Educators see benefits of Chinese lang. classes
Three from O.B. share experiences from trip to China
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

Above: In addition to visiting schools and working with children and teachers, a group of educator from Old Bridge visited cultural landmarks like the Great Wall of China. At left: Christine Piscitelli works on a project with a Chinese youngster.

OLD BRIDGE - Like many things in America, the inspiration of three school faculty members was "made in China."

As part of a group of 800 educators from around the country, they traveled to China this summer for an in-depth introduction to the nation's culture and educational system, possibly the first step in bringing Chinese language courses into the Old Bridge High School curriculum.

"They were very interested in teaching and showing us their culture," said Marie Tirrell, vice principal at Old Bridge High School. "They wanted us to have an emotional feeling toward the country so that we would carry that emotion back to our own district."

The trip, including airfare, lodging and meals, was paid for by Hanban, China's office of Chinese Language Council International, as part of the American-Chinese Bridge Delegation. Attendees were selected through a nationwide application process.

Along with Tirrell, Christine Piscitelli, director of secondary education for Old Bridge schools, and Joe Marinzoli, supervisor for world languages, art and music for the district, went on the nine-day journey.

"It was truly an eye-opening experience just going on this trip," Marinzoli said. "I felt like Marco Polo, going back to China."

It is no wonder Marinzoli felt like the extensively-traveled explorer there, as the group visited such attractions as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the area of Beijing where the 2008 Olympic games will be held.

"I was extremely, extremely impressed with the trip," Piscitelli said. "It was the experience of a lifetime. I think it was wonderful to be a part of a group of educators from this country, and become a part of spreading the global economy through language and culture."

Joseph Marinzoli is pictured with a third-grader at a school in China.

The Americans attended a multitude of seminars, and visited schools at all levels of the Chinese educational system. In the case of earlier grades, the Old Bridge faculty was impressed by students' grasp of the English language. Third-graders wowed them with their English speaking and comprehension skills, Marinzoli said.

"They're very highly focused on language acquisition, usage and efficiency at a very young age," Marinzoli said. "They could communicate very, very clearly."

The Chinese are also dedicated to spreading their own language to the United States. During the program, officials offered to send Chinese teachers to America free of charge, only asking for lodging and transportation to the schools each day.

Their enthusiasm was apparently contagious.

Tirrell, who has 23 years of world languages experience, said it would be great for students to study the Chinese language and pursue careers in business.

Due to the immense number of goods obtained from China, a grasp of their language would be of great help in communicating product specifications and other important details regarding quality and standards, Tirrell said. One example she gave was that of lead paint on toys.

"I think having the language ability would just ensure the safety of the items we intend to use," Tirrell said. "I personally believe there are certain critical languages, and Chinese is included in the critical languages."

The three Old Bridge faculty members are trying to integrate Chinese language courses into the high school curriculum. They were putting together a presentation yesterday that will be shown to administrators and then to the Board of Education.

Marinzoli said a survey would be conducted to gauge the level of interest in the proposed Chinese courses.

"I have received a lot of positive remarks from students," Marinzoli said. "There seems to be a lot of interest. I think it would be a positive to introduce, and give our students the opportunity to learn Chinese. Knowing that language can make relations between our two countries flow more smoothly."

According to Tirrell, the first course introduced would likely be conversational Chinese.

"We wanted to choose something that the students would find rewarding," Tirrell said.

Students at Old Bridge High School currently have the option of studying Italian, Spanish, French and German.

New district employees will also view the group's presentation, and eventually it will be implemented in workshops to be brought to various schools, Piscitelli said.

Along with being impressed by Chinese students' English fluency, the Old Bridge trio noted other remarkable qualities in them while visiting top high schools with selective admissions and institutions of higher learning.

"We ... saw the students who were the cream of the crop," Tirrell said.

The students have an extraordinary level of dedication to education, the group said. Though they attend school year-round, pupils maintain a work ethic that awed the Americans.

"I think there is a different level of respect," Tirrell said. "Their teachers are put on a pedestal."

Though Tirrell was making a figurative observation, she also said instructors actually stand on raised platforms at the head of the class, perhaps fostering their position of authority. Other different features of Chinese schools included uniforms being worn by both students and teachers, and a much larger number of students in each classroom, they said.

"There are positives to both [American and Chinese school systems]," Marinzoli said. "The students there truly appreciated and valued education. I think [American schools] give [students] more freedom to choose their path, which I think is positive, but it also increases the differentiation of their interests."

Despite vast differences, there were also similarities. Piscitelli said students there were preparing for SATs. Some of the students there hope to attend American institutions of learning.

"One young man said, without a doubt, 'I'm going to go to Harvard,'" Piscitelli said.

Not all business, the students also shared some of America's love of sports. When Piscitelli told them she was from New Jersey, they excitedly mentioned the New York Knicks, one of the basketball teams they cheer for from across the world - a world that is slowly but surely becoming smaller.