The Chinese language program at Jefferson is a unique opportunity for students to learn a language taught in very few schools. It not only teaches students the language, but also immerses them in Chinese culture in many ways, including clubs and cultural exchange programs. However, it is seemingly less diverse than other language classes, with many students taking the language being ethnically Chinese themselves.
Even though the program may look more homogeneous on the surface, students in each level come from many different backgrounds. Just because a student is ethnically Chinese does not mean that they are fluent in the language.
“We have a very diverse group of students in the Chinese program in terms of cultural, family, and learning backgrounds,” Chinese teacher Qin Xu said. “A common misconception is that heritage speakers in our program are already fluent speakers. The truth is having a Chinese last name or family background does not indicate a student’s proficiency level in Chinese.”
Although increasing the ethnic diversity of students in the Chinese program could be beneficial, the language may not be for everyone and it is important to let students choose their language freely. However, by making students more aware about the program, they could get a better picture about what the program offers.
“Increasing the diversity of the program could bring more perspectives to the classroom, but you should let people naturally pick their language. People who aren’t ready to take Chinese or don’t like learning the language would not really participate in class,” sophomore Thomas Lu, who took AP Chinese freshman year, said. “To encourage people to take Chinese, I think that we should make more people aware of what takes place in the program and what benefits it offers so people can make a more informed decision.”
With an increasingly globalized world, it has been more and more important to learn another language and especially at Jefferson, the Chinese program offers many opportunities to learn about both the language and the culture.
“It’s a challenging language, because many people around me have already been introduced to Chinese, but the experience of taking the language is great. It would definitely help in the real world since it’s a really global language,” sophomore Akash Bhave, who is taking Chinese 2 said.
“As we enter an era of globalization, learning a world language has become more important. Our program welcomes any student interested in learning in learning Chinese and exploring Chinese culture,” Xu said.