Rote Memorization Helps!Cycles or Stages of Chinese HistoryBlack and Hispanic Kids Speak Fluent Chinese | Learning Chinese Language Materials for Kids

Rote Memorization Helps!

For Math Rote Memorization helps! It makes sense to me for learning the basics of addition through multiplication. The key point of the study was learning the answer to a math operation, such as 2 + 2, makes a change in the child's brain. And as the child learns more math operations, the brain grows, and enables higher level math operations.

Math wars: Rote memorization plays crucial role in teaching students how to solve complex calculations, study says - National Journal

Labels: brain development, math, memorization

Cycles or Stages of Chinese History

Interesting article worth a read, and don't forget the comments! My understanding of the article is that China is using this model with the US and other countries, but China is moving too quickly to stage 3 as seen in the South China Sea. My belief is China is doing a cabbage policy and being driven more by internal issues.

The Cycle / Stages per the article:

Start by conceding all that must be conceded to the superior power including tribute, in order to avoid damage and obtain whatever forbearance is offered. But this in itself entangles the ruling class of the still-superior power in webs of material dependence that reduce its independent vitality and strength.
Offer equality in a privileged bipolarity that excludes all lesser powers, or “G-2” in current parlance. That neutralizes the still powerful Other party, and isolates the manipulated soon-to-be former equal from all its potential allies, preventing from balancing China with a coalition.
Finally, when the formerly superior power has been weakened enough, withdraw all tokens of equality and impose subordination.

The Cycles—or Stages—of Chinese History by Edward Luttwak, Hoover Institute

Labels: china's future

Black and Hispanic Kids Speak Fluent Chinese

It's an after school program in NYC that has 800 students enrolled called the Global Language Project.

Nice video I just found on the program.

Good points from their why pagee:

21 of the top 25 industrialized countries begin the study of world languages in grades K-5, while the majority of U.S. students begin studying a second language at age 14. (U.S. Committee on Economic Development)
80% of students in Europe speak at least two languages.
Of the over 55 million students in U.S. public schools, only 50,000 students study Mandarin Chinese - a language spoken by over 1 billion people worldwide.
Only 14% of U.S. students consider themselves bilingual.

Newspaper article that got me researching:
Black and Hispanic Kids Speak Fluent Chinese - Dallas Weekly

Labels: after school, learn chinese

Monday, August 25, 2014