In a US classroom decorated with paintings of Chinese folk tales and characters, a dozen children are performing popular songs in Mandarin, such as Daddy, Where Are We Going and Stars in the Sky.
Seven-year-old Anna has studied Chinese for two years in the Confucius Classroom of Washington Yuying Public Charter School, a Chinese-immersion education organization.
Founded in 2008, the school is aimed at inspiring and preparing children to create a better world by challenging them to reach their full potential in a nurturing Chinese educational environment.
The school's steady development and great progress of its Chinese-immersion teaching model has captured widespread attention.
From Monday to Friday every week, Anna spends two hours learning Chinese at the school, writing characters, playing games and reciting the Three Character Primer, or San Zi Jing, one of the ancient Chinese classic texts.
During class, Anna and the other children were eager to introduce themselves and teach visitors how to say "hello", "thank you" and "goodbye" in Chinese.
"I haven't been to China yet, but I will go there in a few years," the girl says in fluent Chinese.
"When she grows up, she will definitely have to communicate with Chinese. I hope she learns Chinese as early as possible," says Anna's mother. "I have to spend more on this, but I think it's worth it, because what they will get is a lifelong skill."
In March, the children shared their trips to Chinese cities such as Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai with US First Lady Michelle Obama.
"Yuying has set an example and I wish there will be more schools that will enable kids to know about the rest of the world," she said during a visit to the school.
The first lady told the children that it is extremely important for American students to immerse themselves in foreign languages and cultures at a school like Yuying, if they truly desire to learn more about other countries.
Yu Zaohe, a teacher at the Confucius Classroom, says the courses will help the children improve fluency in Chinese, which develops a greater ability to understand the Chinese culture.
The school has been expanding over the past six years due to strong demand from parents, who believe that Chinese language should be taught as early as possible.
"Most parents are living in nearby residential districts. Many of them are interested in Chinese culture, have studied abroad, have some Chinese friends, or even can speak a little Chinese, so they attach more importance to children's Chinese learning," Yu says.
"I didn't expect American parents would have so much passion for Chinese learning before I came to teach here. Now I find Chinese is warmly welcomed here and the job is so meaningful."
According to Yu, more than 1,000 children apply only 30 places at the school each semester.
Chen Weiping, district director of the Hope Chinese School, the largest Chinese school in Washington, says more and more local people have realized the importance of early Chinese learning.
"Mandarin Chinese, spoken by one in five people worldwide, is an important language for American children to learn, especially as connections between the US and China become increasingly intertwined," he says.
The HCS has witnessed fast development since its establishment 20 years ago. It now has 4,000 students from kindergarten to grade 12, who are studying in seven branches across Washington.
There are nearly 100 Confucius institutes and more than 300 Confucius classrooms across the US.
We Recommend:
Print
Save