China--The Future
Why is copper plumbing becoming expensive? China is building homes and businesses faster than supply and demand can provide. Why are gas prices climbing? China is now a major buyer of petroleum. What is the fastest growing economic power in the world according to many in the business field? China.
In Demand
While the demand for Chinese language is growing, it is nearly impossible to find teachers to teach the language. The College Board, SAT and Advanced Placement classes, surveyed schools in 2004 about interest in Chinese. How many schools expressed interest in taking Chinese as a language? 2400 schools!! The problem? No teachers. [Ben Arnoldy, Christian Science Monitor, csmonitor.com, March 27, 2007]
Chinese students are learning English. How many? 200 million. While the universal language in the world may be English, English speaking students want to learn Chinese. That is a major problem.
Foreign Teachers
The answer to the imbalance seems to be hiring foreign teachers. Guest Worker visas are currently being granted to potential teachers from Taiwan and China. Guest-worker programs are being used in 34 schools as of January of this year set up by the College Board and Hanban, a Chinese government organization. Beginning teachers in many parts of the United States receive $23-27,000 to start. These foreign teachers will receive $3500 with housing and transportation provided for two years. If things go well, the schools may extend their work-visa for a third year. In two years, it is hoped to have 250 foreign instructors of Chinese in the US.
Cultural Differences
While the native instructors may have great language skills, they are not always prepared for the differences in cultures between east and west. Heather Lin, assistant to the head of schools at the Chinese American International School in San Francisco says, "In China or Taiwan, you don't talk back to your teachers. What the teacher says goes. We have had one of our teachers who came to CAIS after having taught in China for nine years. She came from a classroom of 60 students in China, to a class of 16 here, and she said it was so much more work to teach the 16." [Ben Arnoldy, Christian Science Monitor, csmonitor.com, March 27, 2007]
Future Teachers
While teachers from China and Taiwan may fill temporary needs, the plan in the future is to have US-based teachers. However, many Chinese families in the California area speak Cantonese or a less than perfect Mandarin. Mandarin is the preferred dialect. Teacher salaries are also an issue with recent Chinese immigrants. Once the immigrants learn what teachers are paid and the discipline problems that come with the job, they choose jobs in the business world.
Teacher Shortage
Foreign instructors of Chinese will probably be a temporary fix because of low salaries and classroom atmosphere. The need and interest for Chinese is critical and will be far into the future. This again brings up the teacher crises looming in the United States. In just a few years, teacher retirements will be staggering. A first-year teacher may physically replace a veteran teacher but the knowledge base, classroom management skills and academic connections teachers take with them can not be replaced. Shortages are already present in high school math and science, special education, and other foreign languages. Education may need to undergo major changes in the future.
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Copyright article 2007 Barbara Pytel. All Rights Reserved.
