CORBIN — Special to The Times-Tribune

Corbin Independent was selected to host two native Mandarin-speaking teachers for the 2010-11 school year as part of the Chinese Guest Teacher Program. Xu Qian and Ningyan Guo are among 125 newly-arrived teachers, bringing the total number of the program’s teachers currently placed at elementary, middle and high schools across the U.S. in 31 states to 170.

The Chinese Guest Teacher Program is designed to help U.S. schools develop Chinese language and culture study programs and to promote international exchange between the United States and China. Prior to their selection, the Chinese teachers underwent a rigorous screening process and were interviewed by a collaborative team from the College Board and NCSSFL (National Council of State Supervisors for Languages). Before their arrival in the U.S., guest teachers participated in pre-departure orientation in Beijing. All the guest teachers attended the STARTALK Chinese Guest Teacher Summer Institute from July 22-29, before arriving in their local communities on July 30. Corbin Independent welcomes Xu Qian and Ningyan Guo to their school district. The guest teachers will begin teaching units of study focusing on Chinese cultures in areas of social studies, art, music, and dance as well as teaching mandarin Chinese classes. Xu and Ningyan will divide their duties between all Corbin Independent schools. Xu Qian is from Lanzhou, China and enjoys swimming, dancing, singing and playing badminton. Ningyan Guo is from Chongqing, China and enjoys playing ping pong, Tai ji quan and dance. The program represents a unique opportunity for students and educators to learn Chinese and learn about China from a native speaker.

Corbin Independent will continue and expand the Chinese language program that began last year. In addition, guest teachers will assist with curriculum development, student recruitment, and materials development and serve as a cultural resource for other subject areas and for cultural enrichment activities. The Chinese Guest Teacher Program is sponsored by Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban), in partnership with the College Board. Established by the Chinese government in 1987, Hanban is the nation’s official agency authorized to promote Chinese language and culture internationally, fulfilling a function similar to that of the UK’s British Council and France’s Alliance Française. In addition to its partnership with Hanban, the College Board collaborates with NCSSFL to review applications, interview, select and train the guest teachers. The Institute of International Education (IIE) serves as the J-1 visa sponsor for guest teachers in the Program. Now in its fifth year, the Chinese Guest Teacher Program is the largest K-12 Chinese guest teacher program in the U.S., and has over time brought more than 450 Chinese teachers to the U.S. schools to teach language and culture.

The guest teachers will work at the school for one school year, and then renew for up to an additional two years if both the school and teachers are satisfied. The Chinese Guest Teacher Program seeks to address the shortage of qualified Chinese teachers in the U.S. and meet the growing interest in Chinese among U.S. K-12 students.

“In a global society, it is imperative that our students be exposed to language and culture that is outside southeastern Kentucky,” Superintendent Ed McNeel said. “China will be the number one English speaking country in the next few years. We feel that the Chinese Guest teachers will help our students understand more about the world in which they live.

“It’s growing more important than ever that American students learn Chinese language, discover the vibrant culture of China, and participate more fully in the cultural exchange between our two countries,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton said.

In an Advanced Placement Program® survey conducted in 2004, nearly 2,400 high schools expressed an interest in offering the AP Chinese course, but for many of these schools, this goal may continue to go unrealized. They either are understaffed or have no teacher of Chinese, and many see no prospect of finding the teachers necessary to build their programs.

Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world. It is the national language of the more than 1.3 billion inhabitants of China and millions more ethnic Chinese around the globe.