FLAVOURS OF CHINESE LEARNING

Term 3 has been an exciting and flavour-filled journey for students across our Chinese program, with each year level taking part in hands-on cultural experiences that brought language learning to life.

Year 6: A Delicious Chinese Dining Experience
As part of their Food Unit, our Year 6 students had the opportunity to visit Me Wah Chinese Restaurant and put their Chinese language skills into practice in a real-world setting. Students confidently greeted staff, read menus, and ordered their meals entirely in Chinese.

The restaurant experience was a highlight of the term. Students enjoyed sampling a variety of classic Chinese dishes, including dumplings, spring rolls, Mongolian beef, Kung Pao chicken, sweet and sour pork, and fried rice. Many students bravely tried new foods for the first time and discovered some new favourites along the way. Beyond enjoying a delicious meal, students experienced the importance of food in Chinese culture and gained confidence using authentic Chinese in everyday situations. It was wonderful to see their hard work in the classroom come to life at the dining table.

Year 7: Ordering Bubble Tea Like a Local
Meanwhile, our Year 7 students were immersed in their Drinks Unit and took their learning beyond the classroom with a visit to Ohhh! Rainbow Bubble Tea Shop.

After weeks of practising vocabulary and role-play conversations, students were ready to order their favourite drinks in Chinese. From bubble milk tea to refreshing fruit teas, students confidently asked questions, customised their orders, and interacted with staff using the language they had learned. The excursion was a fantastic opportunity for students to experience how language can be used in real-life situations. Of course, enjoying their carefully ordered drinks at the end was an added bonus!

Year 9: A Sweet Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration
To celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, our Year 9 students took part in a traditional Chinese cultural activity: making tanghulu (糖葫芦), the famous candied fruit snack enjoyed throughout China. Students learned about the history and cultural significance of the festival before working together to create their own tanghulu. With fresh fruit carefully skewered and coated in a shiny layer of hardened sugar, the classroom quickly filled with excitement and anticipation.

The best part was tasting their creations. The combination of sweet, crunchy sugar and juicy fruit was a huge hit, and many students declared it one of the most enjoyable cultural activities they had ever experienced.

Bringing Language to Life
From ordering meals in restaurants and bubble tea shops to celebrating traditional festivals through food, our students have demonstrated that learning a language is about much more than vocabulary and grammar. These authentic experiences helped build confidence, cultural understanding, and a genuine appreciation for the richness of Chinese language and culture.

We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and curiosity our students have shown throughout Term 3 and look forward to even more exciting learning adventures in the future.

Lei Sun and Ruby Lan
Teachers