Chinese Language School in Stamford, Connecticut

FAQs

Q:      What is Chinese anyway?  I have been told that there are various dialects, including Mandarin, and I want to learn something that is current and useful.

A:        Chinese is an unusual language in that there is a standardized written language but there are many regional dialects (such as Cantonese, Fukkienese, Hakka and Hainanese), each of which may be as different from the other, as, say Spanish from French.  However, the official language or dialect of China is Mandarin which is indigenous to Northern China , and which is the language that is taught at the Chinese Language School of Fairfield County.  This is the form of Chinese that is used in business, politics and socially in most Chinese speaking parts of the world.  Students at the School will, upon graduation, have received sufficient instruction to read a newspaper or carry on a conversation with a native Chinese speaker.  [click here for links to webpages containing descriptions of the Chinese language]

In addition, unlike many Chinese language schools in the area, the School provides all of its students with the option of instruction in either the raditional ([FanTi]) form of Chinese writing (used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and in Chinese publications originating from the U.S.), and the simplified ([JianTi]) form of Chinese writing (used in Mainland China and Singapore). 

Q:      Chinese writing looks difficult ?how can I learn the language without any background in Chinese?

A:         It is true that the Chinese language appears difficult to learn because it is radically different from the Western alphabetized system of writing.  However, prospective students should note that many of our ethnically Chinese students first start at the School with minimal prior experience in written Chinese. At the School, each student is treated as an individual and unique, and we coach each student based on his or her abilities rather than to a set schedule or expectation of performance. 

Q:      Isn Chinese grammar hard to learn?

A:         Actually, Chinese grammar is fairly informal and is almost non-existent by Western standards.  For example verbs in the Chinese language are not declined in terms of the past, present or future ?passage of time is indicated by the use of other words in a sentence (e.g., yesterday today tomorrow.  Similarly, the use of plurals and singulars are denoted by numerical phrases in sentences (e.g., three heads of cattle).  Accordingly, students of the Chinese language do not need to wrestle with complicated rules of conjugation and can focus instead on learning vocabulary and sentence structure. 

Q:      I don have an aptitude for languages ?can I learn Chinese anyway?

A:         As long as a student has a commitment and desire to learn the language, the School will work with the student in his or her lessons and in learning the language.  While our regular classes are structured such that our students will commence classes at kindergarten age and be qualified to sit for the SAT II in Chinese by the ninth or tenth grades, we do not require any of our students to abide by this schedule or expect them to sit for any formal examinations.  The School works towards making the language interesting and fun for its students and allows its students to learn the language at his or her own pace.  [click here for the webpage to the College Board SAT program]

Q:      Who speaks Chinese in the world today?

A:        Almost one and a half billion people speak Chinese as a first language today ?including 1.3 billion in Mainland China, 22.9 million in Taiwan, 3 million in Singapore, and countless Chinese emigrants in the U.S., South America and the Caribbean Europe, the Pacific Rim (South East Asia and Australia), and Africa.  To put things in perspective, that is almost one-quarter of the world population making Chinese only second to English in terms of global usage.  [click here for links for more information on Chinese speaking countries and on the Chinese diaspora]

Q:      Why should I study Chinese?

A:         The question should rather be hy would anyone not study Chinese??span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  The practical reality is that the exponential growth of the internal Mainland Chinese economy, the increase of Chinese exports to the U.S. and the rest of the world, and the explosion in the amounts of financial reserves held by the Chinese government and Chinese financial institutions and individuals, means that Mainland China, Taiwan and Singapore (and therefore use of the Chinese language) will become more significant  in the global economy.  Some economists estimate that at the current growth rates, the size of Mainland China  economy or GDP will equal that of the U.S. by 2045 or earlier.  There will be social, cultural and business opportunities arising out of trade, tourism and other activities arising out of such developments for those who are able to navigate the subtleties and intricacies of the language.

For cultural reasons, Chinese language has not, until recently, been a focus of second language instruction in U.S. schools.  According to a recent article in Newsweek, the total number of students in public schools through 12^th grade taking Chinese as a second language amounts to about 24,000 nationwide.  Contrast this to the  one million students taking French as a second language, and it becomes clear that there will be a huge shortfall in the number of students taking Chinese as a second language if the U.S. is determined in the future to preserve its strategic and competitive advantage it enjoys today.   Children who are learning or who start learning Chinese today will be well poised to take advantage of the job, business and social opportunities provided by the acific Century?  [click here for a list of recent publications on the effect of China on the global economy]

In recognition of the importance of Chinese in the coming years, the College Board is working on a syllabus so that high schools can offer instruction at the Advance Placement (AP) level in Chinese language and culture.  Courses are scheduled to be offered starting in Fall of 2006, with the first AP level examinations offered nationwide in 2007.   The School is working on a program to offer instruction in AP level Chinese to prepare our students, if they so desire, to sit for, and succeed in, the examination.  [click here for a link to webpage for the College Board AP program]

Q:      How can I find time to study Chinese?

A:         We do not impose any particular requirement that a student spend a fixed number of hours each week to learn the language.  Each student at the school learns at his or her own pace.  The School is managed by parents of students, and as parents, we are aware of the competing demands on our children time and efforts caused by regular school and other extracurricular activities.  Therefore, while our students are asked to perform homework in the course of the week to review prior lessons, we attempt to structure the homework such that the amount of time required does not eat too much into our busy schedules.  However, as we are aware, proficiency in a language increases with increased usage of same, and we strongly encourage our students to find time each day and other opportunities to increase their exposure to the language.

Q:      How old should I be before I can start learning Chinese?

A:         The School typically starts its students at age 4 ?because of limitations in our facilities, we are not equipped to handle large groups of small children.  However, if parents are willing to sit in class with their children, then infants are also welcome.  As Chinese is a tonal language (i.e., different tonal variations on the same sound will result in words of different meaning in the spoken language), early exposure to the language will mean less nlearning?in later years ?studies have shown that early exposure to a foreign language (including exposure to languages other than Chinese) contributes to a higher likelihood for fluency and competency in later years.

Q:      Am I too old to start learning Chinese?

A:        The School takes the approach that ou are never too old to start learning??in fact, we take the position that all of our students are capable of learning regardless of age, background, experience or ethnic origin; and we work with each student to maximize his or her potential to learn the language.  The School runs courses for adult students, and our students come from all walks of life with different motives for learning Chinese ?some do so because of work related demands, others are involved in sporting activities (the 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing, China), and yet others came to us to learn something about the language and culture.  [click here for the link to the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics webpage]

Q:      Why can I buy a bunch of language tapes and learn Chinese at home?

A:         Sure, that is always an option, especially if the timing of classes is not convenient.  However, at the School, students have the opportunity to interact with other students and to practice the language with other students.  Also, teachers at the school will be on hand to help students with the proper pronunciation of the language ?a great resource that is unavailable to the home learner.

Q:      What is the Chinese Language School of Fairfield County?

A:         The Chinese Language School of Fairfield County is a not-for-profit school organized along the lines of a co-operative school.  Our student population is multicultural in background, and our primary goal and aim is to foster a life-long interest in the Chinese language and in Chinese culture, and we welcome all students to the School.  The School is managed and operated by interested parents and friends of the students.  [click here for board member bios]  Our teachers are experienced Chinese speakers with university degrees, and participate in ongoing teacher training workshops.  [click here for teacher bios]  Our school curriculum is further enhanced by the participation of parents and families of our students, and by the contributions of our students.  

We offer classes for adults, children in the K to 12 age groups, and a pre-school program for toddlers who will be 4 by December 31st of the current academic year.  Our students have a choice of taking classes in either the traditional (Taiwanese) or simplified (Mainland China ) forms of written Chinese, as well as the opportunity to participate in many fun and interactive cultural activities.  We have consistently prepared our students for the SAT II examinations in Chinese ?all of our graduates are qualified to take this examination.  Many of our students have achieved record scores above the 90th percentile in the SAT II examinations, and have been able to apply their scores towards their college applications as well as qualify for advance placement in college level Chinese courses.  Many of our graduates have also received college scholarships from various organizations based upon their achievements in the School.

The School is also a member of various organizations around the country focused on the teaching of Chinese, and its teachers regularly attend seminars and conferences on the topic [click here for a list of organizations which the School participates in]

The School holds language classes on Sundays during the academic year (excluding public holiday and vacation weekends) between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.   Supplementary language classes and cultural activities are held from 3:30 p.m. through 4:30 p.m.  [click here for our current class schedule]  We are located at the Rippowam Middle School, 381 High Ridge Road, Stamford, Connecticut [click here for directions to the School].

Q:      Why should I attend the Chinese Language School of Fairfield County?

A:         As the largest and longest established (30 years old in 2005) Chinese language school in Fairfield County and possibly in Connecticut and most of New England (other than Boston), we have extensive experience in tutoring students of all ages and backgrounds in the Chinese language, and we pride ourselves on the academic record of our students, the qualifications of our teachers, and the dedication and commitment of our parents, and the achievement of the School.

Because we are managed and operated by the parents of students, we attempt, at all times, to keep our cost structure and expenses low and therefore our fees tend to be lower than those of other schools in the area.  [click here for registration and tuition information]

While we strive to provide our students with the optimal instruction consistent with their individual goals, we do not forget that our students?time is precious and we work hard in trying to make the School a fun and enjoyable place for our students (and their families) to spend a weekend afternoon.  Our non-language offerings are often cited by our students as one reason why they enjoy coming to the School year after year.  We believe we offer a unique experience to our students and one that they will benefit from and enjoy. 

Q:      Does the School accept only native Chinese speakers?

A:         Of course not!  The School accepts many students who have no prior experience with the Chinese language ?including students who are ethnically Chinese and students who are not ethnically Chinese, and a number of our most enthusiastic students are neither ethnically Chinese nor come from a household that has a connection with the Chinese culture.  We believe learning Chinese is no different from learning any other foreign or second language, be it English, French or Spanish ? if the desire and interest is there, the fact that a student is not Chinese will not hinder him or her from learning and being proficient in the language.    [click here for a list of famous non-Chinese persons proficient in the Chinese language]

Q:      I don just want to learn a language, how can I learn more about Chinese culture?

A:         The Chinese Language School of Fairfield County is not only a school that teaches the Chinese language.  We offer optional classes each week (included in the cost of tuition) on various aspects of Chinese culture, such as Chinese brush calligraphy, Chinese art, Chinese chess, martial arts, Chinese drama, and contemporary Chinese literature.  [click here to view pictures of our activities]  We hope that our students will take full advantage of these classes to expand on their knowledge and to develop their interest in Chinese culture.  In addition, the School has been associated with the Organization of Chinese American (OCA), the largest national organization for Chinese-Americans in the U.S. , since its inception, and in conjunction with the OCA, organizes various activities that are open to the students of the school, such as an annual Chinese New Year dinner, and events centered around other Chinese festival dates.  The School also maintains a library of videotapes, sound recordings and books for loan to its students during the school year.  [click here for a partial list of our library collection]

            [Chinese history description] [click here for links to recent publications on Chinese history and culture]

Q:      I am not sure whether Chinese is right for me ?can I try it out before I decide?

A:         The Chinese Language School of Fairfield County welcomes all prospective students to visit with us before committing to classes.  We want our students to feel that this is the right and best place for them to learn Chinese.  Prospective students and their parents are also invited to attend classes on an audit basis before making a decision about attending the School.  Members of the Board of the School and of the PTA are always on hand during school hours to answer questions from prospective students and their parents.  [click here to contact the School]