Image by: Heidi Chang

Students watch as their teachers--former ping pong champions from China, demonstrate their skills

Chinese Language Immersion Sports Camp

From: Heidi Chang
Length: 13:37

The Confucius Institute in Hawaii is attracting teachers and students nationwide to participate in a unique summer camp. It's the only camp that teaches Chinese through daily activities, including sports like ping pong and martial arts. Read the full description.

Piece Audio

Playing: Chinese Language Immersion Sports Camp
From: Heidi Chang

Ping_pong_instructors_small Interest in learning Chinese has been increasing in the United States, as China continues to rise as a global power. So why not make learning a language fun? The Confucius Institute at the University of Hawaii has developed the country's first Chinese Language Immersion Sports Camp to help meet the demand for Chinese language programs. The camp also trains teachers and teaches Mandarin in innovative ways.

Good piece to air during the summer or anytime. Now in its third year, the three week-long camp takes place in July.

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Piece Description

Interest in learning Chinese has been increasing in the United States, as China continues to rise as a global power. So why not make learning a language fun? The Confucius Institute at the University of Hawaii has developed the country's first Chinese Language Immersion Sports Camp to help meet the demand for Chinese language programs. The camp also trains teachers and teaches Mandarin in innovative ways.

Good piece to air during the summer or anytime. Now in its third year, the three week-long camp takes place in July.

Broadcast History

Originally broadcast internationally on Voice of America.
The piece has been updated for PRX.

Transcript

You may not think you can learn Chinese by playing ping pong. But, as these young people are discovering, they can, and it's fun. That’s why they’ve come from around the country to spend three weeks at this Chinese Language Immersion Sports Camp in Hawaii.

The script is available on this link:
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2008-12-15-voa34.cfm
Read the full transcript

Intro and Outro

INTRO:

Interest in learning Chinese has been increasing in the United States, as China continues to rise as a global power. To help meet that demand, the Confucius Institute in Hawaii has created the country's first Chinese Language Immersion Sports Camp. It's training teachers, and teaching Mandarin to young people through daily activities, including martial arts and ping pong.

Heidi Chang has more on this unique summer camp in Honolulu.

Story runs: 4:47

OUTRO: