2009 icice conference - 全球華文網...

1

The Chinese Language Field in the US: An Overview, Challenges & Opportunities

2009 ICICE Conference

Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D.Executive Director

Chinese Language InitiativesAsia Society

June 19, 2009Taipei, Taiwan

2

1. A framework of world language education

2. The Chinese language field: Pre- and Post-2004

3. Accomplishments

4. Challenges and opportunities

OVERVIEW

1. A framework of world language education

The Architecture of the Language Field (Brecht & Walton, 1994)

A Language Field

Government

Formal educational

system

Private providers

Heritage communities

Home government

Government

Home Government

Private Providers

OnlineMultimedia

NGOs

Formal education system

LearnersHeritage Communities

A System View of the Language Field(Wang 2009)

Educational System: K-16 Articulation

Institutions of Higher EducationCommunity Colleges-

UndergraduateGraduate

Public K-12 schools, including charter &

vocational schools

Private/parochial/religious schools

Non-school time

Interface of Different Sub-SystemsLanguage Planning FWK

Language Ecological Perspective

Points of Discussion

Status Planning Language Environment Status of the Language:(1) English Language

Learner education;(2) HL education; &(3) WL/FL education

Corpus Planning Language Evolution in the host environment

Teaching & learning the TL as a (1) HL & (2) WL/FL

Acquisition Planning

Language Effects: Endangerment, Counter-Endangerment, or Language Spread

Strategies to promote the TL as a (1) HL & (2) WL/FL

Infrascture of a Learner-Centered Language Field

Program establishment &

sustainability

Technology

Research

Assessment &evaluation

Materials

Instructional planning &

strategies

Curriculum

Teachers

Learners

2. The Chinese language field: Pre- and Post-2004

Historical Major Efforts in Spreading Chinese in US Secondary Schools

1. The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) (1958)

2. Carnegie Initiatives (1960s-1980s)

3. Geraldine Dodge Initiatives (1980s-2000)

4. FLAP Grants (enacted 1988 & 1990)

Status of Chinese as a Foreign/World Language: Pre-2004

Perceived to be a difficult languagePolarized views about US-China-Taiwan relationshipsTraditionally for elite or college-bound studentsIntellectual & humanistic pursuitsMental disciplineLinguistic benefitsNational securityInternational economic competitiveness

(e.g., Brecht & Ingold, 2002; Brecht & Walton,1994; Gardner, et al. 1983; Lambert, 1986; Lantolf & Sunderman, 2001)

Group Type Chinatown Chinese Schools

National Council of Associations of Chinese Language Schools (NCACLS)

The Chinese School Association in the United States (CSAUS)

When 19th Century Early 1970s Early 1990s

Family Origin

Southern China;After 1976, Ethnic Chinese from Southeast Asia

Taiwan & Hong Kong.After late 90s: adoptive and interracial families

People’s Republic of China, adoptive families

Language Taught

Cantonese, Taishanese, Hakka

Mandarin, a few teach Taiwanese (a Min Dialect)

Mandarin

Types of Chinese Heritage Language Schools

13

Pre-2004: Total Student Enrollment in Chinese

HEd 7-12 HL

34,153 (MLA, 2002)

24,000(ACTFL, 2000)

100,000 (NCACLS,

2005)

60,000

(CSAUS, 2005)

160,000 Total:

238,000 roughly

The expansion of the Chinese language field:

2004-2009

Chinese Language in the Public Discourse

National securityEconomic competitivenessA ticket to the China ExpressA player in the global economy and global issuesMandarin as a global phenomenonMixed feelings from other world languages

Market Economic Status of Chinese: If Chinese Were Stores

Home Language: No market value (in schools)

Heritage Language: Neighborhood mom and pop shops

Foreign Language:--Prior to 2000: Neiman Marcus—only for the

elites--After 2004/05: Costco—an upscale wholesaler(Adapted from H. Tonkins, personal communication, 2000)

Post 2004: Major Initiatives for

Chinese Language in the US

Private Providers:

e.g., Berlitz, Rosetta Stone

Online

Multi-Media

19

Post 2004: Major Initiatives (Cont.)

US Government: -- Federal Government (National

Security Language Initiative)-- State and Municipal governments

PRC & ROC GovernmentsNGOs:

-- College Board -- Asia Society

20

Chinese Flagship Programs1. Brigham Young University2. The University of Mississippi3. Ohio State University 4. The University of Oregon and Portland Public

School District K-16 Chinese Flagship1. Arizona State University2. Indiana University-Bloomington 3. University of Rhode Island4. Western Kentucky University

Diffusion of Innovation Grants http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/funding_institutions.html

21

Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP): Chinese Programs

Programs 2006 2007 2008

Number 48 LEAs

3 SEAs

22 5

Funding amount

$9.66 millions $3.65 millions 0.79 millions

Total: $14.1millions

22

STARTALK Project: Chinese Student and Teacher Programs

2007 2008

27 student programs18 teacher programs

37 student programs18 teacher programs

744 students 1,884 students

355 teachers 787 teachers

Administered by the National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) at the University of Marylandhttp://www.startalk@umd.edu or Startalk@umd.edu

23

Sample Municipal Chinese Initiatives

Chicago: in 2008-09, 12,000 students learn Mandarin

Los Angeles: Language Resolution (October 2008)

New York Chinese Task Force (Asia Society and China Institute, May 2009)

24

Sample State Initiatives

Connecticut

Indiana

Kansas

Minnesota

New Jersey

North Carolina

Ohio

Oklahoma

Utah

Wisconsin

And more…

K-12 Virtual Chinese Language Programs in the US(Asia Society, April 2009)

16 states currently have Distance Learning/Web-Based Programs for Chinese Language

15 states offer Chinese I

11 states offer Chinese II (12 in 2010)

3 states offer Chinese III (5 in 2010)

3 states are expected to provide Chinese IV in 2010

3 states offer AP Level (8 in 2010)

2 states are in the process of implementing Distance Learning/Web-Based programs

Data Source: NCSSFL online survey

STATES WITH VIRTUAL CHINESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMS(April 2009, NCSSFL Listserv Responses; compiled by Asia Society)

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Connecticut Expected

GeorgiaHawaiiPennsylvania Expected

IndianaKansasKentucky Expected Expected

MississippiMinnesotaNorth Carolina Expected

OklahomaUtah Expected

VirginiaWashingtonWisconsinWest Virginia

27

Chinese Government

Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters

Worldwide Promotion of Chinese as a WLChinese Bridge DelegationVisiting Teacher programsConfucius Institutes: 56 in the U. S., March 09

http://english.hanban.edu.cn

28

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):States and Cities with China

12 StatesConnecticutDelawareIndianaKansasKentuckyMaineNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaSouth CarolinaUtahWisconsin

2 Cities

ChicagoLos Angeles

Taiwan K-12 Mandarin Chinese Teaching Program in the US

Yr/5 States

2005 2006 2007 2008 Total

Indiana 2 0 0 5 7

Ohio 0 0 1 0 1

Michigan 0 0 0 10 10

Pennsylvania 0 0 0 1 1

Nevada 0 0 0 4 4

Total 2 0 1 20 23

30

The College Board

In collaboration with Hanban

AP Course and Exam, beginning in 2007Chinese Bridge Delegation: 1,200 educatorsVisiting Teacher Programs: 200 teachers in 32 states at 130 institutions

Chinese Cultural SeminarsStudent Summer in China Program

Data Source: The college Board internal study, April 2008

31

Asia Society

Chinese Language Initiativeshttp://asiasociety.org

32

A Chinese Handbook and DVD

33

http://AskAsia.org/Chinesehttp://internationaled.org

34

National Chinese Language Conference: April 30-May 2, 2009, Chicago

Making Connections,Building Partnerships!

Teachers, administrators, school board members, policy makers, business, and international leaders

Connecting K-12 and higher education

Creating partnerships between U.S. and Chinese educators, schools, and universities

Visit classes in the Chicago Public Schools

35

A WORLD LANGUAGE TEACHER WHITE PAPER (Summer 2009)

A national project co-sponsored by

The National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) at the University of Maryland

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)

Asia Society

36

4. Effects of Efforts

37

Growth of Chinese Language Programs in K-12 Schools

Data Source: The College Board internal study, April 2008

263

779

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2004* 2008

Number ofSchools/Districts

38

Languages Taught in Elementary Schools(CAL, 1997 & 2008)

L SP FR *SPSpSp

LA **CH

GE ASL

HB IT JP AR RU

97 79 27 8 3 0.3 5 2 2 2 3 0.1 1

08 88 11 7 6 3 2 2 1 2 1 1 0.2

(http://cal.org/flsurvey)

* SP SP SP: Spanish for Speakers of Spanish** Chinese: + 900% increase

39

Languages Taught in Secondary Schools (CAL, 1997 & 2008)

L SP FR GE

LA SP

Sp

Sp

*CH

ASL

IT JP HE AR

GRE

RU

‘97 93 64 24 20 9 1 2 3 7 0.2 0 1 3

‘08 93 46 14 13 8 4 4 4 3 1 1 1 0.3

(http://cal.org/flsurvey)

* Chinese: + 300%

40

Enrollments in Higher Education Language Courses:Fall 1998, 2002, and 2006

1998 2002% Change 1998-2002 2006

% Change 2002-06

Spanish 656,590 746,267 13.7 822,985 10.3French 199,064 201,979 1.5 206,426 2.2German 89,020 91,100 2.3 94,264 3.5ASL 11,420 60,781 432.2 78,829 29.7Italian 49,297 63,899 29.6 78,368 22.6

Japanese 43,141 52,238 21.1 66,605 27.5

Chinese 28,456 34,153 20.0 51,582 51.0

Latin 26,145 29,841 14.1 32,191 7.9

Russia 23,791 23,921 0.5 24,845 3.9

Arabic 5,505 10,584 92.3 23,974 126.5Source: Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2006. MLA, accessible at http://www.mla.org/enroll_survey06_fin.

2009: Heritage Language Programs

Type of System

Schools Students Est. Teachers

NCACLS (Taiwan)

800+ 100,000 3,000

CSAUS

(PRC)

405 80,000 3,000

Personal Communications with Presidents of both association, March 2009

42

National Accomplishments of the Chinese Field

Launched federal, state, local initiatives

Increased student enrollment in all levels

Increased K-12 school programs

Began to develop curricula, materials, and assessment

5. Future Direction

Needs, Trends, and Strategies

44

Needs and Challenges1. Limited teacher education and supply capacity

2. Most programs are under 3 years old

3. Almost no early language learning infrastructure

4. Need to tap into the resources in the heritage language communities

5. Lack of K-16 articulation leading to the attainment of high language proficiency—pockets of excellence

6. Need to develop virtual programs for students and teacher training: opportunity and access to learn

7. Lack of national coordination of initiatives and efforts

45

Trends Indicating Demands for

World Language Education in the US

Awareness of the need for global competencefor this interconnected world, which includes the study of languages and culturesImmersion and early language learning programs

WL as an exit or high school graduation requirement

K-16 articulation aligned with Standards and real life use

Lessons Learned

1. Take a system approach, connect all sectors

2. Enhance teacher development capacity

3. Take an incubator approach to build programs and infrastructures; simultaneously develop and field test curricula, materials, assessment, and research

4. Build high human capital: identify and develop teams of specialists who know the language, understand cultures, SLA, pedagogy, curriculum, material, assessment, research, and K-16 contexts and heritage communities in the US

Government

Home Government

Private Providers

OnlineMultimedia

NGOs

Formal education system

Heritage Communities

A System Approach:1. Think about supply, demand, & infrastructure 2. Create flywheels that convert energy into

synergy (Wang, 2007)

Questions for Chinese Language Fields in Other Parts of the World

How does your language learning system look like?

What is the macro language environment like? What is in place for the micro language learning and teaching environment? What kind of efforts are in place?How has the language field evolved? What resources can be leveraged? What gaps can be bridged or barriers be removed?

49

Big Questions for the US as a Nation

How do we advocate for US students’ development of global competence, which includes linguistic and cultural capital?

How do we expand our schools’ offering of world languages?

What are our goals for language education for the global age? What are our goals 5 years and 10 or 20 years from now?

Thank you謝謝

Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D. shuhanw@asiasoc.org

After July 1st

startalk@nflc.org