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wt today
cover story
World Languages: Mandarin Expands
With great excitement, in 2009, one-third of the rising sixth
grade class enrolled in the new Mandarin program. Since it
was introduced in both the Middle and
Upper Schools that year, the program has
grown into a robust and vibrant addition
to the curriculum; this fall, WT added
Mandarin as an option for students in
grades Pre-K through 5, in addition to
Spanish. About half of all Lower School
students have enrolled in Mandarin this
year. “Foreign language proficiency is
a key to global competence,” says Gary Niels. “We’re excited
about the expansion of Mandarin into the Lower School, and
extremely pleased with how well it has been received by parents
and students alike.”
The school introduced Mandarin through a partnership
with the Confucius Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.
Xu Xiaoxia, the current Confucius Institute teacher at WT,
has returned for a second year to
continue teaching in the Middle and
Upper Schools. Shaloma Smith, who
recently spent six weeks at the Chinese
Language Institute in Beijing, China,
as one of only 10 U.S. teachers to
receive a Fulbright scholarship, will
teach Lower School Mandarin at both
Shaloma Smith, a
Fulbright Scholar, joins
the Lower School faculty.
campuses. Prior to joining the WT
faculty, Ms. Smith founded, developed,
and implemented a district-wide
Chinese curriculum and program for the Gilbert Public Schools
in Gilbert, Arizona.
Alicia Sewald, World Languages and Cultures Chair at
WT, teaches Lower School Spanish at both the City and North
Strategic Initiatives in Focus:
PROGRAMMATIC
INNOVATION
Global Society, Complex World,
Excitement for Learning
Xu Xiaoxia, Mandarin teacher, grades 6-12
Hills Campuses and has worked to revise and enhance the
Lower School Spanish curriculum over the last three years,
aligning it with the American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages (ACTFL) FLES approach (Foreign Language
“Spanish and Mandarin are two of the most
widely spoken languages in the world....Knowing
one of these languages may open up worlds of
opportunity for students in the future.”
in Elementary Schools). FLES programs focus on sequential
language learning rather than mere exposure.
“Spanish and Mandarin are two of the most widely spoken
languages in the world,” Sewald says. “Knowing one of these
languages may open up worlds of opportunity for students
in the future. Both of these languages are connected to many
areas of the world that are rich in cultural heritage, fascinating
history, and artistic and literary traditions. Studying these
cultures is part of educating global citizens for the future.”
Third graders prepare for a Chinese play.
12 T h i s t l e t a l k S u m m e r / F a l l 2 0 1 1