Jie Fang, shown teaching Mandarin Chinese at Salt Lake City's West High School, was part of a group of Chinese teachers who came to Utah to teach her language in 2005. That trend is accelerating as more elementary schools are offering Mandarin in dual-immersion programs. (Tribune file photo)

Gov. Jon Huntsman's appointment as ambassador to China isn't Utah's only Far East bragging right.

We have the nation's highest percentage of public-school students studying Mandarin, mostly at the high-school level. And now Mandarin is trickling into elementary schools, securing Utah's leadership role and signaling a renewed focus on bilingual education, say state education officials.

"Dual immersion" programs in Mandarin, French and Spanish are coming to 21 elementary schools next year. As the name implies, students at those schools will spend half of every school day immersed in a world language, learning math, science and social studies. Reading and language arts are taught in English.

It's a program that "teaches the regular, core curriculum through the medium of a second language," said Gregg Roberts, state world-language specialist.

Students start young, in the first grade, which 40 years of research shows is the best way to gain proficiency in any language.

"It also happens to be the least expensive," said Roberts, noting the only costs associated with the program are for supplies and up-front teacher training.

By the sixth grade, students will be "bilingual, biliterate and bicultural," said Roberts.

Learning a second language is no longer something people do for pleasure or travel. It's a must for those hoping to compete in the global marketplace, said Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, who believes

The Draper Republican carried legislation last year to expand dual-immersion offerings.

This year, about 3,500 Utah students were learning Mandarin, said Stephenson. By next year, that number will reach 6,000.

French and Spanish are equally popular and important, said Roberts.

There are 55 countries on five continents where French is used regularly for business, including Canada. And Spanish programs have the added benefit of bringing native Spanish and English speakers together to bridge cultures and learning styles, said Roberts.

America is behind the rest of the world when it comes to bilingualism, with only 9 percent of the population reporting fluency in a second language, compared with 52 percent of Europeans, according to a research review by University of Wisconsin professor Francois Victor Tochon.

English is spoken by about 15 percent of the world's population, but its "postulated ubiquity" is a "myth," writes Tochon. "On average, bilinguals earn more in the United States and, more recently, in the United Kingdom."

There are also cognitive and academic benefits.

"It's just amazing. My daughter has learned math in Spanish," said Nate Alder, president of the Utah State Bar and member of the school community council at William Penn Elementary in Millcreek Township.

William Penn and other schools in Granite School District were dual-immersion pilot sites.

Alder said initially, some parents were nervous about their kids falling behind in reading and math. But two years of test scores show students in the program are on par or a few points ahead of their peers.

Learning a second language keeps gifted learners engaged and sparks a fire in others, believes Alder, who says before the program his 7-year-old daughter was a reluctant reader. "Now she reads both English and Spanish books for pleasure. Spanish is her thing."

Doing dual immersion right takes trained teachers and a watchful eye over the curriculum to ensure that once students achieve proficiency, they don't lose ground.

After elementary school, students are encouraged to continue language instruction and take the AP exam in the ninth grade, said Roberts. Time in high school can be used to begin a third language.

Nationwide, there's a shortage of qualified teachers. But Roberts said that hasn't been a problem in Utah, home to Brigham Young University, a major American center for language study.

Utah will accept only native speakers or teachers tested as highly fluent, said Roberts. This year, five teachers were imported from mainland China. Next year, 22 are expected to teach in the Beehive State.

The program is optional; schools that offer it also offer traditional classes, said Roberts. "This is about parent choice."

Most of the slots for next year are full. But schools have waiting lists; the Mandarin program at Wasatch Elementary in Provo had so many applicants, the principal opened a second class.

Four elementary schools in the Granite School District are still accepting applications: Morningside, Diamond Ridge, Calvin Smith and Spring Lane.