Ni hao! Mandarin language program gets underway

FALLBROOK – Fallbrook Union Elementary School District (FUESD) has begun a Mandarin enrichment language program for the 2010-2011 school-year at eight of the district’s schools. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade were eligible to apply for participation in the program which is currently serving more than 500 students weekly.

Participating students have been presented with the unique opportunity to develop skills in Mandarin Chinese. Mandarin is a tonal language and students receive lessons designed to engage them in fun and interactive activities while developing their Mandarin listening and speaking skills.

Tonal languages such as Mandarin present new and different learning challenges to native speakers of Latin-based languages such as English, Spanish and French. There is research based evidence which suggests that learning a second language is associated with an increased variability in activated brain areas and that students who participate in language learning programs may reap academic benefits beyond the basics of learning a second language.