Biography

The Middle School Mandarin program is an interactive course designed with an emphasis on communication and cultural understanding. In the first year, students will learn to introduce themselves, greet people, talk about their families and pets, count in Chinese, and talk about their likes and dislikes. Discussion and exploration of Chinese culture are integrated into the curriculum and enriched by experiential learning activities like dumpling making, brush painting, crafts projects, lion dance classes, and an annual field trip. While the emphasis is on developing overall proficiency, some attention is devoted to areas like pronunciation and character writing to prepare students for success in higher level classes.