Mandarin Students Visit Taiwan
Greta Cunningham ‘23, Communications Intern
July 11, 2024
Mandarin teacher Nan Wang has hoped to take her students abroad since she first started working at Cretin-Derham Hall in 2018. This summer, it finally happened. On June 11, Wang and five students left for a nine-day trip to Taiwan.
“I wanted to take my students somewhere they could physically be in the language environment and culture– somewhere they could hear Mandarin all the time and see all the words around them in Mandarin characters,” she said.
Students spent their time in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, and Yilan, a coastal city about an hour and a half southeast of the capital. In Taipei, home to the Palace Museum and Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, students learned about Taiwan's history, while in Yilan, they saw local life, including farming and fishing.
“Every place we went to had something special and or different compared to where I live,” said Dryden Thompson-Woodland ’25, one of the students on the trip.
While traveling through the two cities, students participated in various workshops, such as making sticky rice, dumplings, bead bags, and Beyblades.
“Students really enjoyed the opportunity to learn how they could do these things on their own,” Wang said. The trip presented many hands-on learning experiences, like how to buy a train ticket using only Mandarin.
“I got to use the language I’m learning in the real world,” said Joseph Bartels ’27, another student who went to Taiwan. “Instead of practicing a phrase with someone, I got to use the language practically.”
CDH is dedicated to providing similar experiences for students in each world language department. In 2022, a group of French students visited France, while in 2023, Spanish students had the opportunity to visit Spain. These trips not only give students experience with the language they’re studying but also help them develop their independence.
“Students learn a lot related to travel,” Wang said. “Traveling with school is different from traveling with family. They learn all the skills that they need to navigate an unfamiliar environment or culture.”
Wang sees the chance to practice adapting to new environments as part of the college preparatory experience CDH offers.
“It’s not only important for students to challenge themselves when using the language, but it’s also an opportunity to learn the life skills they’ll need after CDH,” she said. “They’re learning to be independent and responsible.”