Learning Mandarin Chinese as a Foreign Language: Evidence-Based Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities

Learning Mandarin Chinese as a Foreign Language:Evidence-based Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities"GET AHEAD! LEARN MANDARIN!" was the headline appear ing on the cover of TIME magazine (Ramzy, 2006) reporting that, because of China's remarkable economic boom-from the classrooms in the United States of America (USA) to the boardrooms of Tokyo, Japan-the world has been awakening to the importance of learning Mandarin, the national language of the People's Republic of China. Fluent Mandarin Chinese has become a must-have asset for many students' future and professionals hoping to benefit from China's booming economy. In Britain, a poll of business executives rated Mandarin Chinese as the third most useful language for their employees to learn after French and German. The Schools Secretary proposed all secondary schools should offer classes in Mandarin and provide opportunities to learn Mandarin Chinese to primary school students (Shepherd, 2010). In the USA, not only do many universities offer Mandarin Chinese courses as a foreign language, many local school districts have also launched English-Chinese dual-language immersion programs for their secondary and primary school students (Bonacci, 2013; Dillon, 2010; Robelen, 2011; Rubello, 2013; Ruethling, 2005; Tran, 2008). The increased interest in Mandarin Chinese in the USA is evident by a 51 percent increase from 2002 in the number of students studying Mandarin in colleges and universities across the country (Robelen, 2011). Although thousands of public schools across the USA have stopped teaching foreign languages since 2000, many schools have expedited offering instruction in Mandarin Chinese due to student demand (e.g., Bonacci, 2013; Robelen, 2011). For example, according to Robelen (2011), between 2004-2005 and 2007-2008 enrollment in Mandarin Chinese classes increased 195 percent. In the USA, Mandarin Chinese instruction is no longer limited to port entry cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In recent years, schools throughout the USA have started Mandarin Chinese programs in mid-western states (e.g., Ohio, Illinois), southern states (e.g., Texas, Georgia), and Mountain West states (e.g., Colorado, Utah). In many cases, Mandarin is available for students from preschool through high school.Inclusive EducationIn the USA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 2004) and its predecessor, IDEA (1997), supports previous legislation regarding the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classrooms. An inclusive classroom is an instructional setting where students with disabilities are included in a general education classroom and where both a general education teacher and a special education teacher provide instruction. IDEA 1997 and 2004 mandate that an individualized education plan (IEP) must be developed for each student with disabilities which includes provisions to ensure that the student be meaningfully involved and given the opportunity to make progress in the general education curriculum. Because of federal legislation, many children with special needs are able to study together with their typical peers in the same instructional settings. Like their typical peers, students with disabilities should have the same rights and opportunities to learn a foreign language. Participation in inclusive programs have a beneficial impact on students with and without special needs, resulting in positive gains such as increased and more meaningful social interactions (Purcell, Horn, & Palmer, 2007). For example, in inclusive classrooms, young children with special needs demonstrate higher levels of social play and show gains in cognitive and motor skills, meanwhile, their more typically developing peers are better able to accept differences and become more aware of the needs of others.Students with disabilities have been diagnosed and classified as having a certain type(s) of disabilities which requires specialized services in order to maximize learning. …