It was an opportunity to immerse and educate the community in the art, culture, food, music and language of China. For the first time ever, all Chinese DLI and World Language students and teachers in Jordan School District came together for a special Chinese New Year celebration at Herriman High School. They invited the public as well.
On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside the celebration where there was music, traditional lion and dragon dancing, Kung Fu and delicious food – all in honor of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Tiger.
Audio Transcription
Anthony Godfrey:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. It was an opportunity to immerse and educate the community in the art, culture, food, music, and language of China. For the first time ever, all Chinese Dual Language Immersion and World Language students and teachers in Jordan School District came together for a special Chinese New Year celebration at Herriman High School. They invited the public as well. On this episode of the Supercast, we take you inside the celebration where there was music, traditional lion and dragon dancing, Kung Fu and delicious food. All in honor of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Tiger.
We're here at Herriman High School for the Chinese New Year event. This involves elementary, middle and high school students. Is that right?
Kimberly Chen:
That's correct.
Anthony Godfrey:
So Kimberly Chen, you're in charge of this whole event?
Kimberly Chen:
Yes I am.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right, tell me about what gave you the idea to do all this.
Kimberly Chen:
This is the first year that we have the Chinese DLI students. We have from the first grade all the way to the 12th grade. So we have all the students. And so we actually would like to celebrate their success and then showcase their achievement.
Anthony Godfrey:
This is not just a language night, it's a language and a culture night.
Kimberly Chen:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about some of the activities going on tonight.
Kimberly Chen:
Okay. In front of you right here, these are the middle school students. So they are here to do their cultural display. So various kinds of culture such as calligraphy and Chinese instruments like ehru and right here we have origami, paper cutting and back there we have face painting, and we have Chinese medicine, and Kung Fu and Chinese yoyo, Chinese jianzi, all kinds of activities.
Anthony Godfrey:
And I see that the Mustang here at Herriman High School is decorated with a Chinese lantern, so you've really gone all out.
Kimberly Chen:
Yes, we have.
Anthony Godfrey:
So you teach here at the high school?
Kimberly Chen:
That's correct.
Anthony Godfrey:
Are you pretty impressed by the time students get here to high school?
Kimberly Chen:
Of course I am, yes. That is the reason why I actually taught third grade, fifth grade, middle school, and now I'm in high school. So It's very impressive to watch students progress from elementary all the way clear up to high school and because of seeing their success I just felt like very impressed. I want to showcase their achievement.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, after starting out teaching third grade, it must be kind of fun to see where they end up and how much progress they're able to make.
Kimberly Chen:
Exactly. Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
What do you think is the best part of dual language immersion for students?
Kimberly Chen:
I think one very important thing is they actually become very broad minded, very open minded to see all those differences between people and they're very accepting of others, of, you know, all those differences. And then also understanding the language really broadens their way of thinking. And also, from what I heard from other parents or students, it actually helped them to pick up another language very quickly. It's just a very, very good training to broaden their mind.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it gets your brain firing in a different way and it gets you thinking about things from a new perspective. I think there's a lot of value in that. I've heard from parents, they're thrilled with this program. They love seeing the progress their students make. They take the AP test, for those who may not know, once they get to, I believe it's 9th grade, when they're prepared to take the AP test.
Kimberly Chen:
Oh yes. They would take the AP test when they are in 9th grade and then they can continue in 10th grade if they have to.
Anthony Godfrey:
And for those who don't know, what are the classes that are available at the high school level?
Kimberly Chen:
At the high school level for the Dual Language program we have AP class, and then we also have Chinese Bridge program which is for people that have passed the AP test. So they can take the college courses in high school. And in addition to that, we have World Language classes. We have World Language 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, we're thrilled to have you here. Thanks for all the work you've done through all the grades to help students get to this point. And thanks for organizing this exciting night. There are a ton of people here and it's a blast. So thank you very much.
Kimberly Chen:
My pleasure.
Emcee:
We would like to teach the audience a simple greeting. We're gonna teach you how to say hello. Everyone say néih hóu.
Audience repeats:
Néih hóu.
Emcee:
One more time say néih hóu.
Audience repeats:
Néih hóu.
Emcee:
All right, so for the first program, we will now begin with performances by students from Eastlake Elementary.
Eastlake students singing
Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me your name.
Carly:
Carly.
Anthony Godfrey:
And Carly, how long have you been studying Chinese?
Carly:
For about 11 years.
Anthony Godfrey:
Since first grade? And what was it that made you and your parents decide to put you in the Chinese program initially?
Carly:
Well, since my mom is Chinese, we kind of speak Chinese already together. So we decided that it would be good if I was in the program already, so I could get my skills better.
Anthony Godfrey:
And what have you liked most about being in the Dual Language Immersion program?
Carly:
Well, I really like that I can get my Chinese better and like, I can be involved in something. And then I can already automatically have a bunch of friends, like since first grade.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's a great feeling to have that group of friends that you've been so close with for 11 straight years, going together to middle school, going together on to high school.
Carly:
Yeah. It's really fun.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Tell me your favorite word in Chinese.
Carly:
Bu yao. It means ‘I don't want to’.
Anthony Godfrey:
Bu yao. So you just say bu yao when you've had enough and you don't want any part of it.
Carly:
Yep.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. I'm gonna remember that. That's good. I may just say it in my mind, but that's a handy word to have. Bu yao. So tell me about preparing for the AP test. Did you take that in 9th grade?
Carly:
Yeah, it was different cuz of COVID. Instead of all like speaking and writing and reading and everything, instead, we just had to do speaking and we could just do it at home, like on our phones and so it was like, it was different. We took like all of 9th grade to study a bunch of different topics so we would know what to say once the test came up.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now the Bridge program earns you college credit. So is that something you plan on continuing on with? Do you plan on getting a degree in Chinese?
Carly:
I think I'm gonna get a minor in Chinese cuz once I'm done with high school, I just have to take two more classes in college and then I'll have a minor.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's a pretty big head start. That's really exciting for you to have that in place. Good work. I know it's not easy learning another language. Has it brought you closer to your mom to speak Chinese better and better?
Carly:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
So you have a secret language now?
Carly:
Yeah, a lot of times me and my friends can like go out in public where no one speaks Chinese and we can just like gossip and no one knows what we’re saying.
Anthony Godfrey:
Teenagers always have a language of their own, but you guys are taking it to another level.
Carly:
Yep.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Well congratulations on a job well done.
Carly:
Thank you.
Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks. We're talking with Jack who has just started Chinese this year as part of the World Languages classes that are offered here at Herriman. What do you think so far?
Jack:
It’s pretty fun to learn a new language and get to experience that and get to like be part of the new culture and stuff, learning everything.
Anthony Godfrey:
What year in school are you?
Jack:
I’m a Sophomore, 10th grade.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. And do you plan on taking Chinese after this year?
Jack:
I'm hoping so. Hoping to go into the new classes. Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
It's always a question of finding space in your schedule for that. What is your favorite word in Chinese so far?
Jack:
Love, which is ài nǐ.
Anthony Godfrey:
Ái nǐ? Okay. Very good. Well, thank you very much, Jack. Great talking with you.
Stay with us. When we come back we'll talk with some middle school students participating in the Chinese New Year celebration.
Break:
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Anthony Godfrey:
We're here with Mr. Lu, the Chinese teacher at Mountain Creek Middle School. I see you have a lot of middle school students here. Tell me what they're up to.
Michael Lu:
They're here to show what we learn from school to the real world. In our Chinese Culture Media History class, they learn a lot about Chinese culture, history, art and stuff like that. They learned so much, they did a lot of great job and they made a lot of nice stuff here. So they would like to communicate with the students from the high school and also the students from Eastlake students.
Anthony Godfrey:
And what are some of the projects that they’re doing tonight?
Michael Lu:
So we have the Chinese New Year section where they made some posters which introduced Chinese New Year tradition, the legend. We also have the sport section where the students show the kids how to use traditional Chinese sports like Chinese yoyo. We call it wánjù. And also there's a Chinese Medicine section where, you know, my students can tell the kids, you know, the visitors, how the Chinese people keep healthy by using some massage pad, some other, you know, traditional way to keep people healthy.
Anthony Godfrey:
How long have you been teaching at Mountain Creek?
Michael Lu:
To be honest, this is my second year here. I graduated from the University of Utah and started teaching the DLI Chinese program at the Mountain Creek Middle School and got full support from my principal and my admin, so my students can progress in their language proficiency each day. I'm so proud of them.
Anthony Godfrey:
And learning a foreign language, it really does build confidence because you start out not knowing it at all and then you realize what you're capable of.
Michael Lu:
Yes. So basically we can have free communication with each other, which is so awesome. And whenever I see my students outside my classroom, we talk in English, we talk in Chinese, which is so awesome. And everybody around us is like, “Wow. So amazing. You're speaking another language, we don't know anything about it.” My students, I’m so proud of them.
Anthony Godfrey:
Well, it's exciting and it's an honor meeting you. Thank you very much.
Michael Lu:
Thank you so much.
Anthony Godfrey:
Logan, what grade are you in?
Logan:
I'm in 8th grade.
Anthony Godfrey:
Are you in Mountain Creek?
Logan:
Yes.
Anthony Godfrey:
And how long have you been learning Chinese?
Logan:
Since 1st grade, so like eight years about.
Anthony Godfrey:
What do you think is the best thing about being in the Dual Language Immersion program?
Logan:
Well that you can learn a second language because I think it's really cool, all the new stuff I learned.
Anthony Godfrey:
What would you say to a parent listening who may be considering putting their kindergartner into a Chinese Dual Immersion program next year?
Logan:
I would tell 'em it's a great idea because it will help them learn better and they'll become a better student.
Anthony Godfrey:
So what have you guys been doing tonight? What's been part of your activity?
Logan:
Okay, so my group has been displaying like the Chinese sports. So like we got Chinese chess, Diabolo, which is like a Chinese yoyo. And then we got something called Jianzi where you like, it's kind of like a hacky sack. You kick it up and juggle it. And then there's Kung Fu. We have some posters over there that display kind of that stuff.
Anthony Godfrey:
Now are these the yoyos over here that the kids have out in the commons area?
Logan:
Yeah. That they've been spinning and stuff.
Anthony Godfrey:
That's very large and there's a string that goes between two sticks and then the yoyo is on that stick that kind of swings it back and forth. Is that right?
Logan:
Yeah, you can get it going up and down and then you can do tricks.
Anthony Godfrey:
Can you do tricks?
Logan:
No, I'm not that good.
Anthony Godfrey:
All right. Well, it looks very difficult, actually. He has practiced a lot, this young man over here in the ball pump shirt. What's your favorite of the activities you guys have been putting on tonight?
Logan:
Probably the Chinese yoyo.
Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. And I've heard of Chinese checkers, but this is Chinese chess.
Logan:
Yeah, Chinese chess. It's really similar to actual chess.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. So there's a lot of culture that you've learned beyond just learning the language.
Logan:
Yeah.
Anthony Godfrey:
Okay. Great. Well thanks very much. Good luck.
Thanks for joining us on the Supercast. Remember education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see out there.