RHS Now Offers Chinese Classes

The Chinese 1 and 2 students in their integrated class as they sang a song

Mariam Hanna, Features Editor

Rochester High School offers Chinese 1 and 2 to students, and these classes are taught by Mrs. Yingming Wu.

Chinese 1 is a novice course that’s purpose is to introduce students who have little or no Chinese background to the language and culture.

“This course will focus on the Chinese Pinyin system,” Mrs. Wu said. “Tones, rules of phonetic spelling, and pronunciation drill.”

In this class, the Integrated Chinese textbook is used to help teach the students these beginners skills. They also utilize reading materials and participate in listening activities to advance their Chinese. 

“…[Through this,] students will learn to communicate effectively and accurately in a wide range of situations,” Mrs. Wu said.

Of course, language is not the only thing these Falcons are learning about. They also gain knowledge about Chinese history and culture. Mrs. Wu explained that these lessons are taught as they relate to each unit.

Chinese 1 provides a foundation for students to further their Chinese in Chinese 2. They use what they have already learned and build upon it through classroom lessons and creative projects, such as signing competitions and field trips.

“The teaching goes beyond the basic level in each of the four language skills,” Mrs. Wu said. “The course focuses on authentic conversations in different daily contexts, reading texts with Pinyin and Chinese characters, writing sentences with broader vocabulary and more complex grammar, and more in-depth understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture and lifestyles.”

Freshman Sophia takes the class and appreciates the diversity of the students and curriculum.

“We have three different skill levels, but everyone’s in a different area of that skill level,” she said. “It’s a really relaxed environment, but we still get stuff done.”