From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report in Special English.
Last year 200,000 Chinese students were in the United States. That was a 23 percent increase over the year before. The Institute of International Education in New York reported last month that 26,000 US students were in China in 2011. They included 15,000 studying for academic credit and 11,000 taking part in other kinds of educational activities.
A program called the “100,000 Strong Initiative” aims to increase the number of Americans studying in China. The State Department launched it in 2010. The goal is to send 100,000 students from the United States to China over a four-year period.
Christie Civetta is studying in Beijing as part of the initiative. She is taking Mandarin classes at Beijing’s Language and Culture University.
“I think it really opens your eyes to what actually is here, like what truly is going on in China, what truly is happening. I think that’s incredibly important to know if you want to be educated to chat about it at all.”
Last year a non-profit organization called the “100,000 Strong Foundation” was launched. One of the groups that the foundation supports is Project Pengyou. It connects students who have lived or studied in China.
Project Pengyou is based in Beijing and led by Holly Chang. She says personal ties formed during study abroad can have an effect on relations between the United States and China.
“We live in this bipolar world where there is increasingly, there’s power struggle, but there’s still a huge level of misunderstanding I think on a cultural level, and it’s not until you actually create those people-to-people relations and strengthen personal bonds between people that they actually strengthen their capacity to work together.”
The Chinese government has offered 20,000 scholarships to Americans under what is known as the US-China Consultation on People-to-people Exchange.
The 100,000 Strong Foundation has no official relationship with the Chinese government. The foundation says it works closely with Chinese government officials to encourage more Americans to seek these Chinese scholarships. The aim is to give more Americans a chance to get a taste of Chinese culture.
As part of her study abroad program, Christie Civetta is also taking cooking classes at a restaurant in Beijing. She not only learns how to make traditional Chinese dishes, she also gets a chance to practice her Chinese language skills with the employees.
“That though may not be the direction I want to go for my final career life if you will, I am very excited to get that alternative perspective on the whole world of culinary arts through a Chinese lens.”
And that’s the VOA Special English Education Report. I’m Jim Tedder.
Last year 200,000 Chinese students were in the United States. That was a 23percent increase over the year before. The Institute of International Education in New York reported last month that 26,000 US students were in China in 2011. They included 15,000 studying for academic credit and 11,000 taking part in other kinds of educational activities.
A program called the “100,000 Strong Initiative” aims to increase the number of Americans studying in China. The State Department launched it in 2010. The goal is to send 100,000 students from the United States to China over a four-year period.
Christie Civetta is studying in Beijing as part of the initiative. She is taking Mandarin classes at Beijing’s Language and Culture University.
“I think it really opens your eyes to what actually is here, like what truly is going on in China, what truly is happening. I think that’s incredibly important to know if you want to be educated to chat about it at all.”
Last year a non-profit organization called the “100,000 Strong Foundation” was launched. One of the groups that the foundation supports is Project Pengyou. It connects students who have lived or studied in China.
Project Pengyou is based in Beijing and led by Holly Chang. She says personal ties formed during study abroad can have an effect on relations between the United States and China.
“We live in this bipolar world where there is increasingly, there’s power struggle, but there’s still a huge level of misunderstanding I think on a cultural level, and it’s not until you actually create those people-to-people relations and strengthen personal bonds between people that they actually strengthen their capacity to work together.”
The Chinese government has offered 20,000 scholarships to Americans under what is known as the US-China Consultation on People-to-people Exchange.
The 100,000 Strong Foundation has no official relationship with the Chinese government. The foundation says it works closely with Chinese government officials to encourage more Americans to seek these Chinese scholarships. The aim is to give more Americans a chance to get a taste of Chinese culture.
As part of her study abroad program, Christie Civetta is also taking cooking classes at a restaurant in Beijing. She not only learns how to make traditional Chinese dishes, she also gets a chance to practice her Chinese language skills with the employees.
“That though may not be the direction I want to go for my final career life if you will, I am very excited to get that alternative perspective on the whole world of culinary arts through a Chinese lens.”
And that’s the VOA Special English Education Report. I’m Jim Tedder.