Sorry for the long delay, folks, since my last content-filled posting. I have quite a few little articles in the works that I hope to post here in February. Now that my role as a candidate in the Bronfman contest has officially ended, I am writing to clarify a few “loose ends” in my proposal (for those who were truly interested in its models and ideas), to comment on the continuing developments in the contest, and perhaps to figure out (with the help of my readers and comment writers) where we all might go from here with our big ideas. Anyway, on to my next topic: television.
Two new television shows are appearing on cable and satellite television in the United States this month. While these two shows are completely different, they both relate to core ideas in my writing.
Ni Hao, Kai-lan is a new animated program for preschoolers on Noggin and Nickelodeon, the children’s networks that are famous for bringing the bilingual shows Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! into American homes. Kai-lan Chow, the six year old heroine of the series, is a playful little girl who is fluent in both English and Chinese. As the official website describes this new series:
“Ni Hao, Kai-lan is the next generation of preschool television programming that introduces the psychology of bi-culturalism. If Dora and Diego popularized bilingualism, Kai-lan will weave together being bilingual and bi-cultural. Ni Hao, Kai-lan reinforces the idea that being bi-cultural and bilingual is being American.”
This show fascinates me because its producers see it as an evolution from a successful core model. In other words, I think many parents will think in terms of the differences between Dora and Kai-lan (i.e. Spanish language and culture versus Chinese language and culture). However, the similarities are much more important than the differences. We may be seeing the very beginning of a new wave of bi-cultural television, specifically geared toward pre-schoolers, which not only aims to provide foundational language skills but also a strong psychological foundation for growing up bi-culturally. (Of course, the series I’m waiting for would be named something like Boker Tov, Boaz.). 
While we often read, in the American press, about the cultural backlash against globalization, immigration (legal or otherwise), and foreign influences, there is another, less discussed trend: American families eagerly seeking out foreign language learning for their children. A New York Times article on the Kai-lan series, published last year while the show was still in development, contains an enlightening quote from Marty Abbott, director of education at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language:
“We get a lot of calls from parents of preschoolers and elementary school students asking how they can help establish language programs in their schools. They’ve seen how engaged their children are with Dora. There’s a natural curiosity and openness to language at that age.”
Of course, another advantage (at least to the producers of this series) is that bilingual programs seem to transcend national markets very easily. In a globalized world, everybody seems to want their kids to gain exposure to other cultures (which might include their ancestral culture). One 2007 news article on the new Kai-lan program states that Nickelodeon’s parent company Viacom “intends to distribute the show around the globe”. Look for little Kai-lan saying “Ni Hao!” soon on a television near you! (As for Boker Tov, Boaz, we’ll just have to keep waiting…).
Mahadurat Ha-Shevet is a new program on the Israeli Network, which I have previously written about in my proposal and subsequent posts. This is the first television show that I am aware of that specifically targets the Israeli American community. The big question here (assuming that a significant number of Israeli expats and other “Hebrew Americans” tune in) is the extent to which the show, along with other media, can strengthen the foundations of the Israeli Diaspora. I hope to continually write about what I see on this show.
Stay tuned, folks!
