STARTALK 2013 Honors Chinese Program for High School Students at Hunter College

Program Duration

A. Summer Session (Non-credit)

• Face-to-face Session: July 1^st to July 18^th Location: Hunter College Campus
• Online Session: July 22^nd to August 7^th Location: Student's home
• Last Day of the Summer Session: August 8^th. Students return to Hunter College Campus for final assessments and end-of-program celebration

B. Post-summer Session (Upon completion, select 11^th and 12^th graders may earn 3 college credits and a scholarship to cover tuition expenses.)

• Online Session: September 16, 2013 to November 22, 2013
• Final Assessment: December 7

Applicant Eligibility

A. Summer Session

We will be enrolling 20 high school students, with preference given to rising juniors or seniors. No prior Chinese language learning experience is necessary. Students with prior experience will be placed in a higher level class and/or receive individual tutorial sessions tailored to the student's proficiency level.

B. Post-summer session

• Students must successfully complete the summer session in order to apply to join the post-summer session.
• Only rising juniors and seniors (11^th and 12^th grade students) are eligible to earn college credit during the post-summer session.
• If space is available, 9^th and 10^th graders may apply to participate in the post-summer session, but they cannot earn college credit.

Program Cost: FREE

Participants will have to pay for field trips, meals, and transportation to Hunter College during the summer program. Out-of-state students are responsible for arranging their own housing.

Scholarships

Students who successfully complete the post-summer program will earn a scholarship that will cover the cost of their Hunter tuition and fees. Depending on funding availability, students enrolled in the not-for-credit course in both summer session and the post-summer session and exhibit outstanding performance (attendance, effort, grades, and proficiency level) may win additional scholarships, amount to be determined by the scholarship review committee.

Please note that due to funding limit, we can only cover in-state tuition for non-NY residents. If you enroll in a for-credit course, you will have to pay for the difference.

Hunter College Chinese Flagship Center

We welcome rising seniors who apply to Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College or Hunter College and obtain admission to apply as incoming freshmen.

The incoming freshmen to Hunter College who have been accepted into STARTALK summer program will have priority to apply to Hunter College Chinese Flagship Center to continue their Chinese studies. The Chinese Flagship Center provides generous student support for study abroad, one-on-one instruction, and the opportunities for internships in NYC and China.

For more information about the Chinese Flagship Center, please visit: http://chineseflagship.hunter.cuny.edu or call: 212-396-6595.

For more information about the Macaulay Honors College, please visit: http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/honorscollege

For more information about Hunter College, please visit http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/main/.

Proficiency Tests

A. Lingua Folio

Students will be instructed how to do self-assessment using the online tool Lingua Folio. Students™ learning portfolios will be used to evaluate their progress at the end of each session.

B. Standards-based Measure of Proficiency: STAMP Tests

Students will take STAMP proficiency tests on the following dates at Hunter College:

• July 1: Students with previous learning experience take the test as pre-assessment
• August 9^th: All students take the test as post-assessment
• Dec. 7: Students participating in the post-summer session take the test as post-assessment

The pre- and post-test results will be used as partial criteria for eligibility for receiving post-summer program scholarships. Click here to learn more about the STAMP tests. A successful participant needs to demonstrate at least one-level of proficiency growth (i.e. from Level 1 to Level 2) in both speaking and reading of Chinese at the end of the summer and the post-summer programs respectively. Students who miss the STAMP tests will not be considered for scholarships.

Transcript

Hunter College credits are transferable to other American colleges and universities. Students can request a copy of their transcript from Hunter College and arrange to transfer credits to their chosen institutions. More information about records and transcripts can be found on the Registrar's website.

Certificate

All students completing the summer program successfully will receive a certificate.

Program Dates and Schedule

Schedule of Activities

Highlights of Program Curriculum

The curriculum features language immersion with a theme-based and task-based approach and utilizes authentic materials in the target language. The themes are: self, family, school, and community. The tasks will involve practicing communication, learning about culture, creating connections, making comparisons, and performing community service. The National Standards are incorporated into the curriculum. For communication, students will practice speaking in class, on the phone, and online. They will read and write e-mails, blog posts, and comments, and share them with language partners from China as well as their instructors and peers. To learn about culture, students will practice calligraphy and be introduced to the work of famous Chinese artists. Students will also work on a cultural project on a topic of their choice. To create connections, they will learn about the evolution of Chinese characters from a historical perspective in relation to the Chinese dynasties, and about the invention of paper and printing. To make comparisons, students will compare their lives with those of high school students in China. They will play Chinese chess and discuss the similarities and differences between Chinese chess and Western chess. For community service, they will travel to Chinatown for a day of volunteer work to benefit Chinese immigrants and learn about the history of Chinatown.

Selection Criteria and Application Requirements

• Students should have a long-term plan for learning Chinese and a genuine interest in using Chinese in their intended professions.
• Students must have a record of outstanding academic performance and leadership.
• Students should have a track record of success in learning foreign languages.

Application Steps

1. Fill out the program application form. (See below.)
2. Obtain a letter of recommendation from either a school teacher or principal. The recommendation can be submitted via email to chsummer@hunter.cuny.edu
3. Get a copy of your academic transcript.
4. Write an essay (500 words, typed) about why you should be accepted.
5. Qualified candidates will be contacted for a 5-minute phone interview.

You may send in the application form and statement of purpose first if you need extra time to obtain your transcript and recommendation letter.

You may submit your application and other document by email or by mail.

Email to: chsummer@hunter.cuny.edu; Cc byh0603@gmail.com.

Mail to:
High School STARTALK Program
Hunter College HW1425
Department of Classical and Oriental Studies
695 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10065

You will be notified within three weeks after your phone interview whether or not you have been accepted into the program.

Application Deadline

Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis until all the seats are filled.

Application Forms

Download: Application Form for High School Students (PDF)

Questions? Call (212) 396-6595 or send an email to: chsummer@hunter.cuny.edu

2011 Photo Slideshow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-C9pRgc9yM