Unlock the Future with Mandarin Language Education
Consulting Services for
Mandarin Programs in U.S. Schools
Are you looking to establish a Mandarin Chinese language program in your school district?
We specialize in providing tailored consulting services to help public schools launch, expand, or refine their Mandarin curriculum.
Since 2012, our team of experts is dedicated to bringing world-class language education to students, equipping them with the skills to thrive in a globalized world.
Our Consulting Services
Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, with over 1 billion speakers globally. As China's economic and cultural influence continues to grow, learning Mandarin opens doors to numerous opportunities in business, diplomacy, technology, and education. By introducing a Mandarin program in your public school, you provide students with a unique advantage that will benefit them throughout their academic and professional lives.
Program Design and Curriculum Development
We assist schools in designing a robust Mandarin curriculum that aligns with state and national standards. Whether you are starting from scratch or seeking to enhance an existing program, we ensure that the curriculum is both engaging and educational, promoting fluency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
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Customized curriculum tailored to student age groups and learning goals
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Integration of cultural components to enrich language learning
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Alignment with Common Core and ACTFL standards
Teacher Recruitment and Training
Finding qualified Mandarin teachers can be a challenge. We help schools recruit certified Mandarin instructors with a passion for teaching. Additionally, we offer professional development workshops to ensure teachers are equipped with the tools and methodologies to create an effective and interactive classroom environment.
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Assistance with recruiting native-speaking, credentialed teachers
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On-site or virtual teacher training sessions
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Continuous support and evaluation to ensure teaching excellence
Program Launch and Implementation
Launching a new language program requires careful planning and coordination. We guide schools through the entire implementation process, from setting up classroom resources to ensuring smooth integration into the school’s existing structure.
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Timelines and action plans for program rollouts
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Budget planning and resource allocation
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Support for classroom setup, materials selection, and technology integration
Student Engagement and Parent Involvement
Creating excitement around a new language program is key to its success. We work with schools to develop strategies that engage students and families, fostering a community of language learners both inside and outside the classroom.
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Mandarin immersion events and cultural activities
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Parent outreach programs and informational sessions
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Collaborations with local Chinese cultural organizations
Program Evaluation and Ongoing Support
Once your Mandarin program is up and running, we provide ongoing evaluation to ensure it meets educational goals and continues to grow. We offer feedback based on performance data, classroom observations, and student achievement.
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Regular assessments to track student progress
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Program audits and improvement recommendations
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Support for expanding or scaling the program
Why Choose Us?
Expertise
Our team includes experienced educators, curriculum developers, and bilingual professionals who understand the complexities of teaching Mandarin in diverse educational settings.
Proven Success
Since 2012 Manhattan Mandarin has run Mandarin programs at top schools including St. Bernard's, Buckley, Allen-Stevenson, Chapin, and dozens others. We have the richest experience of any Mandarin tutoring company in the US - that is one of the reasons why we are the most trusted and fastest growing Mandarin education company in the US and UK.
Customization
Every school is unique. We create customized solutions that meet the specific needs and goals of your school or district
China Trips
Since 2012, Manhattan Mandarin has run fun-filled immersion summer trips to China. We'll design a tailor-made trip for your school's students.
End-to-End Support
From initial planning to ongoing evaluation, we are with you every step of the way, ensuring a successful and sustainable Mandarin program.
YCT Programs + Tests
Manhattan Mandarin's headquarters in NYC are also a YCT testing center! Reach out to us about YCT programs, testing, and proctoring at your school.
Why Learning Mandarin Is Great for Children
There are so many benefits to giving your child a completely new understanding of how language can work.
We're all aware of the broader implications: Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world, with over 1 billion speakers globally. As China's economic and cultural influence continues to grow, learning Mandarin opens doors to numerous opportunities in business, diplomacy, technology, and education. By introducing a Mandarin program in your school, you provide students with a unique advantage that will benefit them throughout their academic and professional lives.
Onto what matters most: your child's brain!
Mandarin is a somewhat difficult language for adults to learn. Without an alphabet, there is no accurate count for the total number of written characters, but it is estimated to be around 60,000. And it is difficult for speakers of non-tonal languages to learn to adapt and correctly mimic the tonal nature of the spoken words.
* But this learning difficulty does not hold true for children *
Young children are still developing their primary language skills, and their brains are highly receptive to learning and adaptation. The ideal time for a non-native speaker to learn Mandarin and achieve fluency is at...as young an age as possible. Studies show that children benefit in many ways from learning Mandarin while they are young. Here are just a few:
Stronger Math Skills
Yes, there is actually a scientific correlation between learning Mandarin and improved mathematical ability. Scientists theorize that because Mandarin representation of numbers is less abstract than Arabic numbers, and because the act of practicing handwriting requires repeated counting, young children gain greater familiarity with math and with numeric thinking. In learning Mandarin, the mathematical concepts are integral to the language fluency, and not a separate subject activating a different part of the brain. Because Mandarin Chinese involves learning language, sounds, drawing, and math all at once, it activates more regions of the brain and improves cognitive development overall, even in adults. In fact, speakers of Mandarin use more of their brain more of the time, unlike English speakers who tend to alternate between left and right hemispheres. In theory, this more balanced brain could lead to greater overall creativity, enhanced problem-solving, and increased emotional intelligence.
Enhanced Memory and Visual-Spatial Skills
Learning Mandarin involves memorising thousands of characters, each with a unique structure and meaning. This process significantly enhances memory capacity and visual-spatial reasoning. For example, a child learning Mandarin must differentiate between characters like 马 (mǎ, meaning "horse") and 妈 (mā, meaning "mother"), which have similar components but different meanings. This constant practice of distinguishing and remembering characters strengthens the brain's ability to process and recall visual information.
Research has shown that individuals who learn Mandarin have more developed regions in their brains associated with memory and visual processing. In a study conducted by the University of London, children who learned Mandarin showed increased grey matter density in the brain areas responsible for visual and spatial processing compared to their monolingual peers.
Enhanced Executive Functioning
Executive functions include skills such as problem-solving, flexible thinking, and self-control. Learning Mandarin, with its complex grammar and sentence structures, requires learners to switch between different cognitive tasks, thereby strengthening their executive functioning. For example, constructing a sentence in Mandarin often involves a different word order than English, such as placing the time expression at the beginning of the sentence. This constant mental switching enhances cognitive flexibility.A study by the University of York found that children who are bilingual in Mandarin and English perform better on tasks requiring cognitive control and flexibility than their monolingual peers. These skills are not only vital for academic success but also for managing daily tasks and making decisions.
Improved Auditory Processing
The tonal nature of Mandarin trains the brain to distinguish subtle differences in pitch. This auditory training can improve overall listening skills and auditory processing abilities, which are crucial for effective communication. For instance, in Mandarin, the word "ma" can mean "mother," "hemp," "horse," or "scold" depending on the tone used. A child learning Mandarin develops the ability to discern these subtle tonal differences, which enhances their overall auditory discrimination skills.Studies have found that children who learn Mandarin can better discern musical notes and other tonal variations. Research published in the journal Cognition indicated that bilingual children who spoke Mandarin showed superior pitch perception in musical tasks compared to children who spoke only non-tonal languages like English.
Advanced Metalinguistic Awareness
Metalinguistic awareness is the ability to think about and manipulate language structures. Mandarin learners develop a deep understanding of how languages work, as they must navigate a language system vastly different from Indo-European languages. For example, understanding that the Mandarin character for "fire" (火, huǒ) can be combined with other characters to form new words like "fireworks" (烟火, yānhuǒ) or "spark" (火花, huǒhuā) enhances children's awareness of linguistic structures.This heightened awareness can improve reading comprehension and language skills in both Mandarin and the learner's native language. Research from the University of Cambridge shows that bilingual children often outperform monolingual children in tasks that require understanding the structure and function of language, such as recognising grammatical errors or understanding ambiguous sentences.
Improved Hand-Eye Coordination
While most Western languages are written in one direction, the act of writing Mandarin characters requires brush or pen strokes in multiple directions, with differentiating hand pressure. Writing in this way has been shown to improve fine motor skills and spatial recognition in children.
Speaking Mandarin Will Allow A Child To Stand Out From The Crowd
Of course, if you’re child is only starting nursery school it might be too soon to think about university. But the truth is admission into the best tertiary institutions set a person up for life. With fierce competition for places at the best universities, applicants face the challenge of standing out from their peers. While almost all high school graduates in the UK will have completed studies in a modern European language such as French, German or Spanish, being able to list a language like Mandarin on an application will certainly set them apart.
Mandarin Language Skills Improves A Person’s Opportunities For Career Progression
Looking even further into a child’s future, being bilingual will open up career opportunities. Regardless of the career path, a person pursues, being able to communicate in more than one language is beneficial. In fields as diverse as education, healthcare, diplomacy, tourism and international business, candidates who speak a second language are likely to be favoured. Not to mention the fact that speaking a foreign language could be the difference from a person being eligible for a particular job or missing out on it entirely.
Learning Mandarin Has Wider Educational Benefits
Beyond just the benefits of learning the language itself, scientific studies have shown that learning Mandarin has wider benefits. For example, there is a correlation between language fluency and improved mathematical ability. In addition, it benefits overall cognitive development and problem-solving.Language learning, especially among children, has a range of multi-faceted benefits for many aspects of their future. Giving your child the opportunity to study Mandarin from a young age is likely to have huge benefits when it comes to their education, career prospects and general development.
Contact
If you're ready to bring Mandarin language education to your school, contact us today to schedule a consultation. Let’s work together to create a program that prepares your students for a global future!