Chinese language catching on in U.S. classrooms

[Posteritatis]

Monday, January 2, 2006; Posted: 1:17 p.m. EST (18:17 GMT)

High schools across the country were asked by The College Board's world language initiative whether they'd consider adding Advanced Placement courses in Italian, Russian, Japanese and Chinese -- and the organization was amazed at the results, said Tom Matts, initiative director.

Fifty schools in the 2003 survey said they'd offer the Russian option, about 175 said Japanese and 240 Italian.

"And for Chinese, it was 2,400, 10 times the number of any of the other three," Matts said. "We had no idea there was such an incredible interest out there. Of all the new AP courses, certainly Chinese shows the most promise for growth."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/01/02/mandarin.kindergarten.ap/index.html