POSTED Wednesday, August 6 --- 5:30pm

While the world watches the Olympic Games in China, Wisconsin is working to better prepare its workforce for increased business with the Asian nation.

Preparing Wisconsin students for a global economy is behind an effort to bring Chinese language and culture classes to local schools.

This exercise is teaching Chinese numbers through a traditional dance. But all of these students already know the language.

"I was born in Taiwan," Peihua Reinke says.

A native speaker, Peihua Reinke knows Mandarin, a language considered critical by the federal government.

"We have many, many Spanish teachers. Right now, that's not a critical language for us," Kathy Koritzinsky says.

Reinke's class is part of what's called the Critical Language Fellows Project. Wisconsin received federal funding to teach people like Reinke how to teach Chinese in Wisconsin schools. The program also helps districts offer the language.

"Last year in Wisconsin, there were five districts that were asking for teachers. This year, having heard of the program and incentive salary money to begin a new program, 17 districts have asked us to provide teachers and some money for them," Claire Kotenbeutel says.

A former Madison school teacher, Claire Kotenbeutel is preparing these students to get behind the desk. But, in 2002, she and another former teacher opened a private company, Places International. It teaches corporate clients and others foreign languages and culture.

"They're very very interested in getting into factories in China and be able to communicate with the people who work in the factories and not necessarily go through a translator," Koritzinsky says.

And they say demand is growing. Reinke will begin teaching students in the Fall in Oconomowoc.

"I think it's our administrators. They have vision ... see this as beneficial to our students, can enrich their education and open up a lot of doors for them down the road," Reinke says.

Madison Memorial High School has offered Chinese for a number of years. The Janesville School District began a pilot program last year, which continues this Fall.