WSSU receives $78,000 grant to offer STARTALK summer Chinese program
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has been awarded a $78,579 federal grant to offer an intensive Chinese summer language program for high school and college students.
The three-week program is a component program of the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI) and will be offered at WSSU’s campus July 7-26, 2019.
“We are pleased to bring the STARTALK Chinese Language program to students in the Piedmont Triad for the first time,” said Dr. Wen Xiong, an associate professor and program director for WSSU’s STARTALK. “With more than 1.4 billion native speakers in the world, Chinese is identified as a critical need language in the United States. WSSU’s Chinese STARTALK aims to address the shortage, increase the number of U.S. citizens who are learning and speaking the language, and prepare their global competence for the ever-changing world.”
Thirty students will be chosen for the tuition-free nonresidential program – 20 high school and 10 college students. College students who complete the program will receive 3 credit hours.
The Chinese STARTALK program will be taught by an experienced team in an immersive way to integrate culture, content and language in the classroom, Dr. Xiong said. The theme for the program is Food and Wellness. No prior Chinese language experience is necessary.
For more information or to apply, visit WSSU’s Chinese STARTALK Summer Program webpage. The deadline to apply is May 15 or when the program is full.
STARTALK is offered through WSSU’s Department of World Languages and Culture, which offers programs in five languages: Chinese, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Swahili. The department is part of the College of Arts, Sciences, Business and Education.
STARTALK is funded by the National Security Agency and administered by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland.
About Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University fosters the creative thinking, analytical problem-solving, and depth of character needed to transform the world. Rooted in liberal education, WSSU’s curriculum prepares students to be thought leaders who have the skills and knowledge needed to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. Founded in 1892, WSSU is a historically Black constituent institution of the University of North Carolina with a rich tradition of contributing to the social, cultural, intellectual, and economic growth of North Carolina, the region and beyond. Guided by the motto, “Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve,” WSSU develops leaders who advance social justice by serving the world with compassion and commitment.
