Mandarin Students Take to NYC to Learn About Local Chinese Culture

16 Mandarin students traveled to New York City on February 15th to immerse themselves in local Chinese culture.
 
Students participated in an activity-packed day, starting with a dim sum brunch at Jing Fong, a traditional Chinese restaurant that was founded in New York City in 1978. Because dim sum is a meal comprised of various small plates, students enjoyed ordering multiple delicacies in Mandarin. 
 
“Millbrook was a leader in developing a fully immersive world languages curriculum, with students pledging to speak soley in their studied language upon entry to the Harris-Kenan Language Center,” said World Languages Department Chair Eve Whitehouse. “Field trips like this enable students to challenge themselves by engaging in real-world dialogues; whether it be ordering food or discussing a piece of art, it is exciting to listen to them employ what they have learned in the classroom in different environments.”
 
With full stomachs, students went on to visit the Museum of Chinese America (MOCA), where they viewed exhibitions and collections documenting and representing Chinese life in America.
 
Following their visit to the MOCA, students then participated in a private Kung Fu class at Shaolin Temple. Here, they not only practiced the first form of Kung Fu, which involves over 15 kicks and movements, but they also learned about the philosophy and history of Kung Fu, as well as discussed how it connected to their lives.
 
Trips like these are part of an overarching component to the world languages curriculum at Millbrook, which focuses on connecting the target language and culture with local communities. 
 
“In the fall we took a field trip to Millerton, NY to experience and reflect upon how Chinese culture is thriving locally,” said Mandarin Instructor Susan Beattie. “During that trip, we learned about the history and customs of tea, as well as enjoyed lunch at an authentic Chinese restaurant where we ordered all of our food in Mandarin. This most recent trip to NYC was another opportunity to build upon our discussions around local Chinese culture,” she said. “We are fortunate to have a campus so conveniently located to resources like New York City, and it is exciting to plan trips like this.”
 
Click here to learn more about studying world languages at Millbrook.
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