STARTALK immerses students and teachers in Chinese language and culture

Middle and high school students and their teachers learn about one of the world’s oldest civilizations.

The key to learning a new language, according to foreign language teachers, is immersing a student in the language.

The second year of the STARTALK program at Bryant this summer did just that for 68 middle and high school students, and 22 language and culture teachers. For two weeks, students practiced the language and studied Chinese culture. The teacher’s program featured an extra week to discuss different lesson plans that could be integrated into curriculum.

The second year of the STARTALK program at Bryant immersed 68 middle and high school students, and 22 language and culture teachers into the Chinese language and culture.

At the conclusion of the cultural program, seven teachers and 11 students took part in the ultimate field trip – a two-week excursion to China to continue their education.

Expanding horizons

Holly-Anne Keenan, a first-grade teacher at the Anna M. McCabe Elementary School in Smithfield, first learned about the program last year when her two high school-aged sons took part in the inaugural program at Bryant.

“After seeing and hearing all that they learned, I decided that China would be an excellent country for my students to learn about,” says Keenan.

This summer, Keenan’s sons returned for their second year of STARTALK, while she took part in an intensive program designed for K through 12 teachers.

After taking part in the STARTALK program at Bryant, 7 teachers and 11 students took part in the ultimate field trips - an excursion to China.

For the upcoming school year, Keenan and Bethany Marchetti, a fifth-grade teacher at the McCabe School who also took part in the STARTALK teacher’s program, are planning a three-month collaborative unit to introduce their students to China. They will teach some of the basics of the language and conversational phrases and explore introductory calligraphy, food, and famous landmarks like The Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

The two have been working together for the past five years to create programs to teach their students about different cultures around the world. They have taught their students about Japan, New Zealand, Italy, Greece, and Australia.

“We want our students to see there is a whole other world out there,” says Keenan.

Ni Hao

At the conclusion of the STARTALK, the students showed off their knowledge of Chinese culture by performing a series of skits. The students sang songs, spoke the language, and taught their friends and families all they had learned.

A returnee from last year, John Buckley, who is home schooled, says he enjoyed practicing Chinese and is already looking forward to coming back next year.

At the concluding event of the two-week student program, the participants sang songs, spoke the language, and taught their friends and families all they had learned about China.

“The program was so much fun it didn’t feel like learning,” he says.

Courtney Lau and Isabel Noonan, seventh graders at the Wheeler School in Providence, say they enjoyed learning about Chinese culture and making new friends. Each will continue studying Chinese in school.

A life-changing experience

For Lisa Francescon, a Brookline (MA) High School language lab specialist, it was her first year in the STARTALK program but not her first time studying Chinese. In September, for the 9th year in a row, a group of Chinese students travel to the United States to stay with Brookline students. After four months, the Chinese and Brookline students will travel to China where the American students will have the opportunity to experience Chinese culture and language firsthand.

“It is a life-changing experience for the students,” says Francescon.

Morgan Hardwick-Witman, a biology teacher at Smithfield High School, says incorporating information she learned about China into her lessons will demonstrate to her students the interconnectedness of the world. Hardwick-Witman was part of the STARTALK group that traveled to China in July. She counts her visit to Mount Tai and her swim in the Yellow Sea as memorable moments of the trip.

The STARTALK program, which was hosted by Bryant's Confucius Institute was funded by a $150,000 grant from the National Foreign Language Center in Maryland.

“These life experiences enrich my classroom and give my students a more global perspective when thinking about and discussing issues in biology, particularly with respect to the environment,” she says.

Bryant’s second year of the STARTALK program, which is part of the federal government’s National Security Language Initiative, was funded by a $150,000 grant from the National Foreign Language Center in Maryland.

To learn more, visit the U.S.-China Institute.