 |
|||
|
|
 |
|
LATEST NEWS
Luke Bryant, 3, goes over his Chinese lesson with Wang Zhenghai, a 35-year-old teacher from Shanghai who is teaching at St. Benedict School in Elberta, Ala. ‘NBC Nightly News’ Crew Interviews Chinese The NBC crew spent an entire day shadowing 35-year-old Wang Zhenghai, a guest teacher at St. Benedict School. Wang has endeared himself to the Elberta community, becoming a local celebrity since his arrival from China in August. He came to Elberta through the Chinese Guest Teacher Program, which is a collaborative effort between the College Board and the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) in China. Since the program was launched in 2006, more than 100 teachers from China have been assigned to teach in U.S. schools. The Mobile Press-Register first ran with the story of St. Benedict as the only school in Alabama and the first Catholic elementary school in the United States chosen to host a Chinese teacher. This article set the wheels in motion for the crew, based in Atlanta, to make the trip farther south. A typical work day begins for Wang with an easy commute from his trailer, which has been outfitted with cable, Internet and other modern amenities. Each week he spends 15-20 minutes with each elementary school class and 40 minutes with the sixth- through eighth-grade classes teaching such basics as numbers, colors and general Chinese culture. On the day of NBC’s visit, Wang presented the second of a six-part monthly lecture series he created, “Discovering China.” His lecture topics include “A Tour of China,” “Ancient and Modern China,” “Traditional Chinese Arts,” “Chinese Cuisine & Table Manners,” “Chinese Festivals & Folk Customs” and “Life of the Chinese People.” Each free lecture takes place at a different parish in Elberta, allowing all members of the community to participate. Guests also have the option of sharing an authentic Chinese meal. More than 200 adults and children attended the Dec. 5 event. The film crew also captured Wang as he pursued the two goals that he hopes to accomplish during his time at St. Benedict — learning to drive a car and to ride a horse. These are goals the town of Elberta is plenty prepared to help him reach. 
|
 |
|||
Copyright © 2008 collegeboard.com, Inc. |
|||