As China's power grows, so do Chinese programs in public schools

By Adam Gorlick, Associated Press Writer
March 11, 2007

Chinese, it seems, is becoming the new Latin in public schools.

At least 27 states offer Chinese language classes in either elementary, middle or high schools. And according to the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington D.C., there are 12 public and private immersion schools across the country where most subjects are taught exclusively in Mandarin Chinese.

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And the new educational focus on Chinese falls in line with the priorities of the federal government, which handed out about $9 million to schools working to bolster Chinese language courses last year. Those grants from the Department of Education are part of just one federal program aimed at getting public schools to teach "critical languages" such as Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Hindi and Farsi.

President Bush last year announced a national security language initiative to step up instruction in those languages, but Congress has yet to fund the $114 million program.

Full story at http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/11/as_chinas_power_grows_so_do_chinese_programs_in_public_schools/