Examining the need for Chinese language programs in mid-Atlantic community colleges.

摘要

Public education reform designed for K-12 and higher education exists to transform teaching and learning within the United States in order to graduate today's student. One specific initiative on the federal, state, and local levels is the implementation of Chinese language programs. Some of the Chinese language programs in the K-12 education environment also contain culture and history. At the university level, the experiential learning activity of international study abroad is an additional component to language, culture, and history. Within the realm of higher education, community colleges appear to have been excluded from the expansion of Chinese programs. Although many community colleges have identified global initiatives, it is unknown if world languages, specifically Chinese, have been implemented as a curricular offering. Therefore, this research examined if Mid-Atlantic community colleges included Chinese in world language offerings. If so, what are the challenges and barriers, and how can community colleges overcome them?