1st National Chinese Language Conference - Washington D.C.
April 17-19, 2008

If 700 educators and business people from 41 of the United States gathered in one room to talk about Chinese Language and Culture – you would think that it is a pretty important topic. 

Well it is. 

Through the Ohio Department of Education CORE grant for Chinese Language, Linda Fuline, David Jones and Bill Holko from the Summit County Educational Service Center; Lynda Blanchard, Donna Bambic and Chris Woofter from Nordonia Hills City Schools were able to attend the 1^st National Chinese Language Conference in Washington D.C. on April 17-19. In addition to these educators from Summit County, David Ayers and Yongfang Zhang from the University of Akron Office of International Programs, and  Ai Lan Lin from Kent State University attended. 

Interest in learning the Chinese language has grown significantly in the past two years.  Increasingly, leaders in the public and private sectors are recognizing the dramatic rise of Asia as one of the central facets of the twenty-first century.  China, with its tremendous economic growth and emergence as a cultural and political leader is integral to this shift. 

In the very near future, it is expected that one in every five jobs will in some fashion deal with international trade.  That is one reason the Nordonia Hills Schools is looking to add the teaching of Chinese into their curriculum.  The participants have taken away from this conference many facts, figures, approaches and suggestions on ways to hopefully make this vision reality. 

Interested in learning more about incorporating Chinese language into your curriculum? Contact any one of the Summit County participants - Linda, Dave or Bill, at (330) 945-5600.  You can learn more about the conference from their website:  www.askasia.org/chineseconference.