The most spoken language in the world will be offered at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point during the next school year through the UW System's Collaborative Language Program (CLP).

Distance learning technology will bring Chinese classes to UWSP from UW-Milwaukee using two-way interactive video. A native speaker of Chinese will facilitate the class in Stevens Point and offer tutoring.

The four-credit Chinese 101 course will meet during the fall semester, Monday through Thursday, from 3:30 to 4:40 p.m. in room 113 of the Communication Arts Center.

Chinese 102 will be offered at the same time in the spring of 2002, and third and fourth year Chinese classes may be offered the following year depending on interest. Credits earned by the classes will satisfy the language requirement for the bachelor of arts degree and count toward graduation.

Through the CLP program, UWSP currently receives three Japanese classes from UW-Oshkosh and sends two Russian classes, taught by Professor Bob Price, to UW-Parkside, according to Jan Seiler, chair of the foreign language department.

"There was interest in bringing Chinese language classes back," Seiler said, as History Professor Hugh Walker offered the classes until 1996. Faculty members Jianwei Wang, political science, and Teresa Chao, library, requested the course addition as over 25 students had expressed interest in taking Chinese.

Students with a variety of majors are interested in using it to teach English and do business in Chinese speaking countries, Chao said. "Any student studying business, economics, politics, international relations or international studies would benefit from knowing how to read, write and speak Chinese," she said.

Learning Chinese also may help students who want to study abroad in Asia. UWSP will offer a summer 2002 trip to Beijing, China, for study of the country�s art and architecture. UW-LaCrosse and UW-Madison currently offer study abroad programs to China during the spring and fall semesters.

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