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STARTALK 2012 Honors Chinese Program for High School Students at Hunter College
Program Duration
A. Summer Session (Non-credit)
- Face-to-face Session: July 9th to August 6th on the Hunter College campus.
- Online Session: August 6th to August 16th at the student's home.
- Last Day of the Summer Session: August 17th: Students return to the Hunter College campus for final assessments and end-of-session celebration.
B. Post-summer Session (For credit for select 11th and 12th graders; non-credit for others)
- Online Session: September 17, 2012 to November 30, 2012
Eligibility of Applicants
A. Summer Session
20 high school students, preferably rising juniors and seniors with NO prior Chinese background or Chinese language learning experience.
If space is available, we will also consider students with Chinese language background who have strong recommendations from instructors and have an interview with our Chinese teacher.
B. Post-summer Session
All students must participate in and complete the summer session in order to join the post-summer session.
Only students at the 11th and 12th grade levels with an outstanding performance will be awarded a scholarship to take a 3-credit college-level course.
If space is available, we will accept 9th and 10th graders to participate in the post-summer session with no credit.
Program Cost: Free
Participants will have to pay for meals and transportation to Hunter College or field trip sites during the summer programs. Out-of-state students are responsible for arranging their own housing.
Deposit
All accepted students must pay a deposit of $300 at the time of acceptance to secure a seat. The deposit will be returned to participants who complete the entire summer session.
Scholarships
Select 11th and 12th graders will be awarded $1000 to cover the tuition of a 3-credit Chinese language course during the post-summer session.
Depending on funding availability, students who participate in both the summer session and the post-summer session with outstanding performance (attendance, effort, grades, and proficiency level) will be awarded with scholarships, the amount to be determined by the scholarship review committee.
Hunter College Chinese Flagship Center
Rising seniors who apply to Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College or to Hunter College, and obtain admission are encouraged to apply to Hunter College Chinese Flagship Center to continue their Chinese studies with generous student support for study abroad, one-on-one instruction, and the opportunities for internships in New York City and China. For more information about the Chinese Flagship Center, please see our website: http://chineseflagship.hunter.cuny.edu or call 212-396-6595 for further information. For more information about the Macaulay Honors College, please visit their website at www.hunter.cuny.edu/honorscollege. For more information about Hunter College, please go to www.hunter.cuny.edu.
Proficiency Tests
A. Lingual Folio
All students are required to do self-assessment using Lingual Folio. The instructors will guide you to do this weekly. This will be part of your grade.
B. STAMP Tests
The STAMP tests will be conducted on the following dates at Hunter College:
- July 9th for students with previous learning experience
- August 17th for all students
- December 8th for post-summer session students
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.
Hunter College credits are transferable to American colleges and universities. Students can apply for 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 website of the Hunter College Registrar.
Certificate
All students completing the summer program successfully will receive a certificate.
Program Dates and Schedule for the 2012 Session
| July 6 to August 6 |
Face-to-face instruction on campus (4 days a week) |
| August 6 to August 16 | Online instruction at home (5 days a week) |
| August 17 |
On-campus STAMP test |
| September 17 to November 30 |
Post-summer session instruction |
| December 8 |
On-campus STAMP test |
Schedule of Activities
| Time | Activities |
|---|---|
| July 9 |
9 – 3 Orientation and pre-test. (All students must attend.) 3 – 4 Opening Ceremony (Time and location to be announced via e-mail. Parents are welcome to attend.) |
| July 10 to August 2 Monday-Wednesday Schedule Face-to-face session |
9 – 9:50 Language Class 1 10 – 10:50 Language Class 2 11 – 12 Lunch (self-prepared) 12 – 12:50 Language Class 3 1 – 2 Culture Class 2 -3 One-on-one and lab |
| July 10 to August 2 Thursday Schedule Face-to-face session |
9 – 9:50 Language Class 1 10 – 10:50 Language Class 2 11 – 12 Lunch (self-prepared) 12 – 1:30 Presentations 2 – 4 Field trip (Details will be announced) |
| August 2 Last day of face-to-face session |
9 – 9:50 Assessment Activities 10 – 10:50 Assessment Activities 11 – 12 Lunch (self-prepared) 12 – 12:50 Assessment Activities 1 – 3 Orientation for online instruction (Location will be announced via e-mail. Parents are welcome to attend.) |
| August 6 – August 16 Online instruction |
One hour tutorial per day, Monday to Friday. Online materials for individualized, self-paced learning. |
| August 17 Final Assessment for summer session |
9 - 12 Take STAMP reading and speaking tests at Hunter 12-2 Lunch and End-of-Summer Session Celebration (Location will be announced via e-mail. Parents are welcome to attend.) |
| September 17 to November 30 Post-summer session |
For selected students only. Schedule determined by students and instructors. Ten-week one-on-one online conversation practice and instruction. |
| December 8 Post-summer session final assessment |
9 - 12 Take STAMP reading and speaking tests at Hunter 12-2 Lunch and End of Post-summer session presentations (Location will be announced via e-mail. Parents are welcome to attend.) |
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 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, blogs, and comments to and from language partners from China, instructors, and peers. For culture, students will practice calligraphy and be introduced to the art work of famous Chinese artists. Furthermore, students will work on a cultural project on a topic of their choice. For 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. For 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 communities, they will do community service 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
- Fill out the program application form. (See below.)
- Obtain a letter of recommendation from either a school teacher or principal.
- Get a copy of your academic transcript.
- Write an essay (500 words, typed) about why you should be accepted.
- Mail all the application material to this address:
High School STARTALK Program
Hunter West 1425
Department of Classical and Oriental Studies
Hunter College
695 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10065
NOTE: You can send in the application form along with the statement of purpose first if you need extra time to obtain your transcript and recommendation letter. - We will contact you to arrange an on-campus or phone interview.
We will let you know within two to three weeks after the 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)
Please fill in online and print, or download and neatly fill out by hand.
Questions? Call (212) 396-6595 or send an email to: chsummer@hunter.cuny.edu
Please view our 2011 Session Photo Slideshow on Youtube:
