Different cultures have various features. There is now a group of Chinese students at WFS who bring diversity to the student body, and benefit the community at large. Students from different countries learn together in school; it is a chance for the community to share and learn from, others’ cultures and to talk about the cultural differences. The addition of the Chinese students undeniably provides our school with the opportunity for its community to grow from these important interactions between students from across the globe.

     One of the great benefits we get from the Chinese community is the improvement of language learning. Chinese students serve as a great way of learning authentic Chinese outside of class for students who are taking Chinese as their second language, or those who are interested in learning it. Miranda Peak ’19 says, “Having friends who know Chinese as their first language is a great help for me to learn Chinese. I just started taking Chinese one so it has been a really good way for me to practice what I learned in class simply by making friends with them and communicating in Chinese.” In addition to  practicing their Chinese speaking, students can also hear extra vocabulary words that one may not learn through a traditional textbook, which can enhance their listening skills by engaging in conversations outside of the classroom.

    The Chinese community also provides students at WFS with the chance to  experience Chinese culture, and sample the world outside of the US. Students often get confused by some Chinese students’ habits, but as they start asking questions and communicating more, they are able to learn much more about China. “Sometimes I don’t understand certain habits of students from other countries,” says Victoria Schroeder ’18. “Once I saw one of my Chinese classmates eating dumplings with vinegar instead of soy sauce. At first I think that’s a little weird, but after I asked her, I learned that it is common in China to eat dumplings with vinegar instead of soy sauce. Vinegar with dumplings actually is even more common and popular in China than soy sauce. I definitely wouldn’t have the chance to know Chinese culture if I had no Chinese classmates around. I feel so lucky that I do!”

   The school also allows the community a great chance to learn Chinese culture; students have a lot of fun getting to know Chinese traditions and festivals. WFS holds an annual celebration to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival. The Spring Festival is like Chinese New Year, and is typically held either in the school theatre, or a classroom. In the Spring Festival, there are always various, interesting traditional shows performed by the students from the Chinese classes. “I remember there was a crosstalk about Chinese food last year on the Chinese Celebration,” says Hongrui Zhang ’19. “The students did a great job on that show – it sounds just like those authentic crosstalk shows I heard in China before. I’m glad that now everyone in this school can see this kind of performance now!” This year’s Spring Festival was held as a party in the Chinese classroom in the Global Learning Center.

The Chinese community brings to WFS a great platform to see a culture from the other side of the word. It is an opportunity for everyone at WFS to grow and learn more cultural traditions and enjoy the differences of the race, while also enjoying every step of the way.