Link: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/263029,CST-NWS-triling19.article Little Village's trilingual kids Mandarin Chinese mandatory at school where 90% speak only Spanish at home February 19, 2007 BY ESTHER J. CEPEDA Staff Reporter For Michelle De La Vega, the Chinese-Spanish connection is as harmonious as yin and yang. "The color brown is 'cafe' in Chinese, just like in Spanish," said Michelle, a 10-year-old fifth-grader. Her classmate Xavier Trejo, 10, chimes in, "And tea in Chinese is 'te' just like Spanish." Michelle and Xavier, like their 800 classmates, learn Mandarin Chinese as part of their everyday studies at Cyrus McCormick Elementary School. Located in Little Village, the school is 99% Hispanic and in 2000 became the first predominantly Hispanic Chicago public school to offer Chinese instruction. "We're a model school, the only school in the system where every student is taught Mandarin Chinese -- even those who are learning English," said Principal Virginia Rivera. Generational changes Chinese language instruction might seem odd, not to mention challenging, in a setting where 90% of students speak only Spanish at home and a great majority of parents speak no English at all. "It makes no difference what the home language is in learning a second or third language," said Rivera. "And the support is always there for those who need it in their native language." McCormick parents, enticed by the limitless opportunities for their soon-to-be-trilingual children, embrace the challenge. "My family thinks it's wonderful -- my parents only speak Spanish, I'm bilingual and the third generation will be trilingual," said parent Ludvina Ordaz, 27, referring to her daughter Bryanna Moreno, a 5-year-old kindergartner. While offering Chinese instruction is not uncommon in charter or elite magnet schools, Chicago Public Schools boasts the largest public school Chinese program in the country. It's one of Mayor Daley's pet projects, part of his push to provide Chicago schoolchildren with the skills necessary to compete in an increasingly global economy. McCormick kids receive 20 to 25 minutes of instruction five times a week from a Chinese teacher who comes into the classroom to weave language lessons into a broader curriculum that exposes kids to all aspects of Chinese culture -- far more than just this week's upcoming celebration of the new Year of the Pig. In second grade, teacher Ming Yeh starts out her lessons by asking the kids -- in Chinese -- how to say the names of fruits in Spanish. "Usually they teach me first," said Yeh. The great majority of her students are still gaining a foothold in English, but she said, "I don't think they have any more difficulty -- to me they learn the same as the other kids, and they love the Chinese." Michelle is poised to reap the rewards. "It's going to help me get a better job," she said. "It's going to be good for my future." ecepeda@suntimes.com
We need this kind of education in order to compete. Other countries are teaching their kids English, we better teach others a language other then English starting at a young age. Might as well be a Chinese dialect.
They need to make everyone learn English first. Here in Austin, there are certain restaurants where they can't speak English. I am all for diversity, but learn the language of the country you are in.
It doesn't sound like learning English is being replaced. I doubt the staff at the restaurants where they don't speak English was schooled in a program such as this.
Im taking Manderin right now and Spanish in school. I like the chinese a lot more. it's easier that you think.
Agreed 100%. Sure learning Chinese does that to the little kids. Alas, it's the language of the devils. The Chinese language should be eradicated and Chinese people erased from the face of the earth. So that peaceful meditation loving people can be protected.
That is too funny. You have to watch out for the People's Republic of Chinese Posters (PRC-P) that troll this site - they will be after you now as teasing isn't something they take too kindly toward.
