Swampscott hires Mandarin Chinese teacher

SWAMPSCOTT – After adding Mandarin Chinese to its foreign language program in 2007, the district has hired a new teacher and revised its Mandarin Chinese curriculum.Superintendent Matthew Malone said Mandarin Chinese is the most used language in the world.”We know in the U.S. the population of Mandarin Chinese speakers will increase by 215 percent over the next 50 years,” he said. “China is an enormous market for American goods and services. It is also a vital supplier for us. Mandarin Chinese is the official language of the United Nations and several other countries. So when we had an opportunity to hire someone who can teach Mandarin Chinese we took it. In order to be competitive we have to do things differently and this is a great place for us to start for global understanding.”Mandarin Chinese teacher Liming Yang, who is teaching two classes this year, graduated from East China University in Shanghai. She moved to the United States in 1989 with her daughter to join her husband, who was in St. Louis, Mo. Yang lived in St. Louis for 14 years where she took some computer courses and worked as a programmer there. She also taught Mandarin Chinese at St. Louis Chinese Language School. In the fall of 2003, Yang moved to Boston and worked as a Mandarin Chinese instructor in 2004.Under her leadership, the curriculum for the courses has been revised. It starts with the study of Pinyin, which is an alphabetical writing system then students learn to write Chinese characters. Next year, students will study modern Chinese history, geography, culture, sports, film and current events in texts that include readings in Chinese translated to English on the opposite page of text.Principal Larry Murphy, who went to China last year, said Yang tutored him before his trip.”As we look towards global education and preparing our students for the 21st century it’s important to offer courses like these,” he said. “China is a huge economic power – we need to learn their history, culture and current events. It’s really an eye-opening experience for our students.”Malone, who has observed some of Yang’s classes, said he was impressed with what he observed.”It’s very intense,” he said. “The way she teaches with the text materials and use of dialect and inflection is very interesting.”Yang is also working on an independent study with a freshman student who hopes to take the SAT II or AP Chinese test.Malone said over the next few years he would like to see the Mandarin Chinese program expand.”My goal is to do student exchanges in a couple of years between Swampscott High School and China,” he said. “I hope over the years this program grows into a full time position. It makes our kids competitive.”