-Greg Koppell
Since the Chinese program became
available last fall,
students at Westlake have had a unique opportunity to discover a
language and
culture that is becoming more and more important in today’s
world. Chinese is
not taught in most Texas schools, and its availability could offer many
advantages for students. The course is taught by Lichy Chang who is
passionate
about what she does.
“I have taught Chinese for
more than eight years,” Chang
said. “I taught Chinese at Austin Chinese Church for five
years, two years at
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, and one year at Taiwanese
Presbyterian Church.
I enjoy teaching Chinese because it’s a very unique language,
which still uses
the pictograph-based [writing] in general modern use today. I often
present the
Chinese characters with pictures to show students the connection with
real life
animals or things.”
Besides learning the Chinese language,
students also
immerse themselves in Chinese culture. The class celebrates Chinese
holidays
and learns Chinese customs.
“We celebrated the Chinese
New Year with Chinese students
and parents in February. It was an adventure for our students
to
experience the extraordinary Chinese culture by exploring the lion
dance,
Chinese yo-yo, ancient Chinese costumes, Chinese ribbon dance and food.
In
class, students get to learn to use chopsticks, calligraphy, Chinese
origami,
and watch Chinese movies to understand the culture.”
The program has high hopes for the
future, and may have
additional opportunities made possible for future years.
“I would like to get the
chance to take the students to
visit Mainland China next year,” Chang said. It is very
important for students
to understand the Chinese culture and utilize the Chinese
language.”
As our economic situation with China
becomes increasingly
important, the benefits of learning Chinese increase.
“With the globalization of
business, the Chinese language
has become the most important language to learn,” Chang said.
“We need to
understand the Chinese culture and language so that we can have better
communication with them. We also can understand why business is handled
differently between the West and the East.”
Though some students may feel daunted
by the new alphabet
and characters, the Chinese course makes it easy to learn.
“It is not nearly as difficult as you may have imagined,” Chang said. “Chinese is most certainly qualified as forming one of the most fascinating, beautiful, logical, and scientifically constructed language in the world. Each stoke has its own special importance. If you are familiar with the principles of the Chinese characters, you will find it easy to remember even the complicated characters, and never miss a stroke.”
This
program has succeeded in making Chinese fun and easy to learn in its
first year. It has the potential to provide long-term benefits for
students who take advantage of it.