Mandarin Chinese taught in Seneca schools

Oconee School District envisions the instruction of Mandarin Chinese as a way to develop global citizens.  The district employed its first Chinese teacher. Linda Sui, in 2015.  A second teacher, Rose Liu, was added this year.  Both Seneca Middle School and Seneca High School have been able to expand their Mandarin Chinese instruction.  The language is also being taught at Northside Elementary School.  While at a conference two years ago, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Ginger Hopkins received information about a teacher exchange program funded by Hanban Confucius Institute. The program provides, for a nominal fee, Chinese teachers to teach Mandarin Chinese in American schools. While working in the district, however, the Chinese teachers realized that many of the books in the media centers at the schools were outdated and perpetuated stereotypes of the Chinese district representing their home country of China. While here, they brought several books to distribute to the media centers at the Seneca area schools. The books included the English text along with Chinese text.