What's It Like?

Studying Chinese was the most fun I had ever had in high school. It was one of the few classes where I looked at the clock and was disappointed when I saw the class period was nearly over. 

-Steven Oakes, 2020

The best part about studying Chinese at Grandview was being able to see the vast progress I was able to make alongside my peers, from being complete complete beginners in the language to being able, to an extent, to comfortably converse with others and adequately read and write in the language.

-Charlene Yee, 2022

There are a few things that were great about Chinese class. First of all, our teacher was absolutely phenomenal at her job and made everything have some sort of sense to it. Everything was always put in place to make sense. Another great part of studying Chinese was the cultural aspect of it all. Learning manners and other cultural aspects of Chinese helped me be more aware of other peoples’ upbringings especially in a career field where you travel a lot like the military. Finally, Chinese is super applicable since it is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Chinese class opened so many doors that I didn’t recognize possible until I pursued it. 

-Rob Rodriguez, 2014

Chinese is a surprisingly artistic language! I loved the complexity of learning how to write Chinese characters, it felt like doing artwork each day I had class or practicing homework. When learning to speak Chinese, I quickly learned that it is a musical language. You need a good ear to hear the different tones, and being able to repeat them was a challenge that I ended up falling in love with. Also, the historical components of learning Chinese was a big draw for me. There is so much unique history that goes hand in hand with learning the language. Chinese was my favorite class during my time at Grandview! 

-Grant Brown, 2011

Enjoyed learning to write Chinese characters. The language was easier to pick up than I thought because there wasn't grammatical gender or conjugation.

-Maggie Carr, 2015

As someone without a Chinese background, the idea of learning Chinese initially seemed intimidating. However, this class demystified the Chinese language in a manner that made it accessible and easy to grasp. This class is unique in its comprehensive approach, not only teaching me Mandarin but also providing a profound insight into Chinese culture and traditions. Beyond the invaluable language skills I acquired, the most remarkable aspect was the teacher, Lise, and the tight-knit community of friends I formed during the course. Lise is an exceptional educator and person who played an integral role in shaping my high school experience. The interactive lesson plans and class structure fostered a deep connection with my classmates, many of whom I still stay in contact with to this day.

-Mia Nguyen, 2020 

Learning Chinese under the guidance of Mrs. Olsen-Dufour was an outstanding experience as she has a very efficient and effective teaching method. While Chinese may seem daunting, the well-organized activities to learn how to properly converse and write in Chinese as well as learn about the culture (food, movies, art, etc.) was very enjoyable, and I looked forward to class each day. The progress myself, and all students in my class, made with the language over 4 years was outstanding, and I am forever thankful for the quality of education I received. I cannot speak highly enough of this opportunity.

-Kimberly Holter, 2015

Studying Chinese for these past years has built up my memory tenfold. It is so much easier to memorize anything.

-David Hamilton, 2022

The best part was learning about Chinese culture as well as just a language. For me it was about connecting with my heritage as well. My class was also very close, I made lifelong friends as well and we all shared the connection of Chinese class together. 

-Chloe Carr, 2014

I've been able to build so many amazing connections with people because I have learned Chinese! Those people range from native speakers to other foreigners who also spoke Mandarin. I also feel like studying a language like Chinese which is entrenched in an entirely different culture from my own has allowed me to grow as a person in my ability to express empathy and genuine care for those around me. It has taught me so much and I'm so grateful that I decided to learn Chinese!

-Sarai Brown, 2020

I firmly believe studying Chinese is a major component in making me not only a well-rounded engineer, but a well-rounded person. Exposure to another culture and learning a language so unlike my own have impacted me in ways too countless to list. 

-Caroline Ogg, 2011