【時報訊】由中國國家漢語國際推廣領導小組辦公室(漢辦)與美國大學委員會(College Board)、中小學中文協會及美國語言委員會聯合舉辦之美國400位中小學校長和學區總監訪華團於6月27日至7月5日在中國大陸進行為期一週的參觀訪問。這是一個難得的機會讓美國基礎教育專家及領導者有著第一手學習和接觸中華文化與中文的實地經驗，同時親眼看到中國近年來快速的發展和成長。
訪問團除了在文化交流上有所豐富收穫外，這趟參觀之旅同時提供了美國教育界領導人士支持在美中文教育之推廣和執行。美國大學委員會Gaston Caperton說「感謝這次“漢辦”的支持和安排，將會使得更多的美國學生學習中文，發現中華文化之美，並願意加入中美兩國交換學生行列，據統計有超過2億在中國的學生學習英文，但祗有2萬4千位在美國的學生去學中文。此外，他強調中國巨大的經濟發展力量將會增加對21世紀美國學生更多的機會與挑戰。
今年元月美國大學委員會和漢辦聯合宣佈成立結盟關係，將提供美國教育界中小學和學區中文學習及中華文化推廣學習環境，未來三年內每年將會有超過250位中國老師派往美國至各小學教學，而美國大學委員會也計劃每年提供300位美國老師教授中文證書。
國家漢語國際推廣領導小組辦公室國家漢語國際推廣領導小組辦公室（簡稱：漢辦）是“漢語國際推廣領導小組日常辦事机构，系中國教育部下屬的事業單位，為非政府机构。漢辦致力于為世界各國提供漢語言文化的教學資源和服務，最大限度地滿足海外漢語學習者的需求，為攜手發展多元文化，共同建設和諧世界做貢獻。
中國國家漢語國際推廣領導小組由十二個部委組成：國務院辦公廳、教育部、財政部、國務院僑務辦公室、外交部、國家發展和改革委員會、商務部、文化部、國家廣播電影電視總局（中國國際廣播電台）、新聞出版總署、國務院新聞辦公室、國家語言文字工作委員會。組長為陳至立國務委員。
領導小組下設辦公室，簡稱“漢辦”
組 長：陳至立 國務委員
副組長：周 濟 教育部部長陳玉杰 國務院僑務辦公室主任陳進玉 國務院副秘書長張少春 財政部部長助理
400 Education Leaders from Across the Country Travel to China in an Effort to Build and Expand Chinese Foreign Language Programs in U.S. Schools
In an effort to build and expand Chinese language programs in U.S. schools, 400 U.S. school and district leaders will travel to China for a one-week educational tour to learn about Chinese culture and language. The event represents a rare opportunity for school decision-makers to experience China firsthand, learn about the culture, and see the dramatic pace of change under way in the world's most populated nation. The trip will take place from June 27 through July 5, and is sponsored by Hanban, China's Office of Chinese Language Council International, in partnership with the College Board, the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS), and the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL).
Beyond the benefit of cultural enrichment, this tour is also expected to provide incentives and strategies for the educators to return to the United States better able to support the growth of Chinese programs in their own schools and districts.
"We appreciate the support of Hanban, which will enable more American students to learn the Chinese language, discover the vibrant culture of China, and participate more fully in the cultural exchange between our two countries," said College Board President Gaston Caperton. 岞ore than 200 million children in China are studying English, yet only 24,000 children in the United States are studying Chinese. In addition, China's tremendous economic growth will create new opportunities and challenges for our country. It's time that we offer a twenty-first-century choice to our students.?
During the trip, educators will have an opportunity to meet with Chinese education leaders, build sister school and city ties, and network with other U.S. school leaders who are bringing Chinese language programs to their districts and schools. Delegates will visit Beijing from June 27 through July 1, and will travel in small groups to other cities and provinces to meet with local education commissions from July 2 to July 5.
In an Advanced Placement Program (AP) survey conducted in 2004, nearly 2,400 high schools expressed an interest in offering the AP Chinese course in 2006-07, but for many of these schools, this goal may go unrealized. They either are understaffed or have no teacher of Chinese, and many see no prospect of finding the teachers necessary to build their programs. This increasingly common predicament underscores the critical shortage of qualified teachers of Chinese in the United States. According to the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools, there are currently only about 250 Chinese language teachers in U.S. secondary schools.
Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world. It is the national language of the more than 1.3 billion inhabitants of China and millions more ethnic Chinese around the globe. Chinese will top English as the most-used language on the Internet by 2007, according to forecasts by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
In April 2006, the College Board and Hanban announced the formation of a partnership to build and expand Chinese language programs in U.S. schools. In addition to this year's educational tour, which Hanban plans to offer as an annual event, the partnership features other programs especially intended to help educators who would like to create or grow a Chinese language and culture program in their schools or districts.
Over the next three years 250 guest teachers from China will be placed in American classrooms. The plan will also enable the College Board to support nearly 300 American teacher candidates in their efforts to attain state certification to teach Chinese. This summer, 60 American teachers of Chinese will benefit from intensive, three-week Summer Institutes to be held at Beijing Normal University and Shanghai International Studies University. These programs will expand to include greater numbers of teachers and to involve cities beyond Beijing and Shanghai in the coming years. In all, nearly 600 current and aspiring American teachers of Chinese will have access to these programs over the next five years.
Established by the Chinese government in 1987, Hanban is the nation's official agency authorized to promote Chinese language and culture internationally, fulfilling a function similar to that of the UK's British Council and France's Alliance Fran蓷ise.
To locate a school near you that has a Chinese language program, visit the Asia Society's school directory at: http://www.askasia.org/chinese/schooldirectory.htm. |
