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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Washington, DC, United States, 11/26/2007 - Coeus International School (CIS) expands its dual-language Mandarin-English program to include a Lower School. CIS now offers a dual-language, international K-12 education in English and the choice of Arabic, French, Greek, Mandarin or Spanish.
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Mandarin education faces unprecedented demand in the United States, from kindergarten through graduate school. Designated as a "strategic" language by the United States government, Mandarin enrollment in schools and colleges has increased dramatically in recent years. According to a recent study by the National Council of Associations of Chinese Language Schools, approximately 82,675 students are taking Chinese in 634 language schools across the country.
Teaching Chinese language and culture is essential for the United States to compete in the global marketplace. China is the United States' largest trading partner and China's economy continues to grow. The expanding economic connections between the US and China require greater communication skills and cultural understanding. More than 250 million Chinese students are studying English to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of a global economy. To benefit from China's substantial and growing economic and cultural opportunities, we need to increase substantially Chinese education in the United States. Language skills and cultural understanding are the keys to building productive relationships with our fellow global citizens in China.
In response to the increased interest in Mandarin education, Coeus International School provides a K-12 dual-language Mandarin-English education based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes. Language immersion at CIS offers integrated instruction for native English and Mandarin speakers, with the goal of promoting high academic achievement, first and second language development, and cross-cultural understanding for all students. In the Lower School, students spend approximately half of their time learning in English and half in the other language of choice. Research and experience demonstrate that students in dual-language programs outperform their peers in monolingual programs across the academic spectrum. In addition, they develop proficiency in two or more languages and frequently become ambilingual.
The CIS Lower School is guided by teachers who are themselves lifelong learners. It is a place of inquiry, collaboration, curiosity and discovery. One of the most generous student-to-faculty ratios to be found anywhere in the Washington metropolitan area provides exceptional opportunity for each young person to grow and learn.
Lower school students in kindergarten through grade five follow the IB's Primary Years Programme. Using the natural curiosity of the young learner, students are guided through inquiries into the world around them by means of such questions as, for example, "Who are we?" and "How do we organize ourselves?"
The Middle School provides CIS students with an intellectually challenging experience in a nurturing environment. The inquiry-based program, social environment and talented teachers motivate students to acquire knowledge, develop skills and talents, strengthen friendships and pursue special interests through the IB's Middle Years Programme (MYP).
The MYP encourages students to think critically and independently, to work collaboratively and to take a disciplined approach to studying. The MYP seeks to give students an international perspective - to help them become informed about the experiences of people and cultures throughout the world. It also fosters a commitment to help others and to act as a responsible member of the community at the local, national and international levels. CIS has received IB World School candidate status for its Middle Years Programme.
The IB's Diploma Programme, for students aged 16-19, is a two-year course of study. Recognized internationally as a qualification for university entrance, it also allows students to fulfill the requirements of their national education system. Students share an educational experience that emphasizes critical thinking as well as intercultural understanding and respect for others in the global community.
The CIS Upper School provides a challenging academic program in a supportive environment. The academic experience promotes critical thinking, intercultural understanding and exposure to a variety of points of view. Students have many opportunities to integrate theory and practice through the school’s unique experiential learning program.
CIS Upper school students in grades 9 and 10 follow the IB Middle Years Programme while students in grades 11 and 12 follow the IB Diploma Programme.
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cdubia[.]coeusis.org 
