New Website: China and Globalization

Asia Society announces the beta launch of a new Chinese language and content learning website. The concept is simple: Make modern Chinese accessible and relevant to a diverse population of learners – from beginners to heritage students – make it interactive and real-to-life, apply sound pedagogy and a flexible format, and offer it freely.

The focus of these materials is on China and globalization – the interconnectedness of the world in both ancient and modern times. Why China and Globalization? First, China has been a global culture throughout history, one that has been integrally connected with the rest of the world from the earliest periods through to today. Second, language learning should not be separated from the learning of other academic content; rather, intersections and continuities between the two should be consistently explored and built upon.

Tea, China's marketplace, and the historical figure of Cai Wenji are the subjects of the first three units. Later this year there will additional units on Tang Dynasty fashion, ice cream mooncakes, and the global exchange of products. The materials and resources in the China and Globalization series are designed to be used by teachers of Chinese at the elementary and secondary levels, and beyond. Each lesson comes with a set of interactive flashcards and a video that introduces the content. The lessons are generally targeted at beginning and intermediate learners, but can be applied and adapted to just about any Chinese language class.

Explore the site and test the materials in China and Globalization at http://sites.asiasociety.org/chinaandglobalization