STARTALK Penn High School Chinese Academy - Summer 2013

STARTALK is the newest of the component programs of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI) announced by former President Bush in January of 2006. STARTALK’s mission is to increase the number of Americans learning, speaking, and teaching critical need foreign languages by offering students (K–16) and teachers of these languages creative and engaging summer experiences that strive to exemplify best practices in language education and in language teacher development, forming an extensive community of practice that seeks continuous improvement in such criteria as outcomes-driven program design, standards-based curriculum planning, learner-centered approaches, excellence in selection and development of materials, and meaningful assessment of outcomes.

The University of Pennsylvania is delighted to announce the seventh year of its summer
STARTALK Penn High School Chinese Academy. Aimed at high school students in all grades, this intensive Chinese language program couples Penn’s internationally known Chinese language and studies programs with its extensive experience in intellectual development programs for high school students.

 

Program Information:

Dates: July 1 - August 2, 2013

Curriculum

• Three hours of language instruction Monday through Friday, including: lecture (lesson introduction); drill (speaking exercises); and language lab (listening and writing).
• Two hours of lecture on Chinese culture, including Chinese literature, film, history, and philosophy every Wednesday.
• One hour of weekly examination every Wednesday.
• Fifteen-minute one-on-one practice sessions with language teachers three days a week.
• Experience in the language lab to familiarize students with Chinese word processing and websites.
• After-class culturally relevant field trips.
• After-class activities to learn Chinese folk dance and martial arts.

Class Schedule
Classes will be held 9:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Thursday, and 9:00am-12:00pm on Friday.

Students
The program has places for 25 high school students.

Tuition
Each student will be granted a scholarship of $1,200 to be applied to the $2,000 tuition; the final cost to each student will be $800. *A limited number of full scholarships may be available.

Download our program flyer here.

Application Information:

Our application for STARTALK Summer 2013 is now ready. Please download our application here in pdf form.

Please mail completed materials by May 17, 2013, to:

STARTALK Penn High School Chinese Academy
Center for East Asian Studies
642 Williams Hall
255 S. 36th Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

1. Completed application form
2. Official sealed transcript(s) from all high schools attended
3. Sealed letter of recommendation
4. Personal statement (400-500 words total)
5. $30 non-refundable application fee payable to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

Important Notes: The application will not be reviewed until all materials have been received. Applicants will be accepted on a rolling basis until the program is filled.

Have Questions?

For questions regarding the program, please contact Melissa DiFrancesco, Assistant Director at the Center for East Asian Studies at 215-573-4203, or at meljen@sas.upenn.edu.