Chelsea Chicosky's students at Canton Elementary are learning how to ask "What is your name?"
"Ni jiao she me min zi?" they recite in Chinese.
The third-, fourth- and fifth-graders are among a growing number of students who are studying Chinese.
The language is a popular elective for juniors and seniors attending Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood and St. Andrew''s Episcopal Upper School in Ridgeland.
Jackson Prep started the Asian Studies program seven years ago. Elizabeth Franklin, chair of World Languages, said students liked the language aspect so much that it became a full language program after the third year.
"We stress to our students how small the world is becoming," Franklin said. "They are used to competing with students in their own country. But due to technology, students will compete with students around the world."
Jackson Prep juniors and seniors take Chinese I and II, studying with recordings and websites.
Jackson Prep senior Caroline Weatherly takes Chinese II with teacher Jane Zhu.
Weatherly likes the four different tones and the intensity of the language.
"It''s just such an interesting culture. The language is so different," she said. "The (Chinese) characters are like artwork."
"Students are enthused to learn Chinese right now. It''s not that popular, but they want to know and want to learn," said Zhu, a native of China.
St. Andrew''s has operated a Mandarin program for four years. Curriculum director Cathy Davis said the global studies initiative needed more world languages.
"The natural focus was to include Mandarin," Davis said.
"The progress with students has been tremendous."
In the four-level course taught by Grace Pei, students learn all facets of Chinese language and culture.
The Chinese native runs a pen pal program with schoolchildren from her hometown of Kunming.
"My kids write letters in Chinese, whatever they''ve learned," Pei said. "Chinese students learning English write letters to us."
Also, Pei hosts Kunming Foreign Language students in Jackson to interact with her students.
St. Andrew''s senior Zoe Sullivan of Jackson is one of four students traveling to Kunming this year to teach English.
Currently in her sixth year of Spanish, Sullivan is fascinated with learning languages.
"The incredibly exciting parts of learning Mandarin are also the most difficult," she said.
"It is intense and labor intensive, but at the same time when I look down at all of the intricate pictographs that I wrote," she said.
"I''m amazed with what I''ve accomplished."
Colleges in the state also have embraced the Chinese language.
The University of Mississippi has the Chinese Flagship Program at the Croft Institute for International Studies. The institute offers a Chinese Flagship scholarship for up to $24,000 over a five-year period.
Currently, 60 students are enrolled, and as of mid-January, another 50 have sent applications to enroll for the 2011 summer session. The program is one of only three in the nation.
In Canton, Chicosky''s students participate in the Chinese Academic Enrichment Class on Thursdays and Fridays.
Fifth-grader Jatiya Stewart enjoys the challenge of learning another language.
"I thought Chinese was boring. But once you get to it, it''s fun," Stewart said.
The club isn''t all speaking and writing. Students have learned Chinese family structure and will soon learn about Chinese food.
"It''s nice to see kids make sense of something so radical," Chicosky said.

 

(Source from clarionledger.com)