The Case for Teaching Mandarin Chinese

Remarks of Harvin C. Moore, TrusteeHouston Independent School District

2012 National Chinese Language ConferenceWashington, DCApril 15, 2012

20 of the Top 24 Industrialized Countries Begin the Study of a World Language in Grades K-5

Sources: Pufahl, Rhodes, & Christian, 2002; Li, 2007; Goto Butler, 2007; Gargesh, 2006; Eurydice, 2005; Russia-InfoCenter, 2006; Dixon, 2003

Lower Elementary School

UpperElementary School

Middle School

High School

Beginning Age

5-7 8-10 11-13 14

Grade K-2 3-5 6-8 9

Number of Countries

8 12 31*

(US)

3Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland

4

Only 12 US States Require the Study of World Languages

School Level Number of States

Elementary 1

Middle School 1

High School Graduation 6

Elementary & Middle School

1

Elementary, M.S. and H.S.

3

Source: National World Language Education Survey: A State of the States Report in 2009 (Wang, Evans, & Liau, 2009)

Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland

Portion of World Population Using Two or More Languages

Bilingual & Multilingual

2/3

Monolingual 1/3

Source: Crystal, 1997. Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland

Second Language Study Benefits Academic Progress in Other Subjects

• Curtain & Dahlberg 2004

• Dumas 1999

• Armstrong & Rogers 1997

• Saunders 1998

• Masciantonio 1977

• Rafferty 1986

• Andrade 1989

• Kretschmer & Kretschmer 1989

• Eaton 1994

• Saville-Troike 1984

• Diaz 1983

• Caldas & Boudreaux 1999

• Thomas, Collier & Abbott 1993

• Lopata 1963

• Lemberger 1990

• Carpenter & Torney 1974

• Garfinkel & Tabor 1991• Andrade, Kretschmer & Kretschmer 1989• Holobow 1988• Lapkin, et al 1990• Ratte 1968• Haakuta 1986• Cummins 1981• Landry 1973• Bialystok & Hakuta 1994• Fuchsen 1989• Bruck, Lambert, Tucker 1974• Weatherford 1986• Cooper 1987• Eddy 1981• Horn & Kojaku 2001• Grosse 2004

• Bastian 1980

Full bibliography of these studies can be found at http://www.umaine.edu/flame/BenefitsofSecondLanguage.pdf

Second Language Study Narrows Achievement Gaps

“Children of color, children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and English Language Learners make the greatest proportional achievement gains from foreign language study.”

-Curtain & Dahlberg 2004

Photo: Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School

Foreign Language Ability is key to our National Interests

“A pervasive lack of knowledge about foreign cultures and foreign languages threatens the security of the United States as well as its ability to compete in the global marketplace and produce an informed citizenry.”

-National Research Council, 2007

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Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland

Source: U. S. Department of Commerce, Graphic by the US-China Business Council, 2011

2nd only to CA ($12B)

Future International Trade Leader(today a sidewalk writer)

12Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland

They’re coming…

Graphic from “Many Rich Chinese Consider Leaving” by Jeremy Page, Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2011

…will they come to your community?