This is a fun introductory course for ages 9 to 12 at or near beginning level in learning Mandarin Chinese who are not taking Chinese in school. 

Students will learn Chinese language and Culture through stories, role-play, traditional arts such as calligraphy and fun games.  The emphasis is on creating a very supportive and warm environment and developing a sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue learning and speaking Chinese.

The primary goal of this course is to help beginners build a solid foundation for learning Chinese and developing communication skills in listening and speaking.  Recognizing and writing characters are taught through meaningful focus on the etymology of the ideographs. 

The Discovering Chinese textbook series is designed for beginner-level children. This course not only includes lesson texts with Chinese dialogues that correspond to the textbook, but also provides additional stories (animated series on evolution of Chinese characters) and additional age and level-appropriate stories to further establish cultural links for students. This curriculum reinforces learning beyond the classroom--extending Chinese in the school and at home. 

By creating an environment of natural communication and meaningful interaction in Mandarin Chinese, the students can learn this language as easily and comfortably as they’d learned their first language.   

Ages: 9 - 12
Dates: 10 Wednesdays, Oct 14 - Dec 23, 2015
             (Oct 14, 21, 28; Nov 4, 11, 18; Dec 2, 9, 16, 23): No class November 25th.
Hours: 4:00 - 6:00pm
Size: Limited to 8 students
Instructor: Vickie Rockower
Fee: $250 (includes textbook & materials)