Thursday, August 24, 2006
The new Confucius Institute at the University of Kansas began bringing Chinese language and culture to Kansas on Monday when the first Mandarin Chinese classes began for high school students across the state.
Two sections of the year-long class will teach select students from Free State High School in person, while others from Maize, Holcomb, Deerfield, Washburn Rural, Marysville and Winfield will use videoconferencing equipment to connect to the classroom in JRP Hall, west of Memorial Stadium. The high school classes are a prelude to others that will be available to the general public Sept. 12.
Honggen Yi, the teacher for the high school classes, said learning Chinese would prove useful in coming years.
“Both China and America are major countries in the world, but for many years there had been no contact,” Yi said. “They still have misunderstandings because of language. People are less likely to be misled if they learn the language.”
Honggen Yi, the teacher for the high school classes, said learning Chinese would prove useful in coming years.
Sheree Willis, associate executive director for programs at the Confucius Institute, agreed that students would benefit from learning Chinese because Mandarin Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, she said.
“China is becoming ever more important economically,” she said. “It’s one of the most continuous cultures in the world and it’s important to learn how to interact with Chinese people.”
John Kennedy, professor of political science, teaches classes in Chinese domestic and foreign policy. He explained China’s importance on the world stage.
“China has a direct or indirect influence on almost everything,” Kennedy said. “If you’re interested in international business, China is unavoidable.”
Kennedy said learning Chinese would be important for American students because students in China began learning English in the seventh grade. One-fifth of the Chinese college entrance exam is a written English test.
“That really shows you there’s an edge they have over most Americans,” Kennedy said.
Willis said students should start learning Chinese now because it was easier to learn a language earlier in life. She said they should not be afraid of what was sometimes perceived to be a difficult language.
“Americans tend to be intimidated by Asian languages because they seem so different from English,” Willis said. “But most people find after they start learning that it’s not that hard and it’s a lot of fun.”
Kansan staff writer Danny Luppino can be contacted at dluppino@kansan.com.
Edited by Derek Korte
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