Hornets Finally Say ‘Ni Hao’ to Mandarin Class

Ms. Sun’s Period 9 class works in groups for a project on Chinese culture. Photo: Elliott Zhang

By ELLIOTT ZHANG

Ashley Chen contributed to this article.

Hornets can now finally cross the Great Wall! For the first time at Midwood, a Chinese-Mandarin Level 1 language class is being offered, taught by Ms. Dan Sun in room 453, periods 9 and 10.

Previously, the only foreign language options at Midwood were Spanish and French.

“For several years now, the world languages department has been looking to expand the variety of languages we teach,” said Mr. Max Pinsky, the world languages department coordinator. “Last year we conducted a survey to ask students what languages they wanted us to offer, and we found that Chinese was one of the most popular choices.”

The course was made possible when Principal Robert Quinlan met Ms. Sun, who studied in Shanghai and is certified to teach Chinese, French, and English as a new language.

“Ms. Sun's enthusiasm for joining our school community and starting a Chinese program became evident as soon as we met her, and we knew almost instantly that we'd found the right person to build a successful program,” Mr. Pinsky said.

Students taking this class will learn about the basics of writing, expressing their likes and dislikes, and describing physical appearances, as well as vocabulary for family members, food, and various aspects of Chinese culture. By the end of the school year, students will be able to hold a basic conversation, read, and write common phrases with a general idea of Chinese grammar.

So far, “I think it’s going awesome,” said Ms. Sun. “Most of the students are interested in learning Mandarin and they keep trying their best, although it is a very challenging language.”

About half of the class are non-native speakers. Students engage in frequent turn-and-talks, group work, writing, speaking, and even singing along to Chinese songs to support each other in their learning process. 

“I’m typically someone who looks for challenges,” Ricardo Torres ’26 said. “I know Mandarin is a language that’s really spoken out there, and I want to try new experiences.”

“When I grow up, I want to go back to China,” Vivian Wen ’26 said. “I can speak Chinese and read most of it, but I can’t write it. I think this class will help me when I go back.”

Students frequently discuss aspects of Chinese culture as well as the language. 

“Sometimes, if it is a Chinese holiday, [Ms. Sun] would bring us some traditional food to eat,” Luyi Zhang ’27 said.

“Right now, the class is exploring Chinese paintings, teas, and operas,” Ms. Sun said.

Mandarin is different in many ways from the other languages offered at Midwood, and with that comes obstacles. For example, Chinese does not have an alphabet system, though it has pinyin, a listening and pronunciation aid. Instead, students learn to write Chinese characters where words are represented by symbols. This requires them to be drawn in a certain order of strokes with great attention to detail. 

“It’s like drawing a picture, but you need to draw the picture correctly without seeing [the object],” Ms. Sun said.

Torres said, “At first it was a bit overwhelming, but the teacher was able to provide strategies for me to really interpret what was going on and feel included.”

Sabine Crawford ‘27 had taken Spanish class previously and was relieved to find that there are no different verb tenses in Chinese. “In Spanish, there are conjugations,” she said. “So the sentence structure for Mandarin is a lot easier. However, the pronunciation is a lot harder.”

Students with a dedicated approach can overcome these stumbling blocks.

“As long as you have the mindset that ‘I can do well,’ and as long as you follow all the instructions in class, actually a lot of students end up doing better because they have the passion to learn,” Ms. Sun said. “I always tell my students that it’s a very challenging language, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. I want them to be able to leave the classroom without a question every single day.”

Torres said he would recommend the class to those who are “truly dedicated.”

“It’s obviously a hard class with the characters, a new language, and a new way of speaking,” he said. “You’ll definitely have to be on top of your stuff in order to really do well.”

Sabina Lesman ’27 said, “I think it’s kind of hard, but I’m moving and understanding it pretty well. Mandarin is a hard language but the way Ms. Sun teaches it is very helpful.”

Although the classes are starting off small, there are already plans to expand and increase the course to all levels, including Advanced Placement.

“We’re very excited to start this program here at Midwood,” Mr. Pinsky said. “We look forward to a successful future.”