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The importance of bilingual fluency
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Experts agree that learning a second language in the contemporary world is no longer a luxury — in fact, it is a necessity. “A workforce with more market-relevant foreign language skills is a strategic economic asset,” says the US-based Council on Foreign Relations.
The fact that language ability opens the door to opportunities is clear to those who live and work abroad, but this is also grounded in the reality of today’s world: The English-speaking share of global GDP has been falling for nearly 40 years, and the Chinese economy is set to surpass the US in size by 2030.
An increasing number of schools in the US and other Western countries are reacting to this trend by beginning to offer Chinese language classes, yet those programs are still in their infancy, and each school places different emphasis on the outcomes. One international school that has succeeded in leading the way is Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai), which has a very focused approach to teaching Chinese, with a program that reflects the school’s philosophy of helping students become fluent and comfortable in two languages and cultures.
As a leader in bilingual education, YCIS Shanghai has long recognized the value of Chinese language learning and has made it an educational priority, creating a unique program that ultimately provides students with language skills combined with cultural understanding. Guided by a Chinese language research and development team, the YCIS program shapes the learning that takes place in the classroom, ultimately helping students use their learning in natural language environments outside of school.
“The effectiveness of our language program comes from original research and development conducted by a team of linguistics experts in the YCIS Chinese Curriculum Research Department (CCRD), which results in a program that is well integrated into the classroom,” says Vicki He, the Chinese superintendent for YCIS.
For students, the benefits of this program include textbooks developed based on the latest research, that are updated annually according to teacher feedback and the changing needs of students. In addition, YCIS has developed special tools, including a proprietary online platform, iLearn Chinese, as a resource for students and teachers, and a comprehensive training program for staff, complete with workshops, demonstrations, and mentoring, helping ensure that YCIS Shanghai teachers continue to develop throughout the year, translating into enhanced learning for their students. “CCRD also develops programs that weave elements of Chinese culture into the Chinese language curriculum. Our new Chinese Studies program, which covers Chinese history, geography, art, and philosophy for students from Year 1 to Year 9, is a prime example of this,” says Ms He.
With a research-based, comprehensive program that provides students with dual language and cultural skills, YCIS Shanghai helps prepare students to be competitive in university, and the workplace of tomorrow.
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