Chinese class at YCIS is one of the most important classes I have. Living in an ever-expanding world, having a grasp of languages is already a necessity, and this will be the case even more so in the future. Chinese, being the most widely spoken language in the world (spoken by 918 million people), should be one of the first language choices by anyone on this planet. Compared to other languages, being able to speak Chinese is also going to give you a lot more choices for success in the future.

YCIS does a phenomenal job at slowly, but steadily, building up your Chinese language knowledge. Having one of the best Chinese programmes in Shanghai, the knowledge you acquire from even your first Chinese class is beneficial to your future language learning. You start your Chinese classes by reading texts of children going about their daily life, introducing themselves or hanging out with friends. As your vocabulary grows, so do the topics. Now, in ‘Chinese as an Additional Language – Level 7’ (CAL 7), we are discussing some major world issues, such as global warming.

Our Chinese teachers are kind, friendly, and very smart. They make writing essays or learning vocabulary fun. Last week I even ended up writing a Chinese essay without realizing what I had done. And this has happened more and more for the past eight years.

Without my Chinese class, my future would look very different from what it does now. Learning Chinese will allow me to get a job in China, or related to China, more easily. Chinese really is an important class to me. 

By Jake, Year 8, YCIS Pudong Secondary