For those of us who have long been involved in Chinese language education, the sudden popularity in America of learning Chinese as a foreign language has been gratifying but also unexpected. While more and more people are being introduced to the beauty and elegance of the Chinese language, it has also resulted in some important misconceptions about learning Chinese as a second language. With regards to many Chinese language programs in American schools and Chinese heritage schools in particular, I would like to take this opportunity to address ten common myths about learning Chinese as a second language:

1. Chinese-Americans can learn the Chinese language easier or faster than non-Chinese students.
In my position as a principal of a Chinese heritage school, I occasionally get asked by some Americans what exactly we teach at our school, since the majority of our students are from Chinese families. The unspoken assumption is that they already know Chinese and come to the school to learn specific subjects in culture, literature, history, etc. I explain that our young students enroll at our school for the same reason they enroll in their regular American school: to learn the basic fundamentals of the language. Unless the student has been exposed regularly and systematically to Chinese in a family or educational setting, Chinese-American students have no inherent intellectual or cognitive advantage in learning Chinese than other American students. On the contrary, they labor under a perversely ironic disadvantage: if after many years of diligent study, they attain a level of proficiency in the language, most people they encounter will not be impressed. Due to their physical appearance and ethnic background, many Americans will just assume they know or should know the language. The only edge that Chinese-Americans may have is that they might be more motivated in learning Chinese as a second language.

2. Most American students of Chinese will not learn Chinese well enough to become proficient.
One recurring but unspoken assumption among teachers in many programs is that American students will rarely learn Chinese well enough to become proficient. The result of this often subconscious attitude is a "dumbing down" of the curriculum and the lowering of both standards and expectations. On the occasions when they do encounter a non-Chinese student who is fluent, their reaction is as follows: initial disbelief, pleasant surprise and then sincere appreciation. The fact is that Chinese-American students are just as capable of speaking stilted, incomprehensible Chinese as their American counterparts.

3. I send my kids to our local Chinese school on weekends. Isn't that enough?
Parents often make the mistaken assumption that enrolling their children for three hours of Chinese classes during the weekend means they are truly learning the language. Unless students are highly motivated and enjoy the active involvement of parents, they may spend years studying in weekend Chinese heritage schools or at their regular schools and not even place into second-year Chinese courses at the college level. This represents a monumental waste of time and effort.

4. My children's schedules are too busy now. They can learn Chinese in high school or college.
Chinese instruction should ideally begin at the elementary school level. The sooner a student starts to learn a foreign language, the more receptive he or she will be in absorbing a second language. This is particularly true for a tonal language whose written structure is so vastly different from Romance languages. I still vividly remember my many freshman classmates in college who struggled with 1st Year Mandarin. My hope is that young, aspiring students of Chinese avoid such a painful experience.

5. There is no real need for students to take the AP Chinese or SAT Chinese Examination.
Based on the most recent College Board statistics available for 2009, only 5,100 students took the AP Chinese exam; and even then a significant percentage of that total represented children from recent immigrant families who already had acquired language proficiency at a heritage school or at home. Without a widely accepted standardized testing benchmark, it is impossible to systematically and reliably evaluate the effectiveness or efficiency of a school's Chinese language program.

6. The traditional classroom methodology of teaching Chinese is still the only way to learn and computer-based learning is not necessary.
There is no substitute for an experienced, engaging teacher in learning Chinese. However, the widespread accessibility of computer-based and Internet-based learning tools has revolutionized how Chinese is now taught. The computer has significantly accelerated a student's capacity to learn new words, translate text, write Chinese using computer input, and absorb relevant new material.

7. Using simplified characters instead of traditional characters is more practical and makes it easier for students to learn the language.
A preference for either the simplified or traditional version of the written language is invariably a function of the background of the student or teacher. There is no evidence that the choice of learning simplified characters or traditional characters has any impact on how well a student learns Chinese. Many textbooks routinely offer both versions, and any student who is competent in both written versions enjoys a true competitive advantage. Real-life opportunities to use both versions are abundantly available in the United States and in Chinese communities throughout the world. If still in doubt, try the following field experiment in New York: check out the menus in several local Chinese restaurants, and then sample any of the six daily Chinese language newspapers.

8. Using the Romanized hanyu pinyin system - as a supplement or a surrogate - for Chinese characters makes it easier for students in the West to become conversant in Chinese.
Using only the romanized phonetic system (referred to as hanyu pinyin) to learn or communicate in Chinese will result in a highly stunted and superficial knowledge of the language. An excessive reliance on pin yin often acts as a crutch in learning Chinese. Furthermore, one would be hard pressed to communicate in this format with any native Chinese speakers unless they are already highly proficient in English.

9. Learning basic conversational Mandarin is sufficient, as there is no need to simultaneously learn reading and writing.
Even if one is living in China or in an immersion environment, it is very difficult to learn conversational Chinese without a basic familiarity with the written language. Since so many Chinese words have the same or similar sounds, a lack of proficiency in reading and writing characters will severely limit a student's capacity to communicate in all but the most perfunctory interpersonal situations.

10. Learning Chinese is too hard. Isn't a course in Chinese history and culture enough?
A motivated student with a qualified teacher will learn much about Chinese culture through a systematic study of the language. Many millenniums of Chinese culture and history are embedded in the language itself. The saying that "too much gets lost in translation" is particularly apt when translating between Chinese and English.

In closing, the popularity of the recent best-seller Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is an indicator of the American public's current infatuation with Chinese language, culture and the Chinese model of parenting. The term "Tiger Mom" has already entered into the popular lexicon. While the author's thesis is controversial, she is emphatic about one point which I repeat here:

Today, the Chinese School of Southern Westchester once again sends off another graduating class. We recognize the hard work and perseverance necessary on the part of our students and parents to come this far. Congratulations to the CSSW graduates of 2011 and to their families for this notable achievement.

Respectfully submitted,

F. J. Chu
Principal