Faculty Perspective

MS/US Chinese Language Teacher

According to the director of the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOTCFL), Chinese, as one of the six working languages of the United Nations, is increasingly attracting attention from foreign countries and people. Many countries have listed Chinese as an essential foreign language for students. Altogether there are now more than 2,000 universities in 85 countries who offer courses in Chinese language.

Fortunately, St. Catherine’s has had a Chinese language program for many years. With the support of faculty and staff, we are continuing to enhance our long-standing Chinese program and prepare our students for the wider world that Chinese language mastery offers.

A primary goal of the program is to attract more girls who are interested in culture, politics and economy of China, and who are interested in taking Chinese. My long-term goal is to expose students to modern Chinese language (as differentiated from traditional Chinese) and develop their appreciation for Chinese culture. I want to work with students at every level, from beginning to advanced, and ultimately offer AP Chinese as a course option for students.

In the immediate future, there is a summer trip to China in 2010! It is a great chance to bring new perspectives, experiences, and challenges to our students and let them gain in-depth understanding of a specific language and culture. Also, it is a great opportunity for students to envision new career paths in China since China is one of America's largest trading partners!

There is a Czech proverb goes like this: “You live a new life for every new language you speak. If you know only one language, you live only once.”

The major benefit of learning a foreign language is opening a window onto another world for a student. We need to help students understand that their future requires an engagement with the greater world outside their borders.

A May 2006 Newsweek article stated "In U.S. homes, Chinese has eclipsed French, German and Italian and become the third most commonly spoken language after English and Spanish." Mandarin is spoken by almost one billion people now. It is indeed the most widely spoken language in the world. One out of five people in the world is Chinese. Knowing Chinese is fast becoming an edge in the process of globalization. It will definitely prepare our students for a more wonderful and more realistic world.

The environment at St. Catherine’s School is very supportive. I feel extremely lucky to be working here. I love teaching at an independent school and can focus on building close student-faculty relationships, utilizing flexible teaching styles, and taking advantage all kinds of workshops offered to teachers and staff.

My favorite part of St. Catherine’s is the strong mentoring system for new teachers. Every new teacher is assigned a mentor. We participate in many instructional workshops, and more importantly, our peers are so willing to help us! Many seasoned faculty members share experiences from their early years at St. Catherine’s. We discuss both work related topics and the mundane aspects of life in Richmond: from how difficult it was to adjust to various expectations at work to how it was hard to find a hair dresser or doctor or how lonely it was to be somewhere new without any friends. Still, I feel as though I am not by myself---I am part of a group, a powerful group that will help me address any challenge I encounter.

I am a cat person. I had five cats in China. Raising cats was a wonderful experience for me. Regardless of how difficulty my day might have been, my cats were always there for me---they were my best furry friends: they never complained (I wish my mom could learn from them), they provided me with support, comfort, and unconditional love.

Another interest is to further refine my use of American English. A teacher’s work involves regular and constant contact with students. Nelson Mandela once made a comment on the use of languages: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” I have always realized how important it is to improve my English, but I also know that learning a foreign language takes time and dedication. So I try to grab every opportunity to master idiomatic English wherever I can: from my nice colleagues, to my lovely students, to TV shows like Friends and Oprah. So when you meet me, please do not forget to teach me an American phrase that I do not know!