Hartsville, S.C., May 30, 2023 – When Mandarin teacher Wanlin Lin arrived in Hartsville last August, most assumed that Butler Academy staff might be making most of the personal introductions involved. This month, however, via a virtual math class, Ms. Lin introduced some of her fourth grade scholars in Hartsville to fourth and fifth grade students she previously taught at Guting Elementary School in Taipei City.
“We live in a world that is interconnected on many levels: economically, socially and environmentally,” Butler Academy President Jerome Reyes said. “Knowing another language and its culture positions our students to collaborate globally, a skill that is unique, yet in high demand.
“From my perspective, this month’s virtual lesson on ratios and fractions was as much about dividing cultural differences as numeric ones,” Reyes added.
Lin wholeheartedly agrees.
“The most important thing our scholars experienced in this online class was the opportunity it created for scholars to collaborate with students a world away who are their age and studying the same subject. To make it work, they understood that they needed to be open-minded and respectful in their responses to each other, accepting of the cultural differences,” Lin said. “I was pleased to see that Butler’s students were not afraid to express themselves, even in a new language. I think it’s a lesson they’ll remember.”
Lin’s one-year appointment at Butler academy was made possible through a competitive award by the American Councils for International Education’s Teaching Critical Languages Program (TCLP). Butler Academy was one of 19 schools nationwide to receive the award for the 2022-23 school year and has recently been named as a TCLP award recipient for the 2023-24 school year as well.
