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WEST WINDSOR: Mandarin put to the test on Chinese educators

By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — “Oh my gosh, I can understand them!”
   Such was the cry of a seventh-grade girl at Grover Middle School, as Chinese educators talked among themselves while visiting her science class Wednesday.
   A group of two dozen Chinese educators visited the school on a trip to learn about American education. But during their visit, they also gave the district’s students an experience they’re not likely to forget.
   After the visitors met district administrators, they split into smaller groups to tour different classes, where they were often greeted with cries of “Ni hao!” that the visitors happily echoed back.
   Eighth-grade student Juee Desai, of Plainsboro, was surprised in art class when Assistant Principal Richard Stec asked if anyone in the class spoke Chinese. Juee has taken Mandarin for several years, and bravely volunteered to chat with the two visitors to her class, high school Principal Cai Xiao Xiong and middle school Principal Shen Zhi Ming.
   Interpreter Mellisa Chen accompanied the two men, who along with the other delegates hail from the city of Hangzhou.
   With no preparation, Juee told the men in Mandarin that she has studied the subject for four years and practices with her neighbors. She also warned them her teacher speaks slowly to be understood — a common practice among teachers of foreign languages.
   After the trial by fire, Supervisor for Curriculum and Instruction Rosanne Zeppieri, who used to supervise the district’s world languages program, said Juee’s nerve is what makes her such a good Mandarin student.
   ”She’s a risk-taker,” Ms. Zeppieri said. “That’s the only way you learn.”
   After getting a sample of the district’s teaching, the group headed to the Chinese class of Frank Cincotta, a student teacher from Princeton University. As the class worked on describing two examples of Chinese art, Mssrs. Xiong and Ming walked about the room and chatted with some of the students.
   Mr. Xiong said via Ms. Chen that he was impressed that some of the students he met “speak very real Chinese.”
   The groups also got to visit science and Spanish classes. Mr. Stec said the district aimed to give the delegation “a picture of American schools, to showcase what American education is all about.”
   Asked about their impressions, the two visitors said through their interpreter they noticed differences in building and teaching styles. American schools, they said, conformed more to one architectural style than do Chinese schools, but they said the buildings here are decorated well and appear very safe.
   ”Students here look very happy, and it seems they have more opportunities to choose what they learn,” Mr. Xiong said. “Even the designs for individual classrooms help people feel very relaxed and comfortable.”
   ”I think with this kind of teaching, it’s easy to help students build their creative abilities,” Mr. Ming said.
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