My letter to the editor ran in the Oregonian on April 4, 2007:
On March 21, the Oregon House unanimously passed House Resolution 3, urging "Oregon universities, community colleges and secondary schools to encourage Oregon students to learn Mandarin Chinese and to explore opportunities to study in China."
Currently, with less than 1 percent of Oregon high school graduates studying Mandarin for two years or more, and less than 2 percent of Oregon public university undergraduates studying Mandarin, Oregon is not preparing its next generation to engage China, the country columnist Nicholas Kristof thinks "will end this century as the most important country in the world."
We know how to develop proficient bilingual speakers - start young, immerse and spend time in a country that speaks the language. We just need the political will to replicate the good educational models we have and to send our students to study in China in large numbers.
Dave Porter
Southeast Portland
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