K-12 and Undergraduate Program
The Oregon K-16 Chinese Flagship was chosen by the National Security Education Program (NSEP) to develop a national model of K-16 language education to produce Superior -level speakers of Chinese. The UO Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) and Portland Public Schools form a partnership to provide high-quality language learning beginning in kindergarten and continuing through college. CASLS expertise in language acquisition, proficiency assessment, and data-driven approaches to education combined with PPS' leadership in immersion education will be brought to bear on the challenge of meeting the nation's need for highly proficient Chinese language users able to function effectively in professional settings. The Oregon K-16 Flagship integrates content-based learning, experiential learning, and explicit instruction to ensure that learners can communicate effectively on academic and professional topics. PPS students in both the World Languages Institute for heritage speakers or the Chinese Immersion Program will learn regular curricular content in Chinese accompanied by explicit instruction to sharpen accuracy, and apply what they learn to real-life situations. The lessons learned in implementing this approach will inform future K-16 Flagships envisioned in the National Security Language Initiative.
