THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 9, 1994 TAG: 9412090576
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Expanding business ties between Japan and North Carolina have prompted educators in the state's largest city to recommend opening a new magnet school where students will speak nothing but Japanese.
Business leaders and educators say the idea is a direct result of the large and growing Japanese role in the Charlotte and regional economy.
And they say the need for Asian language skills will only increase as Charlotte, North Carolina and South Carolina become more a part of the global market.
``When you talk about Far Eastern languages, people seem to be a little bit shocked at first,'' said Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools Supt. John Murphy, who announced the plan Saturday.
``But the direction of the future internationally is towards Asia. It's important to start preparing our youngsters for that.''
Japan is second only to Germany as North Carolina's top foreign trading partner.
The Tar Heel state is one of the few operating a trade surplus with Japan, aided by a state trade office in Tokyo and Japanese trade representative in Raleigh.
Of the 150 Japanese-affiliated firms in North Carolina, 48 are in Mecklenburg County. Trade officials are working to improve that connection. A September conference on Japanese trade brought governors from seven Southeastern states to town, while a fall festival spotlighted Japanese art and culture.
``It makes a whole lot of sense to start a school like that here,'' said Maria Domoto, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He also teaches Japanese in three Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schools. ``Charlotte is becoming much more international, and the Japanese presence in Charlotte is large.''
There are already two foreign language magnet schools in the system, one for 200 students learning German and another for 50 students of French. Murphy's proposal calls for a Spanish language program next year and Japanese the following year.
Japanese is already being taught in three Charlotte-Mecklenburg high schools. Students can study Chinese at a fourth high school.
``I firmly believe we need to have an international flavor in the school system,'' said Murphy, who eventually wants all students to graduate fluent in two foreign languages. ``We have to represent a whole array of languages and cultures. And we have to begin preparing students now.''
Educators are betting that American companies will need more people like Doug Colbert.
The Charlotte banker, who learned to speak Japanese as a youth, recently put his skills to work smoothing the way when contract talks turned tense between a North Carolina machine-belt manufacturer and a Japanese firm.
``The language is invaluable,'' said Colbert, who works for First Union. ``It gives me an advantage, especially in the Southeast. '' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Visitors to Charlotte, N.C., are welcomed by signs in English and
Japanese. Three Charlotte high schools offer Japanese and a
Japanese-immersion program is in the works.
by CNB