Chicago Schools Expand Chinese, Arabic, Russian Curricula

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Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 5/5/2008 2:00:00 PM

The funds will expand Chinese and Arabic programs in some schools and create new programs in others. The district will also begin offering Russian, with the possibility of expanding to other schools. So far, more than 7,000 Chicago students already study Chinese, making it the largest such program in the nation, according to school officials. Nearly 300 students in the district are currently studying Arabic.

To accommodate the expansion, officials plan to hire about 15 new language teachers for 15 schools, with the money coming from cuts in other parts of the budget. The goal is to help build a K–12 pipeline of students who have studied Arabic, Chinese, or Russian, says Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

“Chinese and Arabic are quickly becoming two of the world’s most important languages,” says district Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan. “Our students must learn these languages and understand them, in a cultural context, in order to succeed in today’s global economy. These grants give our students the chance of a lifetime—to immerse themselves in another culture and learn about the vast career options possible with a background in Arabic and Chinese.”

Currently no school in the district offers Russian, but Roosevelt High School is enrolling students in Russian for next school year.

“We are confident these programs will continue to grow, because such additions to the curriculum recognize our needs to be better able to communicate with our neighbors around the globe,” says Daley.