Chinese Culture and Language Presentations Board of Education Update 04/25/08

Over one thousand West Virginia students participated in a joint project between the state Department of Education and the College Board to introduce students to the Chinese culture and language last week. During the three-day tour, a series of Chinese cultural presentations were offered at the following West Virginia schools: South Charleston High School, Parkersburg High School, Bridgeport Middle School, Harrison County Schools District Office, Bridgeport High School and Winfield Middle School.

The five Chinese presenters, Professors Zhou, Wang, Feng, Lu, and Zhao, spoke on various topics, including Chinese history, geography, cultural traditions and modern development. The students enjoyed a sampling of Chinese arts, such as calligraphy, painting, martial arts and folk music. They were also engaged in a Mandarin Chinese lesson that included basic pronunciation and Chinese character writing.

State Board of Education Member Barbara Fish attended the Parkersburg presentations. Mrs. Fish commented that “West Virginia children are part of a global society. Studying the languages and cultures of other world citizens is vitally important. It leads to understanding of how to live successfully and conduct business in the era of the 21st century. Our Chinese visitors were able to open the door to new horizons and we look forward to future partnering with the Han Ban.”

State Superintendent of Schools Steve Paine attended the Winfield presentations. “Providing our children with this opportunity to understand the Chinese language and culture gives them a better chance of succeeding in the 21st century,” said Dr. Paine. “If our children are to be competitive in today’s global society, studying foreign languages, especially Chinese, is essential.”

Currently, four West Virginia counties (Barbour, Cabell, Kanawha and Lincoln) offer Chinese language courses. Recently, five additional West Virginia counties were chosen by the College Board to host Chinese teachers next school year, bringing the total number of counties teaching Chinese to nine. The expansion of Chinese into West Virginia schools is part of the state Department of Education’s effort to promote global awareness and 21st Century Learning. For more information, please contact Robert Crawford at (304) 558-2691 or [email protected].