Allenstown principal travels to China

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 22:40:00 GMT

Dr. Betsey S. Cox-Buteau, principal of the Armand R. Dupont School, is one of 800 U.S. educators who traveled to China for a one-week tour in an effort to build and expand Chinese language programs in U.S. schools.

In its second year, the Chinese Bridge Delegation aims to expose school decision-makers to the rich history and culture of a country whose language is the most widely spoken in the world. Ultimately, the sponsors who take part in this program aspire to foster a better understanding of Chinese culture and fluency in the language among U.S. students.

With more than 800 delegates scheduled for this year’s trip, June 23 to July 1, participation has doubled since last year. A variety of educators, including teachers, administrators and language coordinators, will begin their tour in Beijing and then travel to other cities and provinces where they will meet with local education commissions.

Participants will have an opportunity to talk with Chinese education leaders, build sister schools and network with other U.S. educators who are working toward the same goal of offering Chinese language programs to their students.

“We hope this program will eventually help to offer more students in our country the opportunity to become fluent in the most widely spoken language in the world,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “We’re building a bridge that will aid in strengthening our ties, our future economic partnerships and our appreciation of our respective cultures.”

Beyond cultural enrichment, the trip will also provide incentives and strategies for educators to return to the United States better equipped to support the growth of Chinese language and culture programs in their own districts. Chinese is the national language of the more than 1.3 billion inhabitants of China and millions more ethnic Chinese around the world. While more than 200 million Chinese schoolchildren are studying English—often begun as early as the second grade—experts estimate no more than 50,000 U.S. students are studying Chinese.

“It only makes sense to bring the language and culture of the largest population on the planet into the curriculum of our schools,” said Cox-Buteau. “As China becomes a greater part of the world economy, our children will need that knowledge to survive in the business world.”

Allenstown News : China

Allenstown principal travels to China