Pingry Accepted in National Network of Chinese Language Programs

in the Martinsville section of Bernards Township has been accepted into the Hanban-Asia Society Confucius Classrooms Network, a national network of 100 exemplary Chinese language programs, the school announced.

This acceptance recognizes the potential for Pingry’s Chinese program to be a model for the United States, as well as Pingry’s strong leadership among New Jersey schools, demonstrated commitment to international exchange and collaboration, and global vision for the future, according to a news release from the private school.

Pingry's Martinsville campus houses grades 6-12, while grades K-5 for the day school are located in a campus in Short Hills. 

As a member of a second cohort of 40 schools in the network, chosen from more than 100 applications, Pingry has received a three-year grant the school will use to expand its Chinese program with benefits including new technology, guest speakers, and opportunities to visit China, the news release said. The school also intends to expand the teaching of Chinese culture elsewhere in the curriculum, the release said.

Pingry added Mandarin Chinese to its curriculum in the fall of 2009 as a language elective for grades 6 and 9 (Chinese IA). Since then, the program has expanded—with the addition of a second Chinese teacher—to Chinese IA and Chinese IB in the Middle School and Chinese I and Chinese II in the Upper School for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The school now has 53 students enrolled in Chinese language programs, said school spokesman Greg Waxberg.

Instructors Weiwei Yu and Frank Dolce are teaching the students to read, write, and speak Chinese, the release said.

“The students want to learn more about Chinese culture and are grasping the material very quickly," Yu said. "I am teaching at a faster pace than I expected, based on student feedback. I am impressed with their progress.”

A native of Heilongjiang Province, China, Yu earned a master’s degree in Communication at Marquette University in Milwaukee and a bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature at Nankai University in Tianjin, China.

Yu previously taught Mandarin at several other schools, including the Whitby School in Connecticut, where she initiated a Chinese program.

Dolce, who graduated from Carleton College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a language certificate for mastery of Chinese language, recently taught English at Fenyang High School in China.

The network has expanded to represent more than 15,000 students in 23 states and Washington, D.C.; public schools, independent schools, and charter schools; elementary, middle, and high schools; and urban, rural, and suburban schools.

Each Hanban-Asia Society Confucius Classroom will be matched with a partner school in China to enhance opportunities for language learning and to provide students, teachers, and administrators with opportunities to conduct exchanges and joint projects, according to the release. The network is linked through an online community for professional development, allowing teachers to share resources and best practices.

As part of its continuing effort to help American students become more globally competent, Asia Society has been supporting the development of Chinese language programs in schools across the United States, including e-newsletters, conferences, and DVDs. 

The Confucius Classrooms Network has been established with the support of an International Expert Advisory Committee and in partnership with Hanban, the affiliate of the Chinese Ministry of Education that supports the teaching and learning of Chinese language and culture in all corners of the world.

Asia Society has designed the selection process for the 100 U.S. schools, assists them in creating linkages with schools in China, convenes an annual meeting in conjunction with the National Chinese Language Conference, provides support through e-newsletters and professional development seminars, and collects data to assess progress. 

More information about the Hanban-Asia Society Confucius Classrooms Network and all of Asia Society’s Chinese Language Initiatives is available online. www.asiasociety.org/Chinese.

More information about The Pingry School also is available online.