It is surprising to know that Chinese language schools in the city of Houston are experiencing a big boom these days considering that Spanish, French and German are the languages that are the dominant foreign languages, however, French and German had been replaced by Chinese and Vietnamese in recent years.
There has been an increase in the number of student taking Chinese lessons during the weekend in Houston and they are getting an edge. On Sunday, there were over 500 students who took part in the contest on Chinese language and culture. It was organized by the Huaxia, the biggest Chinese training school in Houston. The school was named after the ancestral tribes of the Han Chinese people. The contest, which had written and spoken portions, was designed for students in grade one to grade 12. Most of the students who participated in the contest were of Chinese parentage.
The tests were not simple. For example, a written test for the fifth grade level included dictation of 40 Chinese idioms and phrases. Afterwards they were expected to finish the half sentences about classical Chinese poems. They also had to answer multiple choice questions about China and Chinese culture.
When asked, the students gave varying reasons for learning the Chinese language. Some of the younger students said that Chinese language is fun while the older ones like sisters Lina and Annie Kroger are already thinking of their future employment, knowing that China is one of the world’s largest economies. Other older students, such as Timothy Green, who is in eighth grade, are intrigued by the language and finds it unique and intricate. Most of the students are Chinese Americans, although there are some non-Asians who are also enjoying the time they spend learning the language. Fourteen-year old Maya Lance has been taking lessons in Chinese language for three years, although her brother already quit. Her father is Caucasian and her mother, Pattie Shieh is a second generation Chinese American. Her mother said that her daughter is self-motivated in learning the language, which surprised her, because she and her husband did not tell her to do it.
There are 20 Chinese language schools in the city, according to Mary Tang, the vice chairwoman of the Huaxia’s school board and their school has a total enrollment of about 10,000 divided into their six campuses. She is expecting their school to grow further with the increase in number of Chinese immigrants coming to Houston.
Ms. Tang added that Chinese parents closely watch their children’s education and learning Chinese is very significant to them because they believe that it helps their children build their cultural identity and confidence. She said that she knows a few Chinese Americans who are unable to speak Chinese who wished that their parents had sent them to a Chinese language school when they were younger.
Image Copyright: HONGQI ZHANG / 123RF Stock Photo
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