Happy Lunar New Year from the USC US-China Institute!
EASC Colloquium: Going Global: Development, Challenges and Opportunities for Chinese as a World Language in the United States (Shuwan Wang, ELE Consulting International)
Indiana University Bloomington presents Dr. Shuhan C. Wang as she highlights progress made in the Chinese language field in the United States over the past decade, analyzes issues associated with its expansion, and explores promising opportunities to build a robust Chinese learning and teaching environment.
Where
Since the 1950s, Chinese has been taught in the United States as a foreign language, with only modest enrollment numbers and few established programs nationwide. In recent years, the Chinese language field has evolved in step with educational, social, political, and economic developments, fortified by increasing global consciousness in the United States. From 2004 to 2014, the Chinese language field has experienced an unprecedented boom. What does the landscape of the Chinese language field look like in 2014? What factors have stimulated its growth, and what challenges remain? What are the infrastructural needs for supporting the quality, sustainability, and continued growth of the field? What strategies can be adopted to deal with challenges associated with such rapid expansion? Drawing upon her research in language policy, planning, and field building, as well as her experiences in implementing initiatives of national scope, Dr. Wang will highlight progress made in the Chinese language field in the United States over the past decade, analyze issues associated with its expansion, and explore promising opportunities to build a robust Chinese learning and teaching environment.
Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D. 王周淑涵, is president of ELE Consulting International, which provides services to entities interested in heritage and world language education. She was Deputy Director of the National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) at the University of Maryland from 2009-12, where she oversaw the STARTALK Project promotes the study and teaching of critical languages in the United States. Prior to working at NFLC, she as executive director for Chinese Language Initiatives at the Asia Society from 2006-09 and education associate for World Languages and International Education at the Delaware Department of Education from 1998-2006. She is currently leading an effort to establish the Chinese Early Language and Immersion Network (CELIN) at the Asia Society, in addition to other projects. Dr. Wang holds a BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures from National Taiwan University, an MA in Communication from the Ohio State University, and an MA in Bilingualism/Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Delaware. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Featured Articles
We note the passing of many prominent individuals who played some role in U.S.-China affairs, whether in politics, economics or in helping people in one place understand the other.
Events
Ying Zhu looks at new developments for Chinese and global streaming services.
David Zweig examines China's talent recruitment efforts, particularly towards those scientists and engineers who left China for further study. U.S. universities, labs and companies have long brought in talent from China. Are such people still welcome?