2. Brief History of Lakeside
School’s Chinese Program
Started in 2000 as a
desire of school to add a
non-western language
to our language course
lineup
- Acknowledgement of the
rise of China
- Local community
3. Challenges of Starting our
Chinese Program
Gaining parent support
Findingqualified
teachers
Setting up our curriculum
4. Challenges of Starting our
Chinese Program
Support of the parents
- Endowment/Financial
support
- Parents involvement in
the planning stage. Give
them the sense of
ownership, but not control
of the program
5. Challenges of Starting
our Chinese Program
Finding and retaining
qualified teachers
Where to find teachers?
- CLTA network at national and
local levels
- NAIS China Connection
- New teacher support
-Mentor system
-Support of professional
organizations
6. Setting up curriculum
-articulating goals at each level
-selection of materials
(MS approaches vs.
US approaches)
-students language background
(heritage and non-heritage
learners)
7. Program Overview
Middle School
- Levels A, B, C, D
- Students are required to
take one foreign language.
- Students who successfully
complete C or D may be
placed at the Upper School
Chinese II level.
- More than 20% students
enrolled in Chinese program
8. Program Overview
Upper School
- Levels I-IV, IV/V, V/VI
- Graduation requirement:
at least two years in Upper
School and successfully
complete Level III.
- More capable students should
be able to enroll in Third Year
level college courses after
completing Level IV/V or V/VI.
11. Philosophy & Approach
Communicative, Task-
Based methods
Student-Centered
classroom
Use of Target Language
as much as possible.
Appropriate use of
grammar lessons
Occasional use of
grammar translation
exercises.