New Language Strand at Our Summer Conference!

The Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning annual conference is dedicated to preparing students to be globally competent and ready for college. The two-day event connects educators, business leaders, policymakers, and resource providers to share best practices, build partnerships, and advance policies to ensure the next generation is ready to lead in an interconnected world. The 2014 Partnership for Global Learning annual conference (PGL14) will be an exciting one. Please join us June 27–28 in New York City. Learn more and register. 

The First Lady Says 你好!
From March 19–26, Michelle Obama will travel with her mother and two daughters to Beijing, Xi'an, and Chengdu. During her trip, the First Lady will be focusing on the power and importance of education, both in her own life and in the lives of young people in the U.S. and China. Follow her on Twitter, sign up here for updates throughout her trip and opportunities to ask questions, and watch her video greeting below:

Related:

Language, Literacy, and Identity
A question we get often at Asia Society is whether a school should teach traditional or simplified characters in Mandarin classes. Similar questions might confront schools as they choose between European or Latin American Spanish. As Yun Qin explains, the answer doesn't necessarily come down to politics or nationalism. She examines the question by turning the mirror onto how American and British English developed over the years. Read on.

A Monkey Got a Tangerine
Concerned about the survival of Cantonese, Hong Kong cartoonist Ah To has created a dizzying, colorful comic depicting 81 Cantonese proverbs. "The Great Canton and Hong Kong Proverbs" can be seen and shared here, complete with explanations of each proverb and pronunciation sound files.

Challenging Stereotypes
Running an auto-complete search on Baidu, China's top search engine, has yielded a map of regional stereotypes based on the questions Chinese ask about their own country. These range from food preferences to economic station to fashion and the environment. How can we help students identify their own assumptions and stereotypes about China, and then challenge them? Here are a couple of places to start:

中文 Matters
By now you will have noticed the regularly changing calligraphy in our banner. This month's new 中 (zhōng) and 文 (wén) have been selected from the work of Tang Dynasty calligrapher 欧阳询 (Ōuyáng Xún): 千字文 (Qiān Zì Wén/Thousand Character Classic). 千字文 is a poem with one thousand different characters, used to teach children to read and write Chinese. 欧阳询 was an imperial calligrapher. Along with 颜真卿, 柳公权, and 赵孟頫, he is considered one of the top four calligraphers of regular script. (楷书四大家：欧阳询，颜真卿，柳公权，赵孟頫)
 

 

The Global Competence Certificate (GCC) is the premier online Master's-level certificate program in global competence education for teachers. Use online learning, international field study, and a capstone project to build global competence. The courses are taught by renowned educators from across the country. In-service teachers may earn up to 48 continuing education units (CEUs) or 12 graduate-level credits. The Global Competence Certificate is developed by Columbia University Teachers College, World Savvy, and Asia Society. Submit Applications Online between March 3–June 15, 2014 for Fall 2014. Learn more.

The Future of International and Foreign Language Studies: Registration has been extended to March 31 for a research conference on national needs and policy implications: Internationalization of U.S. Education in the 21st Century. Keynotes by Governor Jon Huntsman and Asia Society's Tony Jackson, among others. April 11–13, 2014 in Williamsburg, VA. Learn more.

CARLA Summer Institute: Registration is now open for the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) Summer Institutes for Language Teachers and Summer Institutes for Immersion Teachers. Linking research and theory with practical applications for the classroom, each institute includes discussion, theory-building, hands-on activities, and networking with colleagues. Learn more.

NCTA Summer Institutes: A summer institute for secondary teachers, "Citizens, Society, and the State: Adaptation and Transformation in Contemporary China," will be held on the University of Colorado Campus. Each institute is limited to 20 eligible teachers chosen through a selective application process. Participants will receive a travel allowance, room and board, materials, and a stipend. Dates: July 7–11, 2014. Application deadline: March 21. Learn more.

High School Teacher/Student Pair Study: Concordia International School Shanghai is offering an educational opportunity to two high school teacher/student pairs selected to take part in a travel-study program examining key events of 19th and 20th century China. The travel-study program visits Shanghai, Nanjing, and Changsha to examine leadership in many forms, including the Taiping  Rebellion, Sun Yat-sen's revolution, the development of the Chinese Communist Party, the role of Shanghai in China's re-emergence, and much more. Participants will meet with local students to discuss history, culture, and current events. Application deadline: April 7, 2014. Learn more.

Student Summer Study in Beijing: The CLERC–Peking University Summer Chinese Language Program is accepting applications through April 11, 2014. The six-week intensive Mandarin Chinese learning program is tailored to high school seniors and college students (freshman and sophomore) who wish to learn and improve Chinese language quickly, and to better understand Chinese culture. College foreign language credits will be awarded to qualified students and transcript transfer service will be provided upon request after the program. Learn more.

Study Abroad for Teachers: Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that runs low-cost summer professional development travel programs designed for teachers. The China itinerary runs from July 28–August 4, 2014. Learn more.

Chinese Teacher Education Program: The Certificate Program in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (TCSOL) at Teachers College, Columbia University, is currently accepting applications for the 2014–2015 session. Spaces are limited. Learn more.


We welcome your feedback and encourage you to share information that is of interest to the wider community. Please feel free to contact us at chinese@asiasociety.org and forward this newsletter on to others who are interested in Chinese language and culture programs in the schools.

Chinese Language Initiatives Team
Asia Society

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