Cambridge University Press and leading Hong Kong publisher join forces to promote Chinese language learning

The fast-growing market for teaching Chinese to children strengthens this week with the launch of a new partnership to promote materials for students starting out in the language.

Cambridge University Press has joined forces with one of Asia's leading independent publishing houses, Hong Kong-based P3, to bring the Cambridge endorsement to P3’s extensive Chinese list for children at primary-level, Mandarin Matrix™.

Mandarin Matrix™ offers 335 titles taking students from ages 7+ and includes 240 guided readers, 44 big books, audio CDs, flashcards, teachers’ packs, the Max and Mei early years readers and textbooks. There is also an online classroom resource that also encourages children to conduct Chinese homework.

Cambridge’s International Education Business will now work with P3 on the writing and production of further texts and the Mandarin Matrix™ products will all carry the Cambridge logo.

Agreements like these represent Cambridge’s commitment to the global market in Chinese language learning. Increasing numbers of children worldwide are learning Chinese (Mandarin Matrix™ products are used by over 200,000 students across Asia, the UK and North America) as parents and teachers race to prepare them for a future in which China will be a major economic, political and cultural force.

Director of Cambridge’s International Education Business, Claudia Bickford-Smith, says the joint venture is part of a wider Chinese language strategy for Cambridge:

“This co-brand agreement is an important part of our ‘Cambridge Chinese’ strategy. We hope to be able to assess where Chinese language is taking off globally with these kinds of agreements and their success will help us make future decisions on how we develop this area of the business. As China continues to rise as a force in the world, the huge and fast-growing Chinese learning market is one we are fully committed to and our goal is to make Cambridge Chinese the standard everyone aspires to.”

David Tait, CEO of P3, says of this agreement: “The market response to Mandarin Matrix™ reflects the exponentially growing interest in Chinese as a second language for children, with ever more demand for learning materials in print and on-line. P3 has encountered truly global demand for its products and is delighted to be partnering with Cambridge University Press as they embark on their Cambridge Chinese strategy, making our products available to even more teachers and students.”

Under the agreement, the Cambridge logo will appear on Mandarin Matrix™ texts such as Dragon Can Count, Skinny Lion Fat Lion, Chinese Zodiac and The Great Wall.

Cambridge already has a collaboration agreement with Dragons in Europe, offering a range of texts for primary and secondary level Chinese. The Dragons Primary School Chinese series provides an introduction to Chinese language and culture for younger age groups and is designed to be used by non-specialist teachers.

Cambridge’s academic publishing on China also includes Science & Civilisation in China; The Cambridge History of China and the 30-title Cultural China series, which includes texts on Chinese wine, gardens, literature, myths and architecture.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

In addition to English, interviews can be conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish or French.

About Education publishing at Cambridge University Press

Cambridge University Press is a market-leading publisher, publishing high-quality, curriculum-based books, software and digital resources for international, primary and secondary schools worldwide. With a mission of ‘advancing learning, knowledge and research worldwide’ and dedicated to the development of resources for a changing global educational environment, the Press provides educational expertise and specialist support through research and working with key authors to ensure publications meet schools’ needs.

For further information, go to: www.cambridge.org/education

About P3

P3 is a leading independent publishing house based in Hong Kong, serving clients globally and specialising in the production of educational books, periodicals and magazines, and on-line solutions.

P3’s Mandarin Matrix™ is a suite of educational products that assist in the teaching of Chinese as a second or foreign language in primary and secondary education. Designed in consultation with Mandarin teachers and advisers, the goal is to increase Mandarin fluency and literacy across the world, whilst providing support and vital resources to Mandarin teachers. The themed materials can be used alone or to complement a school’s existing Chinese curriculum.