As more and more people around the world are learning Chinese, the over 30-year-old development of overseas Chinese language education in Southern California is facing a crisis of transformation. Faced with challenges such as insufficient student enrollment, shortage of teachers, rising rental costs, and the rise of online education, how are educators in Chinese schools in Southern California coping and creating opportunities for themselves?
In response to the California Department of Education’s requirement that 50% of students statewide must learn a foreign language by 2030, many public elementary schools in Southern California have begun to establish immersive Chinese language teaching programs. High schools have also introduced Chinese classes, which can earn students Advanced Placement (AP) credits at universities. While more American students are starting to learn Chinese, it has also impacted traditional Chinese school enrollments in Southern California. Almost every Chinese school in recent years has been facing the challenge of dwindling student numbers because parents are gradually opting out of sending their children to extracurricular Chinese schools since they can learn Chinese at their regular schools.
However, “Ni Hao Chinese,” founded in Torrance in 2012, has been thriving against the odds, growing from 20 students to over 2,000. Founder Zhang Wanying believes that the key to her success is making learning Chinese fun and enjoyable.
Currently, “Ni Hao Chinese” has a language school and three kindergartens, and offers Chinese teaching programs in many public schools in California, making it the largest Chinese educational institution in Southern California. Zhang emphasizes that Chinese education is not just about teaching the language but also about transmitting culture and values. By respecting and cherishing their own culture and language, “Ni Hao Chinese” allows students to experience Chinese culture through their language learning.
Zhang notes that there is a huge market for Chinese learning in the United States. Besides Chinese or mixed-race families hoping their children will learn Mandarin, many parents of different ethnicities see Chinese as a “second foreign language.” She says, “Many parents are sending their children to learn Chinese for their future careers.” Just as Chinese people learn English, absorbing knowledge and job opportunities through a second language, currently, students at the school who consider Chinese as their native language make up only about 30%.
Unlike most schools that use ready-made textbooks, the textbooks at “Ni Hao Chinese” are compiled by Zhang and her team of educational consultants. She brings the curriculum to life by adding practical and interesting content to the texts, making students more willing to actively engage in learning Chinese.
In addition to writing nursery rhyme lessons that involve singing and repetition, the school breaks away from conventional teaching methods by employing Problem-Based Learning (PBL) to encourage students to participate in meaningful projects related to their lives, allowing them to learn the language and various subjects through these projects. The school encourages parent-child participation in learning, enabling students to apply what they learn in their daily lives.
Facing the dilemma of older generation Chinese teachers gradually retiring from the frontlines and young Chinese teaching staff transitioning to teaching in public schools, Zhang established the “Southern California Normal College” to address the issue. The college provides courses in Chinese education, language teaching, child development, children’s literature studies, online learning, STEM, K-12 academic preparation, training Chinese educational staff, and offers job opportunities. Teachers at “Ni Hao Chinese” come from various fields and industries. Zhang not only encourages students to challenge themselves but also urges teachers to step out of their comfort zones and explore different areas.
During the pandemic, Zhang quickly transitioned to online teaching, which she attributes not only to her husband’s computer expertise but also to “Ni Hao Chinese” already planning and promoting online courses before the outbreak. She recalled that initially, when promoting online courses, they didn’t attract much attention from parents. However, after the outbreak and California’s lockdown, “Ni Hao Chinese” managed to move all its offline Chinese language courses online within three days, receiving high praise from parents and successfully navigating through the difficult times.
Zhang Wanying, who is pursuing a postgraduate degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, is not a traditional educator. She composes music on the computer, writes lyrics for nursery rhymes, and uses pine cones to teach students to find musical notes. She introduces various courses such as rock climbing and cooking to enrich education while also passing on the ancient Chinese zither instrument, the Yangqin.
The initial purpose of founding “Ni Hao Chinese” was to provide a good Mandarin environment for her two daughters to grow up in. However, unintentionally, “Ni Hao Chinese” has become a place where many children grow and learn Mandarin. The “Ni Hao Chinese Education Foundation,” established in 2016, also provides non-profit support for Chinese language teaching programs, organizes various Chinese cultural and holiday activities, and offers teacher training and resource support.
Zhang believes that it’s not so much that she created “Ni Hao Chinese,” but rather that “Ni Hao Chinese” has helped her grow. In the face of various harsh realities, she actively sought the path of transformation for overseas Chinese language education. Despite the challenges and difficulties, she has persevered, broadened her horizons, learned many skills, and discovered endless prospects and hopes along the way.