Watkins Elementary welcomes Chinese teacher

Li

Chesterfield County Public Schools is one of the first school systems in the United States to host a native Mandarin-speaking teacher as part of the Chinese Guest Teacher Program. Yan Li arrived Jan. 26 to begin her residency at J.B. Watkins Elementary School where she will introduce students in every grade level to the language and culture of China.

The Chinese Guest Teacher Program is a partnership between the College Board and Hanban, China's Office of Chinese Language Council International. According to the College Board, Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world. Chinese will soon top English as the most-used language on the Internet, according to forecasts by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Chesterfield County is one of 34 school systems in 19 states to welcome a teacher from China in this first round of the Chinese Guest Teacher Program. The guest teachers will work at their host schools for 18 months. Their stays may be extended for a year if both the teacher and school are satisfied. Hanban pays the teachers, and the host schools provide housing, transportation and fees for visa processing and health insurance.

Li is living with the family of a Watkins teacher until June when she will move into an apartment for the remainder of her stay.

"We are pleased to enable more American students to learn the Chinese language, discover the vibrant culture of China and participate more fully in the cultural exchange between our two countries," said Gaston Caperton, College Board president. "More than 200 million children in China are studying English, yet only 24,000 students in the United States are studying Chinese."