Students have been learning about Chinese language and culture through a grant-funded teacher exchange program, this year with Chinese language teacher Chen Fangfang. Chen — who teaches English language in China — spent the entire school year at Roosevelt, teaching students in all grades. Her stay in Kenosha was funded through a grant from the Teachers of Critical Languages Program. “She is just a gem,” Roosevelt Principal Nola Starling-Ratliff said, noting that Chen used songs and shadow puppets to teach language to the school’s youngest children.

Fun activities

TCLP Chinese teacher Chen Jinyun recently published an article about the American education system and students' school life in the official journal of her home school in China, the Nanjing Foreign Language School's Xianlin Campus. Jinyun's piece will be useful for colleagues and students at her school, and was seen as a positive contribution by her home school administration. Jinyun says that her vice principal has encouraged her to continue to share what she has learned as a TCLP participant to enrich her school community.

Congratulations to Lindblom Math and Science Academy for their students' participation in international Arabic language debates!

My American friends always ask me, “Do you like America?”
“Yes!” That is my always answer.
Then usually this question will follow. “Do you miss China?”
Without hesitation, I will say “Yes!”

In April 2014, as the TCLP website was prepared for launch, we were fortunate enough to have the help of five current exchange teachers, who intensively tested the website to ensure it worked properly. The feedback they provided has helped to make the TCLP website the best it can be. As we continue to implement their suggestions, we want to acknowledge our appreciation of their work during a busy part of the school year.

Thank you to TCLP Website Beta Testers:

Ashlin and the other students in first through fifth grades are in their first year of Mandarin instruction at the school.
The offering of a second language is part of Manor View’s designation as an International Baccalaureate World School earlier this month.

Read the full article in the Maryland Gazette.

This question was posed to the 2012-2013 exchange teachers during their Spring Workshop in Washington DC and the responses ranged from being accepted by their communities, to building a language website for students and parents. Additionally, one element of their experience that many teachers appreciated was the opportunity for professional development inside and outside of their school. “I learned a lot about the American educational system, learning methods about special education/special needs and content,” said one Chinese teacher.

Since his year of teaching Arabic language and culture at Renaissance Magnet High School in Meridian, Idaho, Ahmed Mohamed has been busy translating his experiences into action back at home in Beheira, Egypt. Having returned home, Ahmed embarked on a project to help Egyptian teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) build a pedagogical foundation, exchange best practices for EFL teaching, learn about the U.S. educational system, and share resources. Along the way, he has kept in touch with his former U.S.