CRI听力:Chinese School for American Kids

Playtime at Yu Ying primary school in Washington DC. But this is a school with a difference.

"My English name is Maddy. I'm 7 yrs old."

"How do you like learning Chinese?"

"Wo xihuan learning Chinese yinwei wo keyi learn more and then I can have more friends."

Yu Ying is a Chinese immersion school. This means kids here learn all subjects in Chinese.

As China develops, the popularity of the language is growing. Almost all America's 50 states now offer Chinese lessons at school. But few are as intensive as Yu Ying in Washington DC, which takes children from as young as 4.

"I'm Pearl You, my Chinese name is You Zao He. I'm the Chinese Program Coordinator at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School."

"…we all know that it's easier for us to learn a language if we start from a young age so in this school the idea of doing Chinese immersion is that we try to help the kids pick up the language naturally."

Around 360 children attend the school. They're chosen by lottery and come from all walks of life. But it's competitive with around 500 applications for seventy places.

Sarah Perkins works at the school as a grant writer. Both her kids attend. But was she worried about teaching them such a difficult language?

"Not at all. It really didn't cross my mind. I saw it more as a benefit to them. There've been studies that show learning Chinese increases critical and analytical thinking and I just thought it was a great opportunity."

Yu Ying School only opened four years ago. Mary Shaffner is the executive director. Speaking from inside her car, she says attitudes towards learning Chinese are changing fast.

"When we went to testify at the public charter school board about the new school, one of the people we were testifying to said, 'So who wants to learn Chinese anyways?' And luckily a bunch of our parents had come and they all stood up and said, 'I do!' But people really wondered, why Chinese? But now nobody asks that."

As Yu Ying School's so young, the oldest students are only in grade 4. But Mary Shaffner says they already have plans to open a high school to continue education in Chinese.

For CRI, I'm Dominic Swire.