On December 13th, the Taiwan Chinese Mandarin Learning Center in Northern California (TCML) held a graduation ceremony for the autumn semester at the Tian Le Language School. Approximately fifty students, teachers, and family members gathered to witness the learning achievements of 38 students over the course of a semester.
Before the ceremony began, students, teachers, and family members enjoyed an international-themed potluck dinner. Students brought dishes representing their hometowns and prepared birthday cakes for the celebrants of the month. Everyone sang birthday songs in both Chinese and English, creating a lively and heartwarming atmosphere.
The commencement ceremony commenced with Peter Yeh, the Chairman of the Tian Le Language School, expressing gratitude to the students for their dedication to learning amidst their busy lives and successfully completing the course. He emphasized that the graduation of the 38 students not only represented their individual effort but also highlighted Tian Le’s steady progress in promoting Chinese language education. He specially thanked the parent committee, volunteers, and parents for their support, and mentioned that despite not being able to attend in person, Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission member Chen Yang generously donated ten bags as graduation gifts.
Following that, Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission member Li Yuanlin praised TCML for establishing 88 centers globally, becoming a crucial platform for overseas Chinese language education. He applauded Tian Le for attracting a diverse ethnic group in the Bay Area and introduced the various functions of the iQiao Card, as well as information on visiting Taiwan and cultural activities. He specifically mentioned Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum, Tainan ancient city, Taroko Gorge in Hualien, among other attractions, encouraging students to visit Taiwan in the future to extend their classroom learning into profound cultural experiences.
The ceremony was filled with heartwarming moments: Principal Carol Chen was pleasantly surprised to discover that her child and a student were former high school classmates; families discovered common interests in sports and made plans to support each other; and a young student’s friends’ family came to show their support. The organizers expressed that these cross-cultural connections were precious outcomes of language education.
During the highlight of the event, the “Self-Introduction and Certificate Presentation” session, over twenty students took turns to introduce themselves in Chinese and share their learning experiences. After each student’s introduction, Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission member Li Yuanlin and Chairman Peter Yeh presented graduation certificates, receiving continuous applause in a warm and solemn atmosphere.
Following the certificate presentation, students and teachers sang a classic song, “Just Like Your Tenderness,” with gentle and warm voices, adding more emotion and laughter to the ceremony.
Marian Yang, one of the students, shared in an interview with Epoch Times that she had been learning Chinese for nearly two years. Her greatest achievement was being able to communicate more naturally with her Taiwanese husband and family. She mentioned that her two sons often acted as her “little teachers,” helping her practice Chinese. She expressed, “Chinese is truly becoming more interesting as I learn more. I will continue learning and look forward to visiting Taiwan in the future or using Chinese more in daily life.”
Another student, Melanie Cazeras, who works at American Portwell company, shared with reporters that she started learning Chinese because many colleagues used the language at work. Despite the challenging pronunciation, she praised the patient teachers who helped her progress steadily. She looks forward to furthering her studies to enhance her Chinese communication skills in the workplace.
Several students expressed that the course not only improved their language abilities but also helped them make friends from around the world, eagerly anticipating advancing to the winter session for more advanced learning. ◇