Students Soak Up Chinese Culture, Language

In a mere 14 classes, students enrolled at ’s Chinese immersion summer school program learned about 300 Mandarin words and phrases.

They can greet one another, introduce themselves and members of their families, count or order a meal in Chinatown.

But a language isn’t complete without learning the culture, meaning and background of those who natively speak it, said Fred Yungshen Lu, president and director of the Startalk Nurture Program, a sponsor of the course.

So in the past 14 classes, the students learned how to sing and dance to Chinese music. They played instruments, practiced kung fu and learned to draw the intricate pictures that represent Chinese phrases.

About two dozen Plainfield School District 202 and area students took part in the district’s first Chinese program, which was two years in the making. Many of the students were interested in learning a new language and were attracted to the rich history and culture of the Chinese people.

“The kids coming to the program are coming because they want to learn,” Lu said. “We are training tomorrow’s leaders.”

The federally funded program, which is administered by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland, began as an initiative under former President George W. Bush, who wanted Americans to learn such languages as Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Persian and Hindu.

The government provides $16 million a year to help fund programs such as the one offered in District 202 across the United States, Lu said.

“The Chinese language is very popular,” said Lilian Blecha, one of two teachers of the summer school course. “Within 10 to 20 years, it will be one of the leading languages that people want to learn.”

Blecha said her students came to class enthused, but learning doesn’t end when school gets out. She told her students to practice the language at home with their families or order a meal in Chinese at a Chinese restaurant.

“If you don’t use it in your daily life, it doesn’t count,” she said.

The class culminated last week with a performance before family, friends and District 202 staff. Students practiced what they learned the past month by putting on skits, wearing lion costumes and dancing with fans, ribbons and golden sticks.

Zach Dettloff, 12, who will be entering seventh grade at Drauden Point Middle School, said he enrolled in the class because he wanted to learn a second language.

“I took the opportunity,” he said. “I liked learning new words the most. It was never easy but it wasn’t always hard.”

Dettloff said he would be interested in taking another Chinese immersion course to expand his knowledge.

Chris Higgins, 16, who will be a junior at Plainfield South High School, agreed that he wants to learn more.

“I wanted to learn about the rich and diverse culture,” he said. “It interested me a lot. I hope to find other classes in the area to continue my Chinese education.”

Tiffany Barron, 16, who is entering her senior year at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, said she enjoyed the variety the class offered. From working in the computer lab, watching videos, learning drum dances and practicing kung fu, the class offered many fun activities, the Bolingbrook teen said.

District 202 currently offers Spanish, French and German for high school students. The district may try to bring back the Chinese immersion summer school program next year, spokesman Tom Hernandez said.

“We are very much aware Chinese is considered the emerging language and a lot of districts are moving toward offering Asian-based languages,” he said. “It’s a global market – no walls. We do our best to prepare our students to what they will encounter in the real world.”