Class Spotlight: Mandarin

In World Languages courses at SA, students learn more than vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. Our teachers strive to connect the study of language to real people in the real world. Grounding language acquisition in the context of cultural competency, our world language courses provide students with opportunities to learn practical, relevant, and genuinely useful skills that will allow them to truly communicate with others. 

In Pam Vincent’s Mandarin courses, developing an understanding of Chinese culture is just as important as learning to speak and read the language. Pam uses a variety of fun, creative projects to put conversation and writing skills to use in realistic scenarios. Part of this is learning about the lives of students’ teenage counterparts in China, with frequent lessons in contemporary slang and projects examining youth trends, music, and contemporary fashion. 

In first year Mandarin, students have been learning about how to talk about their families: making introductions, describing family photos, and sharing holiday traditions. “Obviously, this helps with basic vocabulary,” says Pam, “but it’s also a way for students to make genuine connections with Mandarin speakers if they are visiting. Holidays and celebrations are a big part of the cultural competency piece that is so important in world languages. When students learn how to talk about their own holidays, they can also learn from others about theirs.” 

Mandarin II students are engaged in another unit that focuses deeply on understanding culture: they are delving into the intricacies of etiquette, manners, and formal communication. “The focus is on learning how to make business appointments, but there is a lot more to it,” says Pam. “We talk about the importance of being polite when asking for help or for favors, and we talk a lot about conventions of formality that are different in Chinese culture (for example, don’t ever cross your legs so that the bottom of your foot is facing another person). Knowing how to behave properly in a variety of social contexts is a part of learning how to communicate!” 

The upper level students are putting their conversational skills into action in creative ways with their recent projects. “The juniors are creating weather reports with an emphasis on extreme weather: fires, floods, even earthquakes,” says Pam. “It’s a great way to discuss the similarities between the natural disasters that can occur in California and those that also happen in China.” 

Honors Mandarin students have also had chances to show off their language skills in dramatic and creative ways in recent weeks. They are researching and constructing elaborate travel itineraries, including transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, and dining. Then, they are imagining themselves as travel agents as they pitch their dream trips to prospective clients. “Sadly, there are no real-life trips to China on the table at the moment,” says Pam, “but my hope is that this process will inspire them to go as soon as they can!” 

With their more fully developed understanding of the language, Honors students have more room to experiment and play in their assignments. “We recently did video spoofs of Chinese vampire movies,” says Pam. “The students were running all over campus acting out these outlandish plots; I’m sure it was entertaining for people who happened to see them!” They’ve also been reading pulpy murder mystery novels. “The plot keeps them engaged, and they definitely learn some interesting new words that way!” says Pam.

At every level, Pam’s students are encouraged to visualize themselves in scenarios and situations where Mandarin will help them truly connect with others, particularly Mandarin-speaking peers. Studying many aspects of Chinese culture (from horror movies to business protocols) gives our students more insight into their own culture, making them more aware of how culture is disseminated and more cognizant of their own worldview as Americans.