From Classroom to Culture: Learning Mandarin at Stella Maris School Gading Serpong

From Classroom to Culture: Learning Mandarin at Stella Maris School Gading Serpong

从课堂到文化：在Stella Maris 学校学习中文

By: Monica Jovalinka Lavenia Manik – 9A student

Mandarin is one of the most crucial languages in the world today, and at Stella Maris School Gading Serpong, students have the opportunity to learn it in a fun and effective way. The school provides structured lessons while also allowing students to practice their skills in real-life situations.

How We Learn Mandarin

At Stella Maris School Gading Serpong, students have two periods of Chinese classes per week, which total 80 minutes. In the IGCSE Chinese program, we learn new words and grammar in each chapter. To improve our skills, we do regular dictation tests, sentence-making exercises, reading tasks, and even projects like storytelling and making videos per semester.

Speaking practice is also very important. In Chinese class, we are required to speak Mandarin with our classmates, which helps us become more confident. Currently, the IGCSE Chinese program is taught by Liu Laoshi and Tasya Laoshi, but in my class, we are taught by Liu Laoshi. The teachers make sure we not only learn the language but also feel comfortable using it in daily conversations.

Chinese New Year Celebration

One of the best ways we apply our Mandarin skills is through school events, especially the Chinese New Year celebration. This event is a great opportunity for us students to show what we have learned while also enjoying Chinese culture.

During this year’s celebration, students from preschool to secondary performed in different ways. Some sang Chinese songs, while others danced or presented Chinese literature such as poems, stories, and dramas. These performances allowed students to use Mandarin in a creative and meaningful way.

Using Mandarin in Real Life

Mandarin learning at Stella Maris School Gading Serpong is not just about memorising words or passing exams. We also practise it in real situations. In class, we talk to each other in Mandarin, create stories, and make videos where we express our ideas in Chinese. This makes learning more fun and helps us remember the language better.

By combining structured lessons, cultural events, and real-world practice, Stella Maris School Gading Serpong helps students build strong Mandarin skills. With these experiences, we are not only learning a language but also gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, which will be useful in the future.