Chinese as an Additional Language (CAL) students are able to routinely practise and improve their Chinese language skills in many ways at YCIS Shanghai: on a daily basis during Chinese class, through interesting class projects, and often when during experiences on field trips around Shanghai and beyond. In addition to the field trips providing students with the opportunity to speak the language with local residents, students are also able to experience Chinese culture.

During the first week of June, Year 9 CAL students from YCIS Shanghai Gubei Campus went on a field trip to a Chinese cooking workshop located in the city. Their mission was simple: to learn how to cook a traditional Chinese dish – dumplings. After learning from a master chef about the best methods for making this delicious dish, the students got busy applying their new knowledge: preparing the dough, mixing the pork filling, rolling out the dumpling shapes, and cooking them. The experience left the students with full stomachs and plenty to say!

Year 9 student, Ming, said, “Our dumplings turned out to be well made and we had a great time. The simple process of kneading dough, all the way to boiling the finished product, was very interesting. It also supplemented our recent classes on the same topic: Cooking Chinese Food. Overall, it was a new, great experience we all learnt from.”

Ming’s classmate, Kevin, agreed, “We all had difficulties making these dumplings but it was a lot of fun. When we finally finished and had the opportunity to try them, I thought they tasted very nice. We all had a memorable experience, and now know how to cook like pros!”

More important than the tasty meal that the students learnt to serve up, was the added experience of language and cultural understanding that developed as a result. For YCIS students, the benefits of studying in world-renowned IGCSE and IB curricula, and integrating Chinese culture into the mix, makes for an ideal recipe of the best of the East and the West.