Surging demand for studying Chinese in American Midwest
CULTURE
By He Yan

2017-04-25 15:44 GMT+8

By CGTN’s Yu Fengfei
While US cities such as New York and Los Angeles have long had considerable ties with the country's Chinese-speaking community, there are relatively few ethnic Chinese residents living in the US's Midwest. However, in recent years, the region has seen a notable spike in Chinese learners, with more and more high school and college students selecting Chinese as their first choice of a foreign language.
Martin, from the University of Minnesota, performs at the recent "Han Yu Qiao" Chinese language contest held in the American Midwest. /CGTN Photo
The student singing the Chinese song is Martin from the University of Minnesota, who was performing at the recent "Han Yu Qiao" Chinese language contest held in the Midwest. Around fifty undergraduates from 16 local universities took part in the event. Participants showcased an array of traditional performances and demonstrations, including classical Chinese poems, calligraphy, martial arts, and Tai Chi.
Mandarin wave goes beyond the Midwest
It's not just college students in the Midwest who have developed an appetite for learning Chinese. At Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago, over twenty percent of the students are taking Chinese this semester.
More than 50 schools in the Chicago public school system have set up Chinese language courses, and over 12,000 students are now learning Chinese. Just ten years ago, only three schools offered Chinese classes, with just 300 students learning the language. The US government is said to be specifically focusing on the promotion of Chinese teaching and learning, with the aim of having one million students in the country learning Chinese in three years' time.

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