Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world today.  Knowledge of Chinese will be a significant advantage in the future, especially in the Pacific Northwest, due to its location on the Pacific Rim.  However, opportunities to study Chinese language are lacking for high school students in the Eastern Washington area.  The Gonzaga University Startalk Program addresses this need by providing beginning-level Chinese instruction to high school students in our region.  This six-week program includes three hours of formal instruction in Chinese language and culture including Tai-Chi, calligraphy, and dancing. During the lunch hour, instruction in language continues through informal conversation with the instructor and native-speaker conversation leaders.  The program lasts from 10:00-2:00 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 


NEW PROGRAM NEWS:
 High school students can apply for NSLI scholarships to study abroad in China during the summer.  To be eligible, students must be U.S. citizens, 15-18 years of age, enrolled in high school or recently graduated, with a 2.5 GPA.  The scholarships enable students to learn Chinese in an immersion environment and to increase their cultural awareness.  For more information, go to http://www.nsliforyouth.org.   

2009 Startalk Graduation Performance

**Startalk is a component program of the National Strategic Language Initiative (NSLI). To learn more about Startalk: http://www.startalk.umd.edu/about.