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  • Fading languages…
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  • Staff Admin
  • Posted On:
  • 23-Jan-2010
  • America is a country that dreams are made of. It is true that this country was one of the firsts to be hit by recession yet it is gradually bouncing back with a steely determination. Schools, colleges and universities experienced severe budget cuts.

    Personal phones, cleaning, laundry and other amenities were cut down. And no one complained as they wanted to keep their steady jobs. In fact though protests against increments took place, no major action was taken. And now when the recession is said to be over, schools will still not have any respite. This is because foreign language courses offered in schools across America have started fading out.

    This is very a contradictory decision because America has people from all over the world and therefore, it is a global nation. But the weirdest thing happening is that although they are fading out foreign language courses, instructors are rushing forward to give classes in Chinese. Some schools are managing to come up with Chinese classes of their own while schools that lack the provisions are actually getting all the help they can.

    And this help is being provided by the government of China. China is sending Chinese language teachers to American schools who cannot afford to hire them in America itself. In fact these instructors are now being paid by the Chinese instructors. Although schools are still reeling under the impact of recession and facing tight budgets, they cannot refuse such an offer.

    In Cleveland, the Jackson school started offering classes in Chinese language during 2007 fall. They began with 20 students and today they have 80. This is a phenomenal rise in numbers inndeed!

    Although there has been no legal survey done, one can say that today about 1500 or more public and private schools in America give Chinese lessons. This is way more than what it was a decade ago where only 300 schools offered lessons in Chinese Language.

    There are about 28,000 schools in America inclusive of private and public which offer foreign language courses. Today the percentage of Chinese as the offered foreign language being taught than the other languages has risen 4 percent from the one percent it held before. Earlier this was divided within the schools located in the east and the west coast in America but today it is being taught all over the country. Many educationists are surprised that Chinese language has beaten A.P German language classes too.

     Spanish language in this country is being taught all over and it is a universal language as of now. Many educationists argue that such a sudden rise in Chinese language courses is due to the eradication of middle schools. And this is also due to the rise in public and private schools in America. Since the tie up with the Chinese education board in 2006, the rise in Chinese language classes comes as no surprise.
     
    So if you are planning on getting into a new school make sure you know a bit of Chinese!






 

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