Tag: mandarin
How to Pass High School Mandarin
Larry grew up in the US. His parents were from Cantonese-speaking areas, and both are highly educated and very competent in English. Larry is English dominant but has excellent oral/aural competence in his heritage...
China Plans Mandarin Domestic Dominance by 2025
According to a directive recently released by China’s Ministry of Education, Mandarin Chinese will be spoken by 85% of the country’s population by 2025.
The order issued by the State Council, China’s Cabinet, said...
Mandarin Imposed on Minority Preschools
The Chinese Ministry of Education is making Mandarin the medium of instruction for preschoolers in areas where minority languages like Mongolian, Tibetan, and Uyghur, as well as regional Chinese languages like Sichuanese or Cantonese,...
US Looks to Taiwan for Chinese
Through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), the U.S. and Taiwan have launched the U.S.-Taiwan Education Initiative, which is aimed at “expanding access to Mandarin and English language instruction, while safeguarding academic freedom.” The move comes after...
Online Mandarin Classes
Mandarin Matrix is offering online classes for children learning Mandarin as a second language. The Mandarin Matrix Online Classroom is open to children in elementary school and middle school and is designed to strengthen...
Confucius Institutes Refocus on Chinese Language
China’s Confucius Institutes, which have become the backbone of the country’s worldwide soft power strategy, are being rebranded in the face of widespread criticism. The institutes, launched in 2004, are public educational partnerships between...
‘No Barrier’ to Chinese Becoming ‘Global Language’
Australian author and professor Dr. Jeffrey Gil, of Flinders University in Adelaide, claims there is “no barrier” stopping Chinese becoming a “global language” like English, as universal literacy is not required for a global...
Hong Kong Dismisses Mandarin Controversy
In May, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor dismissed a controversy over the use of Mandarin in public schools and whether Cantonese should be considered the city’s mother tongue as a “nonissue,” telling legislators...
Opinion–Can We Make Chinese Less Graphic?
While many schools are dropping foreign language classes, the number of schools offering Mandarin Chinese courses is rising. In 2001, about 300 schools...
Confucius Launches Chinese Online Test and Programs
The Confucius Institute and XuetangX have launched a platform for students around the world who want to learn Chinese and pass the HSK proficiency tests. The courses are available at www.chinesetest.cn. Beginners can register...