SAN MARCOS: Students make strides to learn Chinese language, culture
Federally-funded summer program is a hit in San Marcos, Poway
By SHAYNA CHABNER - Staff Writer | ∞
Chen Chungyu teaches the Chinese Lion Dance at Mission Hills High School on Wednesday. (Photo by Waldo Nilo - Staff Photographer) SAN MARCOS ---- More than 80 teenagers in San Marcos and Poway are putting their minds and bodies to the test this summer, taking Chinese language and cultural classes to learn everything from dance steps to written characters.
Halfway through a six-week course, they are the first North County students to participate in a free, federally funded Chinese language and culture program called Startalk.
In just a few weeks, students said this week, they have learned to introduce themselves and use basic descriptions, numbers and characters. They also have learned about Chinese traditions, beliefs and rituals through activities and lessons in the Lion Dance and the Chinese yo-yo ---- a barbell-shaped toy that is juggled along a long piece of string.
"It's a new experience," 13-year-old Maria Molina, an incoming freshman at San Marcos High School said Wednesday about the program, just minutes after taking her turn dancing with an oversized red and white lion head. "You get to learn about new things that you never knew existed."
Maria was in a class of about 18 students practicing the Lion Dance at Mission Hills High School on Wednesday. There are three separate summer classes, with 44 students enrolled, at the campus. Poway Unified also has classes at Mt. Carmel High School and Poway High School, with 37 students enrolled at those two schools.
The two districts are the only ones offering the summer course in North County. The districts were selected to participate in the program by the Southern California Council of Chinese Schools.
The Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, focused on nurturing an understanding and appreciation of China, was awarded a seven-year Startalk Grant from the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland in 2007 to develop programs for high school students and teachers to become bilingual.
Both districts were chosen because they have expressed an interest in expanding the foreign language offerings to include Chinese and have invested employees' time and resources to make the summer program a success, said Shyh Chen, the director of Startalk's San Diego Consortium. He said that the consortium plans to continue to offer classes in the districts for the life of the grant.
Chen and the Chinese instructors said this week that they were pleased with the students' interest and enthusiasm in the classrooms ---- where the teachers are supposed to communicate 80 percent of the time in Chinese and only 20 percent in English.
"You can see the progress they are making," said Lee-Mei Chen, Startalk's Southern California program manager, explaining how the students speak to each other in Chinese and practice common cultural customs such as bowing and formally addressing adults when they enter and leave a room.
Many students said that while it has been difficult to learn the Chinese characters and embarrassing at times to master the steps in activities such as the Lion Dance, they are happy to be in the program and plan to continue their Chinese studies.
"It's way better than just sitting down and watching TV," said 13-year-old Shea Vincent.
Contact staff writer Shayna Chabner at (760) 740-5416 or schabner@nctimes.com.
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MarineGunner wrote on Jul 5, 2008 12:06 PM:This program is federal funded??? With the lack of funding for our basic public schools systems... I am sorry but this is sickening. I am not saying we shouldn't learn about foreign cultures at all, I do feel it is essential in the understanding of the world today and everyone should do some travel overseas. However, when it comes at the expense of our own heritage...then we have a serious problem.
Why don't our kids spend a little 'extra' time learning about OUR culture and OUR history here in the States and after they actually have a grasp on what THIS country is all about, then and ONLY then should they spend 'extra' time learning about foreign cultures.
Mexicat wrote on Jul 5, 2008 2:17 PM:Somebody call the minute men, these kids are attempting to open their minds.
Look when I was a kid, we learned about the history of California, US history, and were also required to take a civics class. I was also in ROTC. So I learned alot about American history, but I also wanted to learn about other cultures.
Put the club down Caveman wrote on Jul 5, 2008 2:38 PM:This is a new day. We are no longer the center of the universe. Learning the language and culture of the potentially largest and last market on earth, makes good business sense.
Gunner, I don't expect you'll understand, but in many ways knowledge compliments rather than detracts from "our own heritage".
And just what is "our own heritage"?
Stand at ease Gunner wrote on Jul 5, 2008 2:48 PM:As a retired commissioned Marine Corps officer, I seem to recall an extensive required reading list for members of the Corps.
Many a title were "foreign". One of the books from the list was written by a Chinese philosopher, entitled "The Ancient Art of Warfare".
Your comments betray your familiarity with the writing, Gunner.
A dominant theme in the writing is that if you understand who has the potential to become, or is already, your enemy, you increases your chances of defeating him on the battlefield.
So, maybe, just maybe, what this young generation learns about the Chinese will be useful should they ever need it in the profession you an I chose.
If all the works in strategy and tactics our leaders studied were from American military campaigns, I would venture to say we may have missed some valuable lessons that have no doubt served us well and contributed to victories on the battlefield.
I think you may have your skivvies in a knot over nothing, Gunner, and in today's Corps, we need our officers (even mustangs)to be far less emotional and far more logical.
Max wrote on Jul 5, 2008 3:38 PM:I'm glad somebody has the free time to learn a language that they'll probably never use, but it does expose the student to culture. Actually, I'm all for it as long as it doesn't take away from their hamburger flipper job.
Concerned wrote on Jul 5, 2008 5:26 PM:I am so concerned about you Marine? I would only like to ask you what do you consider "our history" really is?
If you think that it's just the Washington's/Jefferson's? I'm sorry you are wrong.
By the way students learn about our history in the primary grades and in the eigth grade and back in the eleventh grade, remember? Oh yeah, ask how many kids like history? Sorry to break it to you, but not that many.
Ask these kids how many are into this "other" history. I think you just might get the same percent!
China is a beautiful country, I was there last year and coming back to the states makes me appreciate not just their country but my country, the United States!
Remember the U.S. is very multicultural, that is what makes it so great!
MarineGunner wrote on Jul 6, 2008 11:48 AM:I knew that my comments would be misconstrued and taken incorrectly. If you notice I said that knowledge of other cultures is essential. However, this is a federally funded program. It should not be so at the expense of our standard public education funding. I would have no probelem if this were a privately funded program, which it should be. These are my tax dollars too you know.
As far as what OUR history is, well that includes the Washington/Jeffersons' as well as the Native Americans, Eastern Europeans, East Asians and the myriad other aspects of our culture that have created the melting pot that is the U.S.
To: Stand at Ease, I hear what you are saying and I have read Sun-Tzu but I did not read it when I was 12. Did you?
Please do not misinterpret what I said.
maria ... wrote on Jul 6, 2008 5:50 PM:haha
thats me on the newspaper
what the article says is true we have a great experience doing it
and if you have a problem with that then deal with it cause you cant stop us from learning about the world around us
=D
Dave wrote on Jul 8, 2008 11:51 AM:Its good the kids (a) experience a different cultureand (b) the pic shows some form of physical activity....whcih almost every child (and adult) needs.
China will be very important to understand and keep an open mid towards. Condisdering broad factos such as globalization and economic trade; why not learn about our international trade partners? In the sad land of ethnocentric americans....the comments posted above (for the most part) display the typical-sheltered person in SD
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