners attain?
      
4. Staffing the Program: Where are the teachers?
   What are the alternate routes to certification?
    
5. Funding the Program: What does it cost?
    
6. Choosing a Program Model: What are the choices?
    
7. Planning for Instruction: What do we teach?
    
8. Assessing Student Proficiency: How well can they learn?
    
9. Sustaining Quality: How can we create an enduring program?
   • Alignment across grades and schools
   • Professional development for teachers
   • Partnering with Heritage Language Communities
   • Monitoring effectiveness over time

Interspersed throughout: what's currently happening in Seattle and Washington state to expand Chinese language opportunities?

Presenters from the Core Team include:

• Adam Ross, Teacher of Chinese at Lakeside School in Seattle, WA
• Chunman Gissing, Teacher of Chinese at University Preparatory Academy in Seattle, WA
• Michele Anciaux Aoki, Ph.D., World Languages Program Supervisor, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Project Director for the Washington State Coalition for International Education

This workshop is sponsored by the Washington State Coalition for International Education through a State Innovations grant from Longview Foundation.

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