Reynolds Chinese Classes: Fun and Success

Ms. Linlin Shan holds out a calligraphy brush in front of her Chinese II class.

By Tim Reaves
BCS Communications Department

Congratulations to Ms. Linlin Shan’s Chinese III class at A.C. Reynolds High School (ACRHS), who aced the HSK Chinese proficiency exam!

The HSK Level test is China’s national standardized test that assesses Mandarin Chinese language proficiency in non-native speakers. Twenty-two out of 23 students in Ms. Shan’s Chinese III class passed the challenging exam, an impressive feat that reflects their hard work, she said.

“I feel proud,” she said. “It’s not easy, and they did a great job.”

The results also highlight Ms. Shan’s dedication the teaching profession. She makes her classroom an immersive experience in conversational Chinese. It’s all part of the Buncombe County Schools Chinese Language and Culture program. Chinese I-IV classes are available to all BCS students, and seven BCS high schools offer at least Chinese I and II face to face.

“Chinese is a fun language to learn, and Ms. Shan makes it better and easier,” said ACRHS sophomore and Chinese III Aviane Penland. “It’s cool to learn a language that not many people in my area know. It surprises them because of how complex Chinese is and how quickly I’ve learned it. I believe that it is all because of the teacher and her great teaching methods.”

“Ms. Shan is an outstanding teacher,” said ACRHS Principal Doris Sellers. “Her students love her and respond to her. Her class is full of activities that engage students in the language. They want to learn, and she makes sure that they do.”

On Monday, Ms. Shan used games to practice vocabulary with her Chinese II class, then led the class through an introduction to Chinese calligraphy. Students practiced writing their names and “I love you” using Chinese characters.

“We’ve been learning the language but also the history,” said ACRHS junior Jayden Johnson. “It’s been really interesting. I feel like if I traveled to China, I’d have a better idea what I was doing.”

By passing the HSK exam, each student earned two certificates, one from Go Global NC and one from the Confucius Institute. These impressive credentials will strengthen their college and career resumes.

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