学汉语热升温

来源 :疯狂英语·原声版 | 被引量 : 0次 | 上传用户:QQPIG
下载到本地 , 更方便阅读
声明 : 本文档内容版权归属内容提供方 , 如果您对本文有版权争议 , 可与客服联系进行内容授权或下架
论文部分内容阅读
  语音:美式发音 适合泛听
  语速:175词/分钟
  关键词:Chinese, language, opportunity
  
  Well, in the 1980s, many parents thought about teaching their children Japanese to help them better 1)adapt to Japan’s economic rise, which seemed so certain then. Now the language 2)de jour is Chinese and some parents are 3)going to great lengths to make sure their children can speak it, read it and write it.
  At a time when foreign language in many schools is being hurt by budget cuts, Chinese instruction in U.S. classrooms is growing rapidly. With China’s growing importance on the world stage, parents, students and educators are all hoping that learning Chinese may mean new opportunities.
  While the relationship between China and the United States goes through its usual strains over currency and trade imbalances, there’s no denying the growing importance of China to our economy, a fact that many parents here in New York have not ignored.
  Children: .
  This is a Chinese Immersion School in New York. The parents are of diverse backgrounds, but the reasons for sending their children here have a common 4)thread.
  Parent A: It’s obvious that Mandarin’s gonna play an increasing role in the future.
  Parent B: If he keeps up with it, I think it opens up doors…
  In 2003 5)Goldman-Sachs predicted that China would overtake the United States as the world’s largest economy in 2041; now it says 2027. That’ll be just as these children here are hitting the marketplace.
  Little wonder that the demand for accelerated Chinese learning is growing from as early as age two.
  From 1997 to 2008, the number of middle and high schools offering Chinese has 6)quadrupled. Among elementary schools it has grown ten-fold…
  Sharon Huang (Chinese School Owner): When we started this six years ago, it was in the basement of my home—it was about five kids—and now we’ve expanded to two locations. We have over 150 students combined.
  … something which will hopefully optimize communication and cooperation with our second-largest trading partner.
  Job experts we spoke to say that speaking Chinese may not only get you in the door in many places, but could also mean a bigger salary.
  
  回溯到上世纪八十年代,日本经济的上升势头在当时看来似乎是板上钉钉的事。为顺应这个形势,许多家长考虑让自己的孩子学习日文。而今天,中文成了外语中的新宠。有的家长竭尽全力确保自己的孩子能够讲汉语,读中文,写汉字。
  现在许多学校的外语教学深受财政削减的影响,但汉语热在美国课堂却快速升温。随着中国在世界舞台的影响力不断增强,家长、学生以及教育工作者都希望掌握中文能打开机遇的大门。
  尽管中美关系一如既往地因货币以及贸易不平衡等问题而备受考验,但中国在美国经济中的重要性日益增强,这是毋庸置疑的,纽约的许多家长并未忽略这一点。
  孩子:你好。
  这是一所位于纽约的中文浸泡式学校。学生家长的背景各不相同,但他们将孩子送到这里来,都出于同一个目的。
  家长甲:显然,汉语将来会越来越重要。
  家长乙:如果他能继续学汉语,我想可以有不少机会……
  2003年,高盛银行预测中国将于2041年赶超美国成为世界第一大经济体;现在该机构将预期提前至2027年,那时刚好是这些孩子长大成人走向社会的时候。
  这就难怪社会上对汉语学习的需求越发旺盛,有的孩子甚至两岁就开始学习中文了。
  1997至2008年间,提供中文课程的美国中学校数量已经增至四倍,有汉语课程的小学更是增至十倍。
  莎伦·黄(中文学校老板):我们六年前创办这所学校的时候,学校设在我家的地下室,当时的学生大概只有五个小孩。而现在学校已经有了两个校址,共有一百五十多名学生。
  ……希望这种趋势有助于改善我们与第二大贸易伙伴(中国)之间的沟通与合作。
  受访的职场专家称,懂得说中文也许不仅给你带来更多工作机遇,甚至还能成为你争取高薪的砝码。
其他文献
音乐小辞典  Reggae(又译作雷吉乐)是一种特殊的牙买加风格的音乐,是在上世纪60年代发展起来的。“父亲”是一种名为Rocksteady的摇滚音乐风格,“爷爷”是比较乡土的Ska风格(一种uptempo风格的音乐)。这三种一脉相承的音乐风格,都根源于加勒比地区的非裔民族传统音乐以及黑人布鲁斯音乐,强弱分明的节拍蕴涵着无尽的热情和慵懒放松之感。    [Refrain:]  You can ge
期刊
提起社会实践,大家脑子里可能想到的是学校规定、实习、找工作等这些比较功利的字眼。可是如果撇开这些因素,我们还需要社会实践吗?以下两篇关于中学生走出课堂的报道给了我们肯定的回答。    Seeing Is Believing眼见为实    While many students in the 1)Wabash Valley enjoyed the day off, others traded boo
期刊
炎炎夏日,干什么才够in,够酷?如果有个15岁的小孩说,要当“黑客”挑战苹果,你是否觉得这想法真够“雷”人?但是,以下这位小小年纪就小有名气的中学生,却不是闹着玩的。他的暑假就是要让IT界更热闹非凡,要让乔布斯挠挠头皮。    These days most kids are pretty 1)sophisticated about technology. Take Ari Weinstein.
期刊
Love me or leave me   But please don’t deceive me   And say you love me how I am   You love the way   I fit some ideal   Not the real woman   You’ve yet to understand   See love 1)ain’t all heaven   A
期刊
英国王位第二顺位继承人、全球最受瞩目的英国王子威廉,将于2011年4月29日,在伦敦迎娶交往8年的女友凯特·米德尔顿。这位准新娘虽出身中产家庭,然而在威廉面前却不乏幽默自信,面对媒体大方得体,与威廉家人关系融洽,难怪能获得英国举国上下一致认同,被认为是威廉的理想新娘。    Flipped怦然心动    Prince William’s four-year stay at St. Andrews
期刊
无论你是初出茅庐的毕业生,或是已经几试身手的“闪跳族”,要染指职场,面试这一关总是无可避免。以下是由英国驻华大使馆文化教育处提供的来自Cindy和Tony两位人力资源经理的一些面试贴士。他山之石可以攻玉,即使是自信心爆棚的Y世代也不可不看哦。    Interviewer: Can you tell us about one interview candidate who impressed yo
期刊
传统文化是一个国家或民族赖以生存和发展的精神土壤。虽说印度文化中包含的种姓制度、狂热的偶像崇拜和宗教迷信等,与现代文明存在巨大差异和冲突,但却保留着人类最原始、最虔诚的生活态度。    1    India is a country rich in culture and tradition. And although India is changing, one thing remains th
期刊
暑期实习是很多学生都想做的事情。而能够去到好的企业或机构就更难能可贵了。去FBI(美国联邦调查局)怎样?够如雷贯耳了吧?是不是眼前闪过007的身影了?    For two and a half months this past summer, senior economics major Joseph Baker interned with the FBI in Washington, D.C.
期刊
创业,一直是许多年青人梦寐以求的理想职业。而作为有个性、有特点的Y世代,即使是创业也要有自己的时代特色——要新、要潮、要环保!而这位以垃圾起家的新晋企业家就可以说是Y世代的职业楷模了。    We’re taking garbage and we’re turning it into a useful product. The company started with worm poop, a 1
期刊
It’s graduation time and once again we say, “Stand back all bosses!” A new 1)breed of American worker is attacking everything you hold 2)sacred: from giving orders, to your 3)starched white shirt and
期刊