Asia Society and the College Board were very proud to present the fifth annual National Chinese Language Conference April 12–14, 2012, which marked the convening's fifth anniversary, an appropriate opportunity to reflect on the State of the Field: the past, the present, and the future of Chinese language education. NCLC 12 welcomed more than 1,200 educators and policymakers in Washington where they participated in 60+ breakout sessions; extended workshops on critical areas like assessment and the Common Core; and targeted visits to innovative language programs at seven schools in Washington, DC and Fairfax County, thanks to participating schools and the DC Center for Global Education and Leadership.

This year’s opening plenary session featured a keynote by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, followed by a special musical performance by I SING BEIJING, a groundbreaking collaboration of world-class and emerging musicians from the U.S. and China, led by Metropolitan Opera virtuoso Hao Jiang Tian. (Photos by Kate Bohler – see full set here.)