The Chinese Language Institute

Immerse Yourself Welcome to the official Chinese Language Institute blog! For everything from Chinese learning strategies and Chinese language in the news to China adventure stories and CLI updates. Follow CLI on Tumblr! About CLI Study Chinese in China! www.studycli.org Facebook LinkedIn

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Have you been keeping up with the CLI Blog? Check out photos from our dumpling making party, as well as our new Meet the Team series!

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Having trouble with your Chinese? Maybe you're going about it the wrong way...

Remember those endless hours you spent agonizing over Spanish or French grammar in high school? With all that wasted time, you probably didn’t have many opportunities to really speak the language you were studying.

Why do so few people retain what they learn in traditional language classes? Have we been learning foreign languages the wrong way?

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A Forbes article published this week celebrates the global push to learn new languages, especially the recent boom in students studying Mandarin.

But the writer, Nick Morrison, also probes our motivations, and he questions the way language campaigns have been waged in the West. What drives your desire to learn Chinese? How are we promoting language learning to others?

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Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia recently made a weeklong trip to China, spending time in Beijing, Xi’an, and Chengdu. According to the US Embassy in Beijing, online stories and photos related to the visit have been viewed over a billion times.

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Many people feel memorizing Chinese characters is the hardest part of learning Chinese, but mnemonics can fast-track your learning! Check this out!

Learning to read and write Chinese is notoriously difficult -- so much so that many people get scared away before they even give it a try. But mnemonics is surprisingly effective in learning Chinese characters, and several systems and tricks exist to help you learn much faster than with rote memorization.

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Colorado Springs charter school touts foreign language immersion

As issues of education reform become hot topics in the news, language immersion programs are beginning to take the spotlight. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports on the Global Village Academy, which has several campuses across the state of Colorado. Their primary schools focus on the importance of learning a second language at an early age. They also stress how crucial it is to prepare today’s youth to compete in the global workforce. Mandarin and Spanish are the two most prevalent languages to learn at their schools. See how school curriculums are starting to change, and the amazing results they are producing. 

Colorado Springs charter school touts foreign language immersion 2 January2014 by Debbie Kelley | Colorado Springs Gazette

There's foreign language class, and then there's foreign language immersion.”

There's a big difference.

At most schools, students learn to speak, read and write in a second language for one class period a few times a week.”

At Global Village Academy, up to 95 percent of a student's day is spent learning about reading, writing, math, history, science and other subjects in a second language.”

Students comprehend the material quickly, said the assistant principal of the Colorado Springs campus, Alicia Welch, because teachers use demonstrative gestures, facial expressions, intonation, photos and other nontraditional and engaging actions.”

"It is amazing to see how well the kids do with the program," she said.”

If growth of the public charter school network is any measure, it's a popular idea.”

Global Village Academy's first location opened six years ago in Aurora with 200 students. It now has 1,200. A campus in Northglenn opened two years ago with 230 students and this school year has 750.”

Two schools debuted this academic year in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. Both are chartered under the state's Charter School Institute. A fifth school is planned to open in Douglas County in 2015.”

Welch said all curriculum meets the Common Core standards and other academic requirements for public schools. And like other charter schools, Global Village is free to students.”

The Colorado Springs location has 150 students and will open an immersion preschool in February.”

It's prepared for growth; The school bought the former Irving Middle School, at 1702 N. Murray Blvd. The property includes a 107,000-square-foot building with a football field and track.”

Each campus starts with grades K-4 and adds one grade each year, until eighth grade. Sites have three immersion language choices. Mandarin Chinese and Spanish are taught at all the schools. The third language is French, Russian or German, depending on the community needs.”

The Colorado Springs school offers German, Welch said, because of a large population of German-speaking residents.”

The teachers are native speakers of the various languages, she said. Kindergartners learn in their immersion language for 95 percent of the school day, with 30 minutes devoted to English instruction. In first and second grades, 90 minutes of the school day is taught in English to prepare for state assessments that start in third grade. English and second language studies are divided in half for grades 3-4 and above.”

The school day is one hour longer than traditional public schools, giving 30 additional days of instruction per year.”

Welch said that allows for students to "master content and development of that second language."”

"The gift of a second language is priceless," said Tracy Aung, who has a kindergartner and a second-grader at the school. "They're picking it up so fast. I hear them speaking Chinese to one another and answer me in Chinese, and I'll ask them to translate in English. It's so amazing."”

Students who start in kindergarten are usually fluent by the end of second grade, Welch said. If they attend Global Village Academy through eighth grade, students are adept enough to take Advanced Placement tests in the second language.”

The school also celebrates diversity and culture with the community. Students present an International Day once a month, with singing, dancing and other activities in their immersion languages.”

They recently hosted a traditional German lantern walk in honor of St. Martin's Day. Welch said about 100 people took part, including several families that aren't connected to the school. Students and parents also participate in community events, such as the city's Chinese New Year celebration.”

The goal, Welch said, is for students to be prepared to compete in the global workforce.”

Aung likes the thought of giving her children a leg up from the start. "It's the way the world is moving," she said, "and this opportunity opens up the whole world to them."

Read the full Colorado Springs Gazette article.  

The Chinese Language Institute

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CLI Holiday Party: Ringing in the New Year

CLI’s Holiday Party was a smashing hit. Students along with teachers and members of the local Guilin community came together on Christmas Eve at the CLI Center for a hotpot dinner. Hotpot is a typical Chinese meal, especially in the winter time. Hotpot, a style of cuisine similar to fondue, provided for a very hands-on and social atmosphere that brought everyone together. The dinner was prepared by Avril, one of CLI’s full-time Chinese teachers! No one could ever turn their nose up to a home cooked meal! Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian hotpots were prepared to ensure everyone could have their fill. However, a festive occasion such as Christmas Eve calls for more than just good food. After Bradford Fried gave a nice warm speech about the evening, the group headed down to the first floor for games and gifts!

Leona, one of CLI's Mandarin instructors, poses next to the Christmas tree.

The CLI Center’s newly renovated first floor provided ample space for the post dinner activities. A game of bilingual Charades was arranged first. A mixed crowd of English and Chinese speakers allowed students the opportunity to practice their new Chinese language skills. Charades was especially a huge hit because it got people off their feet and working as a team. Some had the whole room laughing as they tried their best to act out the seemingly impossible. Small candies and sweets were given out as prizes to those groups who could complete their charade.

Angie gives instructions for bilingual Charades!

After everyone had their fill of playing games, it was time for the White Elephant gift exchange. Everyone was told to buy a small gift to participate in the exchange. The rules of a traditional White Elephant gift exchange allow for the gift givers to “steal” a gift that has already been opened to keep as their own. While regardless of who steals what gift, everyone will have something to take home at the end. Almost 50 people brought a gift to give away! Since it was the first time for many to take part in such a gift exchange, most people chose not to steal gifts and let their fate be decided by luck!

Sean, a CLI student, smiles after opening his gift!

Christmas Day in China is not an official holiday, so many went home after the festivities ended to get a good night rest. Some students decided to take the party to Cats and Rabbits, a local Guilin bar, to celebrate their day off with a few cocktails. Others stayed behind to end their evening with a few friendly games of ping pong in the CLI activity room. The holiday season is a special time of year for many westerners. Being half way around the world, far away from family and loved ones, makes the holidays even more important. Many local Chinese friends, teachers and CLI staff got a unique glimpse into western culture as they celebrated alongside new western friends. CLI students who are, some for the first time, spending their holiday season away from home got to experience the warmth and generosity of their Chinese hosts.

Phil mingles with new friends after the gift exchange!

As an added bonus of the night, a local Guilin television station came to interview some students and staff for a short segment on the news! Check out the news video on YouTube.

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English-Mandarin bilingual free school to open next year

Since David Cameron’s visit to China this past month, new bilingual primary schools in England are making headlines. The Marco Polo Academy will open in the autumn of 2014 in North London. The school’s curriculum will be taught in both English and Mandarin. Seeing as Chinese is becoming one of the most important languages in the global economy, the school is receiving a tremendous amount of support for their efforts to create a bilingual school community. Read on to learn more about the changes happening within England’s education system.

English-Mandarin bilingual free school to open next year 20 December 2013 by Josie Gurney-Read | The Telegraph

The Marco Polo Academy will open in the north London borough of Barnet in September 2014, catering for 4-11 year-olds under the Government's Free School initiative.

It's the first English-Mandarin bilingual free school in the UK and has plans to expand year on year. Two primary schools which teach lessons in Mandarin opened this September, Abacus Primary in Camden and Tiger Primary in Maidstone.

The proposal was initially submitted to the Department for Education by a founding group, who all have an interest in bilingual education, and approval was awarded to the school in May 2013. The primary will be one of 102 new free schools planning to open in 2014.

Laura Chan, one of the founding members of the school said: “When we speak to people who have an interest in Mandarin, or other educational professionals who have an interest in bilingual education, there is a lot of support for what we are doing.”

Lessons will be taught in both Mandarin and English. Around 800 million people speak the language, often referred to simply as ‘Chinese’, making it the most spoken language in the world.

A British Council report, Languages for the Future, also placed Mandarin in the top five most important languages that should be taught in schools.

During his recent visit to China, David Cameron urged UK schools to teach Mandarin, saying they should “look beyond the traditional focus on French and German.”

He said: “I want Britain linked up to the world’s fast growing economies – and that includes our young people learning the languages to seal tomorrow’s business deals.”

An agreement between the British Council and Hanban (the office for the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language) aims to double the number of Chinese language assistants in the UK by 2016, while funding will be increased to schools for teacher training.

London's first bilingual free school opened this September. The Judith Kerr Primary School, named after the author of The Tiger Who Came To Tea, was one of some 93 new free schools which opened for the new school year and teaches pupils in English and German.

At The Marco Polo Academy, lessons will be taught in a mix of both English and Mandarin, but the school will follow the Singapore maths method and this subject will be taught in English.

However, Laura says that: “simple numbers and simple maths language will also be taught in Mandarin.”

“We hope to be able to create a school family, working together with parents and children to establish a bilingual school community.”

A recent open consultation on Dec 11 with the trustees and prospective parents, received positive feedback and while a premises is still being sought, a further meeting will take place on January 11 at The Hyde Churches.

The school’s website says: “Our aim is that each child will leave the school with a love of learning, a strong foundation for secondary education and high levels of competence in our two languages.”

Read the full Telegraph article.

The Chinese Language Institute

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Radicals Reveal the Order of Chinese Characters

While most people will admit learning Mandarin is no easy task, there are ways to approach the language that can provide a surprising amount of clarity. All Chinese characters can be categorized into just under 200 radicals. These radicals provide a historic and cultural insight into the construction of a certain character. Mastering this logical system of categorizing Chinese characters will make learning advanced material more intuitive and a whole lot more interesting for the student.

In this article by the Asia Society, see the benefits of learning radicals, and the tremendous amount of relief they can provide in your Mandarin learning.

Radicals Reveal the order of Chinese Characters by Heather Clydesdale | Asia Society

Mastering Chinese is daunting, in large part because learners must memorize thousands of distinct characters. So it is both a revelation and a relief to learners when they discover radicals.

Radicals organize the chaotic swarm of characters into a logical system. Traditional Chinese groups all characters according to 214 radicals (simplified uses 189), which are organized based on number of strokes into a chart called the bushou. Each radical is itself a freestanding character-word, such as one, woman, child, cliff, field, tree, millet, halberd, leather, and bird.

Once inducted into radicals, students can look up characters in a dictionary without knowing the pronunciation. In addition, they can more deeply appreciate the characters they know, guess the meaning of new ones they encounter, and more efficiently memorize them.

For these reasons, Mingquan Wang, senior lecturer and language coordinator of the Chinese program at Tufts University, insists that radicals should be a part of the curriculum for teaching Chinese as a foreign language. “The question is,” he says, “how that should be done.” In spring of 2013, Wang sent an online questionnaire to 60 institutions, including colleges and K–12 schools. Of the 42 that responded, 100% agreed that teachers of Chinese language should cover radicals, yet few use a separate book or dedicate a course to radicals, and most simply discuss radicals as they encounter them in textbooks.

Based on the survey results, Wang advocates exploring the benefits of a separate course on radicals, and urges curriculum developers in the field to create new teaching materials and provide training for teachers on how to introduce radicals more deliberately, comprehensively, and systematically. Levente Li, senior consultant at the Confucius Institute E-Learning Center and a visiting scholar at Tufts University, is currently teaching such a class on radicals. He maintains that studying radicals has a value far beyond enabling people to look up characters in a dictionary.

To illustrate this point, Li cites the character 論 (the complex form; its simplified counterpart is 论), which means “to discuss.” The radical on the left is 言, and is itself a free-standing character meaning “speech.” The top right of 論 indicates “to gather” (合) and the bottom section, 冊, means “documents” and derives from a pictograph showing thin bamboo strips tied together, the common medium for written materials until paper became widespread during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–CE 220). Breaking apart 論 in this way converts it from a jumble of fifteen strokes into a logical formation of three elements that is comparatively easy to memorize: talking about a collection of documents means “discuss.” It places the character in relation to others that share the same radical, such as 語 “words” and 訊 “to instruct,” reinforcing recognition and recall. Learning the origin of “documents” adds cultural and historical knowledge.

If the benefits of teaching radicals are apparent, why are courses devoted to them so rare? Weijia Huang, a lecturer of Chinese at Boston University who specializes in the pedagogy of Chinese characters posits, “Even ignoring the level of literacy, or the amount of time for class, there is a lack of materials for advanced study, and so people are unable to teach characters through a special course.”

Huang, speaking in Chinese, agrees that radicals can facilitate the mastery of characters while also building cultural understanding, yet he also encourages teachers to become versed in common inconsistencies. Huang, who has a background in paleography, warns that many characters do not function as a “signific,” a linguistic term indicating a relationship to the word’s meaning. Additionally, the meanings of numerous characters changed over time, or they were “loaned” to other words with separate meanings. Even though more than 86% of characters have radicals that also function as significs, Huang encourages teachers to understand some of the exceptions, saying, “It is all right for Chinese teachers not to lecture on these, but they have to know them because students may ask.”

Wang, however, reassures teachers that they need not be pedantic. He notes that Li and Huang are specialists in literary Chinese. “For ordinary teachers of Chinese language, you do not need to memorize these characters with perfect clarity. If you have a book in which you can look them up, that is enough.” Wang has compiled a list of resources to assist teachers with radicals, and hopes that the work of Li and Huang, along with other curriculum developers, teachers, and specialists will further map radicals so that specialized courses can become more widespread, and students can be inducted into the fascinating world of radicals earlier in their studies. Read the full Asia Society article. The Chinese Language Institute

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CLI Perspectives: From China to America and back again

This week’s CLI Perspectives post is brought to you by Paul Ambler, a CLI study abroad student. Paul, still a college student in America, decided to take his studies back to the country where he was born. Read below to see what motivated Paul to push his Chinese learning to its limits, and how he balanced work and play to make for one amazing semester!

From China to America and back again

By Paul Ambler, CLI study abroad student

After being adopted from China at the age of eight and moving to America with my new family, I forgot all of my Chinese. You might wonder how this is possible, but being immersed into a new language environment, with new peers and surroundings, forced me to learn the English language, even if it meant forgetting Chinese. The past three times I have been to China, I stayed with Chinese and English speaking friends for several months at a time. I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what life in China was like. This time around however, I came by myself and lived with a Chinese host family. In the beginning, it was difficult not being able to communicate very effectively with my family, and trying to adjust to their lifestyle. Despite these difficulties, I slowly gained motivation to speak with them, and their generosity helped me adapt to life in China.

Paul and one of his CLI teachers sit together during class at the CLI Center.

CLI provided many opportunities to improve my Chinese, not only in class, but outside of class as well. The teachers were always willing to speak Chinese with me in the hallways or out at dinner. Not only that, but they gave me the chance to excel, and push myself to learn as much as I wanted. A plus to CLI’s one-on-one classes are that the teachers generally only speak Chinese. It certainly was a challenge at the start, but it was very rewarding when I started to see my language skills improve rapidly.

Paul takes a break from studying to play mahjong with fellow students and CLI staff.

During the first week at CLI, I started taking classes at Guangxi Normal University. I selected the intensive study abroad option, and boy was it intense. From the moment I first stepped into class, students and teachers alike were excited to practice Chinese and converse. In the beginning, we would all laugh whenever someone would try to come up with the right Chinese words, but get stuck and look to the teacher for help. The fun and relaxed class atmosphere made learning the language stress-free and easy. It’s fun to look back and see how all of us have gone from just being able to say a few words, to now having entire conversations in Chinese! The teachers only spoke Chinese during class, which was a challenge in itself. In addition, because each day we were taught so many new words and phrases, I had to learn to write them down in a book to study later on.

Paul poses with two classmates during their travels to one of China's national parks.

With all this studying, I frequently felt my brain couldn’t handle any more Chinese learning. Sometimes, all I wanted was to return to the culture, life and friends that I had in America. This is where CLI’s activities came in. They provided a chance to interact with other foreign students, and helped to relieve some of the stresses and homesickness feelings of being abroad. During my time abroad, some of my favorite experiences were traveling on the weekends with fellow students and teachers. We went to many different parts of China, such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Xi’an. It was not only a great opportunity to see how the Chinese culture differs from one city to the next, but also a fantastic chance to practice speaking Chinese!

Paul and his three Chinese teachers pose together after his farewell dinner.

Due to my Chinese ethnicity, many people would assume I spoke Chinese fluently. I often found it discouraging when I was unable to smoothly communicate with local people. Although it was frustrating from time to time, it was great motivation for me to keep studying! The pressures of class and the overwhelming amount of new words and phrases forced me to find the things that motivated me to keep learning. This helps during the times when you just want to quit and go home, or when you feel that there is no possible way to learn such a difficult language. It was this motivation, of relearning a language I was once able to speak, which drove me to make the most of my time in China. I hope this new found motivation lasts, even now that I am back in America. Thanks to CLI, I have built a solid foundation of Chinese to continue improving upon!

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The New Digital Playbook for Learning Mandarin Chinese

Bloomburg Businessweek discusses a more modern approach to learning the Chinese language that is proving to be much more effective than methods of the past. This new modernized approach incorporates the technologies that we are already using in our daily lives, and puts them to good use. If you are not already using some of these tools, it's not too late! Read blow and start making your Chinese language study habits more digital!

The New Digital Playbook for Learning Mandarin Chinese  4 October 2013 by Christina Larson | Bloomburg Businessweek

David Moser, the academic director at CET Beijing Chinese Studies, remembers the bad old days of Mandarin-learning methodology in the 1980s and 1990s. “Before we could even look up a new word in the dictionary,” he explains, “we had to spend at least six to 12 months learning more than 200 radicals,” or base components of written Chinese characters. As a result, he adds, “For most students, it took two to four years before they could even start to read a newspaper in class.” Among teachers and students, it has long been a truism that studying the Chinese language is at least a “five-year lesson in humility.”

Learning Mandarin is no cakewalk today, but new digital technologies—including translation-software extensions in Web browsers, optical character-recognition apps, Chinese-character dictionaries embedded in e-book software, text-to-speech translators, and all-purpose language-learning apps—have radically expanded the possibilities for teaching and learning written and spoken Chinese (as well as Arabic, Japanese, and other languages).

Because Chinese characters are not phonetic, there is no obvious link between the written and spoken language. Being able to say a word does not mean you can write or recognize that word, or vice versa. Each of the 8,000 or so characters included in the standard Xinhua News Agency dictionary has a basic component called a radical, and for centuries dictionaries have arranged Chinese characters into grids based on their radicals and the number of pen strokes used in writing them. “But if you guessed the wrong radical, or miscounted the number of strokes, looking up just one word could turn into a five or 10 minute steeplechase,” explains Moser.

In China, the official standard for literacy is bifurcated: In urban areas, the ability to recognize 2,000 characters makes a person “literate”; in rural areas, it’s 1,500 characters. To read a Chinese magazine or novel easily, one must know 4,000 to 5,000 characters. Even for native speakers, acquiring literacy takes several years of diligent study. By about third grade, most American students have internalized the main spelling rules of the English language and can write down most of the words they can say. Many Chinese students, meanwhile, are still learning to recognize new characters throughout junior high school or even high school.

Today’s digital tools allow Mandarin learners to leapfrog some of the hurdles to using the language, even before they’ve fully mastered the entire system of radicals and stroke order. Google Chrome has an extension that provides a quick and dirty online translation from Mandarin Chinese to several other languages. While the output is far from perfect, the software is continually improving. For identifying single Chinese characters—in newspapers, menus, or even on street signs—smartphone apps such as Waygo enable optical recognition by hovering a smartphone camera over the text. Many e-book editions of Chinese classics now have built-in dictionaries so students don’t have to pause too long to look up an unknown character here and there.

Maura Cunningham, a PhD candidate in Chinese history at the University of California, Irvine, is now conducting her dissertation research in Shanghai. While she is a fluent Chinese speaker, she nonetheless, while conducting archival research, often encounters unfamiliar words and “unsimplified” Chinese characters from an earlier system of writing. She now uses Pleco, a popular language-study app, which allows her to draw an unfamiliar character on the screen of her iPad or iPhone to look up its meaning and pronunciation—a process that takes about 15 seconds. “In today’s world, a paper dictionary is a huge time-waster,” she says, “although it’s still good to know how to use it for backup.”

Instead of waiting years to begin reading Chinese newspapers, a beginning or intermediate Mandarin student can dive right into People’s Daily or Southern Weekly and use social-media apps such as Weibo or Weixin by easily looking up unknown words in Web-based dictionaries. It makes for slow reading, but the ability to focus on current texts can make a huge difference in student engagement. “Before, students were limited for the first few years to canned textbook materials and a teacher’s vocabulary lists,” recalls Moser. “Today, learning Chinese doesn’t have to be a horrible, front-loaded nightmare anymore.”

Read full article here.  

The Chinese Language Institute

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A Chinese Thanksgiving

With many students away from home for the holiday season, teachers, students, friends and foreigners from all over came together for a CLI community “Thanksgiving Dinner”. As turkey is hard to find in China, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner as many Americans know it was obviously out of the question. With the turkey, went the stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, gravy and all. Instead, we enjoyed an all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet at Tian Fu Lou, one of Guilin’s several Buddhist restaurants. This was an option most everyone was happy with, seeing as many of the foreigners in Guilin are vegetarians as well as the undeniable authentic quality of the dishes being hard to dislike.

CLI staff and GXNU foreign teachers pose together for an after-dinner photo.

The CLI community transformed the tame restaurant atmosphere into a festive gathering with all the chit-chat, banter and belly-laughs that you would expect from a holiday celebration back home. Students, faculty and friends ate their fill and then some. With full stomachs, satisfied looks could be seen on the faces of many as they scrapped the last few bites off their plates. As the evening's festivities began to wind down, new friends mingled among one another, practiced newly learned English and Chinese language skills, and shared a few last laughs.

CLI staff, as well as neighboring university's faculty pose for a group dinner photo.

After a warming speech from Bradford Fried, everyone was a bit more versed on the history of Thanksgiving and its significance to Americans. There were even some parallels drawn between America’s Thanksgiving and China’s Mid-Autumn Festival. Both of these holidays serve as a time to get together with family, appreciate the things in life that we often take for granted, and show your gratefulness to friends and loved ones. Although it is sometimes difficult for Chinese families to reunite on the Mid-Autumn Festival Day, it is certainly a day for remembering and giving thanks in absence of those you love.

Group dinner photo!

Several students, expats and Chinese people alike stood up to give their Thanksgiving ‘thanks’. One of CLI’s study abroad students, Victoria Klink, from halfway around the world, gave special thanks to her family and friends for supporting her and giving her the opportunity to come to China and study for a semester, a life-changing experience she will remember forever! Although CLI tries to bring students and faculty together on a daily basis to create life-long experiences, it is extra important to foster a sense of community during those special times of the year.

GXNU students make hand turkeys in spirit of Thanksgiving.

All the best holiday wishes from the CLI staff in Guilin as well as back in America!

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In Spain, even toddlers learn Chinese for job hopes

In this article from the Bangkok Post, the growing importance of learning Chinese as a foreign language is being recognized by many large and developed countries; acting fast and early is the key.

In Spain, even toddlers learn Chinese for job hopes 31 October 2013 by AFP | Bangkok Press

"Xiang jiao! Banana!" says Fu Huijuan, beaming as she waves the fruit in front of her three-year-old pupil, Leon, at a Madrid nursery school.

Teahcer Fu Huijuan during a Chinese class at the TEO private nursery in Madrid on October 14, 2013

He and his four classmates have barely learned to speak even in their native Spanish, but already they are absorbing Mandarin Chinese -- as are many adult Spaniards concerned for their job prospects.

"Xiang jiao," Leon replies in a tiny voice, grinning as he is rewarded with a bite of banana and a sticker. "Xie xie. Thank you."

Fu's class -- offered free for the first month -- is the newest after-hours activity for children at the TEO private nursery, whose parents hope it will pay off later in life.

Numerous schools and language centres here have started holding such lessons as Spaniards look to China's fast-growing economy for opportunities after five years of on-off recession in Spain.

"Chinese seems to me an essential language in today's world, and the best way to learn it is from an early age. Learning it as an adult seems much more difficult," says Leon's mother, Sara Vergara.

'A long-term strategy'

"It is a long-term strategy, for his job prospects in the future," adds Vergara, a 33-year-old housewife, arriving to pick Leon up from the class. "And I think he is enjoying himself."

Pilar Alvarez, director of TEO, said the nursery launched the after-hours Chinese lessons after seeing that many other schools in Madrid were doing so.

"After the second or third class, the kids start really getting into it," she says. "We are considering introducing it bit by bit for all the children during normal school time."

Regional governments in Spain are also expanding Chinese courses in their subsidised language centres, while some public schools are offering them as an after-school activity.

A programme of free classes jointly funded by the Andalucia government and the Chinese state has seen enrolments nearly double since it started two years ago, to 1,200 for this school year, the regional education ministry says.

It estimates that 30,000 people are currently studying Chinese as a foreign language in Spain. No such figure was available from the national education ministry.

"China is expected to be the leading world power in a few decades," the Andalucia ministry said in a statement. "This is driving a boom in the number of people studying its language and culture."

Madrid's network of official language schools has taught Chinese since the 1960s but demand has surged recently, said Maria Jose Garcia-Patron, head of secondary education and professional training in the regional education ministry.

"Demand for these lessons was stable for 40 years, with about 80 or 90 students enrolled, but over the past 10 years the number has grown markedly and has reached about 300," she told AFP in an email.

The recent crop of students in Chinese seem undeterred by its alien systems of intonation and writing that many see as challenging for Western learners.

"It is a bit hard to write, but I think it is easy to teach children to talk," said Fu. "Children have good memories."

Fu, 25, came to Spain six months ago and applied for the teaching job with Bambu Idiomas, a private company that organises classes for schools and individuals of all ages.

"There are lots of opportunities in Spain. Lots of families are looking for Chinese teachers, and now lots of nurseries too," she said.

Set up in 2011, the family-run company had 87 pupils signed up last year. This year the number surged to 235, said one of its Spanish founders, Ruben Camarero.

"It is an important language for the future," he said. "We decided it was a language that would interest people because Spain is in an enormous economic crisis and China is drawing a lot of interest worldwide."

In the classroom, Fu plays from her laptop the nursery rhyme known in Europe as "Frere Jacques", sung in Mandarin in a version well-known to Chinese children.

As she repeats the names of fruit to the five toddlers, correcting their intonation, four-year-old Angela jumps around excitedly, her long brown hair whirling.

"Banana!" she yells. "Xiang jiao!"

Read full article here

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The Chinese Language Institute

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Thinking of wokring abroad? Read this

In this brief article, NPR lays out some of the newer statistics about living and working abroad. Read more to see how China compared to some of the top economic powers such as the U.S. and Germany. You might just rethink where you would like to travel...

Thinking of working abroad? Read this 31 October 2013 by Krishnadev Calamur | NPR Thinking of living and working abroad for the experience? For those already doing it, Asia seems to be the preferred destination. The asked 7,000 expatriates in 100 countries to rate nations on three factors: economics, experience and raising children. China topped the list, followed by Germany, Singapore, Cayman Islands and Australia. The U.S. was No. 12. But on experience alone, which includes lifestyle and culture, Asia dominated. Six of the top 10 countries on the list were Asian. Thailand was No. 1, followed by Bahrain and China. The U.S. was 23rd. Switzerland topped the economics list, followed by China, Qatar, Thailand and the Cayman Islands. Again, six Asian nations made the top 10, as did Germany and Turkey. The U.S., again, was 23rd. But based solely on raising children, Asian countries did not do as well. Germany topped the list, while the U.S. finished 12th. Here are some key takeaways: — Relatively cheap housing, transportation, food, clothes and health care make the most attractive region for expatriates. For instance, 22 percent of expats in Indonesia surveyed earned more than $250,000; the cost of living in the country is low. — Taxes and the cost of public transport are high, driving up the cost of living. — buck the general economic pessimism in Europe. — is the only region where expats who've relocated say they have a better social life than at home.

Read full article here.  

The Chinese Language Institute

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CLI Perspectives: Banter & Basketball: My story to conversational Chinese

This week’s CLI Perspectives post is brought to you by Avi Patchava, a CLI summer immersion student. Avi came to China on a whim and left six weeks later with well more than just a few Chinese words under his belt. See what Avi was busy doing during his six weeks in Guilin, and how sport mixed with class led him down the path toward conversational Chinese.

Banter & Basketball: My story to conversational Chinese

By Avi Patchava, CLI immersion student

Having endured graduate school over the last year, I had six weeks left on the clock before I was due a return to my job in London. I chose to catapult myself into a Chinese city and see what came out the other end. After a burst of internet activity where I dipped in and out of six other Chinese school websites, CLI stood out head and shoulders above the rest, largely on three criteria: one-to-one instruction; affordability; and the beautiful – and still 99.99% Chinese - city of Guilin.

A week of rapid and responsive organisation by Nancy in Virginia and I was on my way. My experience, in short, went far beyond expectations.

Avi with his two flatmates Jeremy and Richard.

London – although the embodiment of the cosmopolitan - is a city that overindulges English up to the language altar in spite of the unparalleled linguistic richness among its inhabitants. However, at least once a week, I can now enjoy being the source of surprise to a nearby friend, colleague or family member. I meet a new Chinese colleague, or tourist seeking local insight, and I can address them in their own tongue.  There’s something special when you see the effect: they are instantly disarmed and you open a floodgate of enthusiasm and heartfelt rapport.  Even when your grammar and pronunciation may be far from unblemished!

I reflect on why and how CLI worked for me and how I found the confidence to speak what seems a remote foreign language withpaleolinguistic roots far removed from the Indo-European family tree of familiar languages.  It’s two things really. First, the ability to walk out into the city of Guilin (with its mesmerising pencil sharp hills) and needing to deploy the sole language medium available.  In my case this was a tentative stroll onto the atmospheric bustling ball courts of the adjacent Guangxi Normal University. Second, it is the truly absorbing, boarding-school-like environment that punctuates the halls and staircases of the Chinese Language institute.

Let me say a little more on each…

Avi and friends take a post football match photo.

The school is surrounded by a world of opportunity to play sport. After years of my active side having faced the Blitzkrieg bombardment of London’s stifling weather and relentless work hours, it was refreshing to immerse in all the activity a summer in Guilin and CLI can offer. I felt like a child walking onto a park playground resplendent with toys and rides. On Sunday, Ben and Tristan would organise an energetic 5-a-side football game. On Thursdays, we gathered numbers – including CLI teaching stalwart DaYong - for Basketball. Tuesdays were competitive (Leona-inspired) Badminton. And then there was the table tennis to fill the breaks between lessons where the best bits were certainly when you picked up enough vocab to be able to trash talk your teacher opponents (sorry Nini and Ruza!). Perhaps my standout sporting achievement was not particularly sporty: it was successfully negotiating a four-on-four pick-up with a few local students loitering on a neighbouring court. We soon found that once you survive a couple hours of Chinese basketball with Guangxi students they expect nothing short of full and fluent conversation in the post-game drinks break.

Avi and Abby pose together after a CLI group dinner.

CLI is much more than the two or three individual teachers you have. Soon after you start, every CLI teacher treats you like their own student giving you every opportunity to practice Chinese between lessons and long after your day’s lessons are done. The conversations brim with zesty banter (at times, even slightly scandalising). In what is a close-knit living and study environment, there is great scope for comedy throughout the day and you discover the full depth of the Chinese sense of humour. The biggest incentive for your brain to force new neurological connections is certainly the need to bark a quick Chinese retort.

A huge and special mention for my Chinese flatmates: Richard and Jeremy. Bus rides into CLI with Richard as my companion guaranteed I would be armed with a minimum of 5 new words long before an 8:30am lesson. Vivian and Tingting, Chinese students who were CLI summer interns, were always about for spunky, and yet scholarly, exploration of Chinese vocabulary and modern culture.

Avi and two of his teachers at his fair-well dinner.

I wholly recommend CLI as an immersive Chinese experience. Very happy to tell you more and even have a chat in person if you’re in London. Apparently, English textbooks in China elicit a giggle among students when they explain how the British initiate conversations on the topic of the weather.  (So perhaps we avoid that one…)

Avi

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The hottest job skill is...

If you are looking for a career that fits you, and have no idea how to use those language skills you have been polishing, look no further. Translation, interpretation and the ability to speak a foreign language are expected to be some of the fastest growing sectors throughout the rest of this decade, recent trends predict. Read below for more!

The hottest job skill is... 30 October 2013 by Annalyn Kurtz | CNN Money The Army, NYPD and State Department can't get enough workers with this job skill. Neither can Fortune 500 companies, hospitals, local courts and schools.

What is it? Fluency in a foreign language. 

Translators and interpreters are expected to be one of the 15 fastest growing occupations in the nation, according to the Department of Labor. 

Roughly 25,000 jobs are expected to open up for interpreters (who focus on spoken language) and translators (who focus on written language), between 2010 and 2020, the Department of Labor estimates. That represents 42% growth for the field and does not include the military, which is also recruiting ferociously for more people. 

In the last week alone, roughly 12,000 jobs posted on Indeed.com included the word "bilingual."

Amazon, for example, wants to hire a Brazilian Portuguese translator for its customer service team in Seattle. Apple is hiring technical translators who speak Korean, Mexican Spanish and Chinese. 

A school district in Pasadena, Calif., is hiring Spanish, Korean, Armenian and Chinese interpreters to work part time for $40 an hour.

Nationwide, workers in this field earn a median salary of $43,000 a year. 

Far higher salaries go to people who work in the intelligence community on behalf of the military, the State Department, CIA, FBI or government contractors. These jobs can pay well into the six figures, as workers are required to pass high-level security clearances and enter dangerous situations. 

"The government needs languages spoken in the Middle East and Africa. These people make the most money of all, but this is not just because of their language skills -- this is because of the high risk of the job," said Jiri Stejskal, spokesman for the American Translators Association. "They work in war zones. They may have a $200,000 salary but it's because they're willing to get shot at." 

Not willing to put your life on the line? High salaries are also available to translators and interpreters who specialize in legal, medical, technical or scientific knowledge. 

Which languages offer the highest returns? In government jobs, it's middle eastern languages like Arabic, Farsi and Pashto (Afghani). In the private sector, it's Scandinavian and Asian languages that pay. 

In contrast, Spanish is the second most common language in the United States after English, and because it is so prevalent, it offers the lowest return. 

Most interpreters and translators work on a freelance basis, which can be both a blessing and a curse. The work schedule can be flexible, it can be unsteady and come without benefits. 

"Since the majority of people in our field work as independent contractors and run their own business, the volume of work of course is subject to fluctuations," said Dorothee Racette, a German-English translator and president of the American Translators Association. "Compensation varies a lot based on language combination, years of experience, area of specialization, and the country or region where customers are located." 

Interpreters tend to get paid by the hour, half-day or day, with a range of $300 to $1,000 per day. The highest caliber interpreters are often certified by the International Association of Conference Interpreters, and can command the largest wages, Stejskal said. 

Translators, on the other hand, are usually paid by the word. The average rate for translating the 30 most commonly used languages on the web was 13 cents in 2012, according to market research firm Common Sense Advisory. Rarer languages command higher per-word rates but also tend to be lower in demand.

Speed is crucial to making the highest salary. For example, good translators who can do 2,500 to 3,000 words a day, would earn $325 to $390 a day, whereas a newbie to the field may be capable of far less. 

Kari Carapella, a senior recruiter for staffing firm Adecco Engineering & Technical, is currently trying to fill a job for an engineering translator in Big Falls, NY. The ideal candidate must not only be fluent in Japanese, but also understand electrical and mechanical engineering blueprints and documents. 

"It's especially tough to fill as both the technical and translation skills must be in place," she said. 

Pay starts around $30 an hour, she added.

Read full article here.  

The Chinese Language Institute

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Tailor-made Learning: Students suit up

Have you ever wondered where your clothes were made? Well, I guess you already know they were probably made in China. While many people today associate things “Made in China” with words such as, poorly made, low quality, and cheap, there is another side of Chinese clothing that might surprise you; one that rarely gets talked about in your local guide books or even on internet forums.

Angie poses in her newly tailored qipao out front of CLI.

One of the opportunities that many CLI students like to take advantage of, is going to visit one of Guilin’s many tailors. Over the years, the CLI team has formed a unique relationship with a specific tailor in town, who is frequently referred to as “The Obama Tailor”. Due in part to the proudly displayed photo in his shop of a past CLI student who is posing with the president himself, whilst wearing the suit he had made right here in Guilin! Being in China and getting your clothes made, not only ensures a top quality perfect fit, but some of the most attractive prices you can imagine. Maybe you won’t have a “Brook’s Brothers” label on the inside collar, but when no one can see the difference, your money was well spent.

Conor poses with President Barack Obama while wearing his tailored suit.

Students explore the Guilin fabric markets to find the one that "suits" them best.

Students occasionally head out to one of Guilin’s several fabric markets where they can shop around, bargain, and pick out wholesale priced fabrics they desire for the clothes they want made, all while practicing their Chinese! If you want, you can also rummage through the tons of fabric at the tailor’s shop itself. Students have had practically everything made, from casual button up shirts to full-blown tuxedos. Girls often take home authentic looking traditional Chinese dresses for a more exotic look at their next formal event. Students can talk with the tailor to decide everything down to the zippers, buttons and stitching on their clothes. Some other items students have had made in the past include: bow-ties, ties, casual pants, shorts, designer style pea coats, suits, professional skirts, blouses, blazers, vests, and the list goes on.

The tailor makes the initial marks and cuts on a new blouse.

Going to the tailor not only provides an opportunity for students to get out, practice their Mandarin and get some quality clothing for merely pennies, but it also adds a sense of connectedness with the Guilin community. Being accepted and recognized by the local people will richen your abroad experience by getting you slightly off the beaten path of touristy sightseeing and into the thick of “Real China”. Getting to know typical locals in their daily lives will also give you a rather unique perspective on Chinese culture, one that is likely to stick with you long after to leave to go back to your home country.

Guilin and CLI welcome you!

Bryan getting measured for a new pair of pants.