1. The Case for Teaching
Mandarin Chinese
Remarks of Harvin C. Moore, Trustee
Houston Independent School District
2012 National Chinese Language Conference
Washington, DC
April 15, 2012

3. 20 of the Top 24 Industrialized Countries Begin
the Study of a World Language in Grades K-5
Lower Upper
Middle
Elementary Elementary High School
School
School School
Beginning
5-7 8-10 11-13 14
Age
Grade K-2 3-5 6-8 9
Number of 1*
8 12 3
Countries (US)
Sources: Pufahl, Rhodes, & Christian, 2002; Li, 2007; Goto Butler, 2007; Gargesh, 2006; Eurydice, 2005;
Russia-InfoCenter, 2006; Dixon, 2003
Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland
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4. Only 12 US States
Require the Study of World Languages
School Level Number of States
Elementary 1
Middle School 1
High School Graduation 6
Elementary & Middle School 1
Elementary, M.S. and H.S. 3
Source: National World Language Education Survey: A State of the States Report in
2009 (Wang, Evans, & Liau, 2009)
Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland
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5. Portion of World Population
Using Two or More Languages
Monolingual
1/3
Bilingual &
Multilingual
2/3
Source: Crystal, 1997. Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center,
University of Maryland

6. Second Language Study Benefits
Academic Progress in Other Subjects
• Curtain & Dahlberg 2004 • Garfinkel & Tabor 1991
• Dumas 1999 • Andrade, Kretschmer & Kretschmer 1989
• Armstrong & Rogers 1997 • Holobow 1988
• • Lapkin, et al 1990
Saunders 1998
• Ratte 1968
• Masciantonio 1977
• Haakuta 1986
• Rafferty 1986
• Cummins 1981
• Andrade 1989 • Landry 1973
• Kretschmer & Kretschmer 1989 • Bialystok & Hakuta 1994
• Eaton 1994 • Fuchsen 1989
• Saville-Troike 1984 • Bruck, Lambert, Tucker 1974
• Diaz 1983 • Weatherford 1986
• Caldas & Boudreaux 1999 • Cooper 1987
• Thomas, Collier & Abbott 1993 • Eddy 1981
• Lopata 1963 • Horn & Kojaku 2001
• Grosse 2004
• Lemberger 1990
• Bastian 1980
• Carpenter & Torney 1974
Full bibliography of these studies can be found at http://www.umaine.edu/flame/BenefitsofSecondLanguage.pdf

7. Second Language Study Narrows
Achievement Gaps
“Children of color, children from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds,
and English Language Learners make the
greatest proportional achievement gains
from foreign language study.”
-Curtain & Dahlberg 2004
Photo: Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School

9. Foreign Language Ability is key to our
National Interests
“A pervasive lack of knowledge about
foreign cultures and foreign languages
threatens the security of the United States
as well as its ability to compete in the
global marketplace and produce an
informed citizenry.”
-National Research Council, 2007

10. Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland
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11. 2nd only to CA
($12B)
Source: U. S. Department of Commerce, Graphic by the US-China Business Council, 2011

12. Future International Trade Leader
(today a sidewalk writer)
Slide used with permission, courtesy Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D., Deputy Director, National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland
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13. They’re coming…
…will they come to your community?
Graphic from “Many Rich Chinese Consider Leaving” by Jeremy Page, Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2011