Archive for October, 2011

  • 31 Oct

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    English language in American

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    If you have to chose from the all the possibilities of the English language which one to learn, American English is the most fun election. You can even do this and have fun in the process, if you chose an English School in USA. There are a lot of rewards of traveling to the USA.

    Many unbelievable opportunities await if you only set your mind to it. There are many English Schools you can pick from in the USA. Each city has something amazing to offer you. A city that is often picked by students abroad is Denver, Colorado. This colorful city has so many amusing attractions to offer that makes it so appealing for students to pick this destination to study English in the USA before others.

    Every aspect of the English Language is covered from listening, writing, grammar and conversation skill. Everything is included in these programs, where not only will you learn English but you will also have the experience of a life time while you immerse in a new amazing culture.
    Even though a program can be intensive it can also be amusing, if you chose the right city. Denver without a doubt is the one that offers the most variety when it comes to activities. The city has created a classy and diverse selection of restaurants which offer mouthwatering dishes.

    If you enjoy hiking you can visit the Rocky Mountains at 5,280 feet, you can discover the breathtaking views as you reach higher step by step. This region has been known as an outdoor amusement Mecca, the reasons are evident. It also has cultural amusements like museums, theatre and a laid back city lifestyle with an incredible nightlife.

    You can also attend concerts outdoors and as you listen to the music stare at the stunning sceneries. If festivals are your cup of tea, we’ve got it covered. Every year, the Great American beer, Cinco de Mayo, the Starz International Film Festival, among other conventions are held in Denver.
    Among the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean, lies a beautiful ridiculously entertaining city just for you to learn English in the USA and have fun as well.

  • 16 Oct

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    Chinese classes booming at Pasadena City College

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    　　A Pasadena City College program that teaches Chinese language and culture is growing in popularity and prestige.

    　　Once consisting of only four classes, the college’s Chinese Language Program now offers 18. The school plans to further expand the program next semester to include study abroad opportunities and a special course on doing business in China.

    　　PCC is also the only school in Southern California authorized to administer the Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, an international Mandarin Chinese proficiency exam required by the People’s Republic of China for those who wish to work or study there.

    　　China’s growing influence in the global economy appears to be driving intense local interest in learning Mandarin — especially among older students who are professionals in various fields, Professor Cathy Wei told the Pasadena Sun.

  • 15 Oct

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    Learning Chinese: Should I Take Chinese Lessons Online?

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    　　With a huge portion of the world being native Chinese speakers, and with the commercial rise of mainland China, it’s safe to say that learning Chinese is plenty worth our time. And with online language learning improving rapidly, you have to ask yourself, “Should I take Chinese lessons online?” The answer to that question is, “Maybe.” This post is going to tell you how to decide if taking Chinese lessons online is the right choice for you personally.

    　　Are you pressed for time?

    　　Most of us have pretty busy schedules these days. If that includes you, you’ll want to consider taking Chinese lessons online. Why? Because you can complete your online course from the comfort of your own home, from your office, or from your favorite cafe. Wherever you decide to study, you won’t have to commute. You won’t have to show up early for class, and you won’t have to wait in line behind other students just to get a few minutes of speaking practice with a native Chinese speaker.

    　　Do you want to get the most of your money?

    　　Well, of course you do, but not all inexpensive products are good value. When you opt for Chinese lessons online, this is not the case–they are great value for your money. Why do they offer so much for so little? Because the business model is very efficient. First, the product is digital, which means it takes no expensive raw materials, like paper, to produce. Second, all instruction is pre-recorded, which means that it’s not necessary to continually pay for expensive teachers and staff. Finally, there is no need for a classroom, and no expensive rent means much lower costs.

    　　Are you looking for social interaction?

    　　I tend to learn better when I sit down in a quiet place and study on my own. Others, though, get bored or distracted quickly if left alone. If you need social interaction to learn effectively, you may want to consider taking a classroom-based course. If you’re more like me, on the other hand, you’ll prefer taking Chinese lessons online. Also, I tend to be a bit shy when learning a new language–I get embarrassed easily. Because if this, I feel much more comfortable practicing my pronunciation in the comfort of my own home. How do you feel? If you’re a bit shy or easily embarrassed, you should definitely take Chinese lessons online.

    　　Can you make a Chinese language learning plan and stick to it?

    　　When you take Chinese lessons online, you are not given a whole lot of structure. You study what you want, when you want to study it. For some people this is great. They like to set their own schedules, and they are good at sticking to the plans they create. Others are not so organized. You have to be honest here. Are you going to be able to make a learning schedule and stick to it? If so, then you should take Chinese lessons online. If not, you may want to go with something that offers a bit more structure.

    　　Should you take Chinese lessons online?

    　　If you are an independent person who is capable of making a Chinese language learning schedule and sticking to it, then, yes, you should take Chinese lessons online. If, on the other hand, you are someone who gets bored and distracted easily, you may want to consider a more structured option, or at least ask someone to be your study partner. Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of luck.

  • 14 Oct

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    Skyline students push for Chinese classes in state

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    　　As leaders of the Chinese Cultural Club at Skyline High School, Kevin Li and Andrea Liu networked and lobbied school district leaders for two years trying to get a Chinese course offered at school.

    　　“It wasn’t as successful as we had hoped,” Kevin said.

    　　So, before their senior year started, they jumped off and formed the Washington Association for Chinese Education, an organization dedicated to promoting Chinese-language initiatives in schools around Washington. And having already partnered with more than a dozen China-relations organizations, the students launched one of their first initiatives. The “Why Learn Chinese” contest runs Oct. 1-31 and is open to Washington students who already take Chinese or want to learn the language.

    　　“We thought asking the community why it’s important would be a good start,” Kevin said.

    　　The association and its initiative to bring Washington students to the competitive edge of China-U.S. relations has received support from many local leaders, including Gov. Chris Gregoire. The group’s website displays an official letter from the governor’s office, too.

    　　“China’s growing influence in the global economy makes fluency in Chinese of particular interest to businesses here in Washington … To underscore this point, China was our number one export market last year. This relationship is strengthened when we make language and cultural exchange a priority,” the Governor’s letter said, “and I applaud WACE for its commitment to educating students about the benefits of learning Chinese. For young people to recognize the importance of language capacity, but also to exercise leadership in promoting it is truly inspiring.”

    　　Despite the workload of running the organization, studying and applying to colleges, Andrea and Kevin seem the most enthusiastic about the contest and the group’s drive to promote Chinese culture among fellow youth.

    　　“I’ve seen the competitive Chinese culture and can see the enormous benefit and opportunities there,” Andrea said. “In the future, we’re going to be the ones doing business with China.”

    　　In addition to the contest, the students’ organization tutors students in Chinese and SAT prep after school and runs the Skyline cultural fair in the spring.

    　　The two leaders said they encourage middle and high school students who are studying or want to learn it to participate in the contest. They can submit one of two types of entries: a written essay, poem or song of 300 to 500 words; or a video of a song, poem, speech or other creative format no longer than five minutes.

    　　The organization will accept only online submissions and each entry must be original, in English and address the question, “why should we learn Chinese?” Each participant may only submit one entry.

    　　“It really is a cross-cultural, cross-border collaboration,” Andrea said.

    　　According to the organization’s website, a judging panel composed of certified teachers and professionals with Chinese culture and language experience will review all entries. Rather than critique writing and performing skills, the judges will mainly consider aspects like superior ideas, message and overall content of each entry. In the end, they will pick one grand-prize winner, two runners-up and three honorable mentions.

    　　The grand prize is an iPad 2 or the cash equivalent. Each runner-up will receive $250 and each honorable mention participant will get $100. Those top six winners also will receive an honorary plaque and an invitation to the contest’s awards ceremony at the Seattle Chinese Garden. There they will have an opportunity to meet top business leaders and officials from Washington.

  • 13 Oct

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    Walk-to-School Month has Blackwell students hoofing

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    　　The first steady rain of the season didn’t deter hoards of Blackwell Elementary School students and their parents from donning the galoshes and umbrella and hoofing it to school Oct. 5.

    　　Students, some likely driven by the incentive of cool prizes, and some possibly just desiring to get some exercise, filtered into the school’s parking lot from surrounding neighborhoods in northern Sammamish as part of International Walk-to-School Day. It officially kicks off a month of schools around the world focusing on the benefits of walking to school.

    　　Douglas Cherry, a second grader at Blackwell Elementary School, writes his name in chalk on the sidewalk as he arrives to school in the rain Oct. 5. Photo by Christopher Huber“It’s nice we can all live so close to the school,” said Karen Santini, a Blackwell parent and walk-to-school organizer.

    　　Not only did large groups walk to school together in the rain, many of the students paused to scrawl their names on the “walk of fame” sidewalk, umbrella in one hand, sidewalk chalk in the other. Most students live within one mile of the school, said past Walk-to-School-Month organizers. So, although plenty of parents drove their student to school this day, still more, it seems, chose to make walking or riding their bike a habit.

    　　Santini said the youth began the month of walking Oct. 3 and many will keep track of total days walked or ridden to reach milestones for prizes. Each student received a calendar and serious participants mark off each day they follow through. After walking 15 days, a student receives a water bottle. They can subsequently earn a bike helmet, a pedometer, or even $50 to REI or Pacific Bicycle, Santini said. To make the month a little more interactive in 2011, each student wrote, “I like walking to school because …” on a paper foot cutout. PTA helpers then posted them on the walls throughout the school for others to peruse. Office staff also reads a few during morning announcements, Santini said.

    　　She said she most appreciates neighbors simply being together each morning, especially when they coordinate the “walking school bus” a group that roams the sidewalks, picking up walkers as it goes.

    　　“You really are out there and chatting, and the kids are together. You feel like you’re all together,” Santini said. “We forget how nice you feel when take a walk before you start your day.”

    　　This was Blackwell’s fourth year participating in the international month of walking. But in 2010, millions of students in more than 40 countries participated in International Walk-to-School Month, according to International Walk to School.

    　　The basic ideas driving Walk-to-School Month are to encourage physical activity, raise awareness of how walkable a community really is, raise concern for the environment, reduce traffic congestion, pollution and speed and to promote families spending quality time together, the organization said.

  • 12 Oct

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    Skyline students push for Chinese classes in state

    0

    　　As leaders of the Chinese Cultural Club at Skyline High School, Kevin Li and Andrea Liu networked and lobbied school district leaders for two years trying to get a Chinese course offered at school.

    　　“It wasn’t as successful as we had hoped,” Kevin said.

    　　So, before their senior year started, they jumped off and formed the Washington Association for Chinese Education, an organization dedicated to promoting Chinese-language initiatives in schools around Washington. And having already partnered with more than a dozen China-relations organizations, the students launched one of their first initiatives. The “Why Learn Chinese” contest runs Oct. 1-31 and is open to Washington students who already take Chinese or want to learn the language.

    　　“We thought asking the community why it’s important would be a good start,” Kevin said.

    　　The association and its initiative to bring Washington students to the competitive edge of China-U.S. relations has received support from many local leaders, including Gov. Chris Gregoire. The group’s website displays an official letter from the governor’s office, too.

    　　“China’s growing influence in the global economy makes fluency in Chinese of particular interest to businesses here in Washington … To underscore this point, China was our number one export market last year. This relationship is strengthened when we make language and cultural exchange a priority,” the Governor’s letter said, “and I applaud WACE for its commitment to educating students about the benefits of learning Chinese. For young people to recognize the importance of language capacity, but also to exercise leadership in promoting it is truly inspiring.”

    　　Despite the workload of running the organization, studying and applying to colleges, Andrea and Kevin seem the most enthusiastic about the contest and the group’s drive to promote Chinese culture among fellow youth.

    　　“I’ve seen the competitive Chinese culture and can see the enormous benefit and opportunities there,” Andrea said. “In the future, we’re going to be the ones doing business with China.”

    　　In addition to the contest, the students’ organization tutors students in Chinese and SAT prep after school and runs the Skyline cultural fair in the spring.

    　　The two leaders said they encourage middle and high school students who are studying or want to learn it to participate in the contest. They can submit one of two types of entries: a written essay, poem or song of 300 to 500 words; or a video of a song, poem, speech or other creative format no longer than five minutes.

    　　The organization will accept only online submissions and each entry must be original, in English and address the question, “why should we learn Chinese?” Each participant may only submit one entry.

    　　“It really is a cross-cultural, cross-border collaboration,” Andrea said.

    　　According to the organization’s website, a judging panel composed of certified teachers and professionals with Chinese culture and language experience will review all entries. Rather than critique writing and performing skills, the judges will mainly consider aspects like superior ideas, message and overall content of each entry. In the end, they will pick one grand-prize winner, two runners-up and three honorable mentions.

    　　The grand prize is an iPad 2 or the cash equivalent. Each runner-up will receive $250 and each honorable mention participant will get $100. Those top six winners also will receive an honorary plaque and an invitation to the contest’s awards ceremony at the Seattle Chinese Garden. There they will have an opportunity to meet top business leaders and officials from Washington.

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