Mandarin
Mandarin
Class Time(s):
Option A: Saturday, 12:30 - 1:00 PM PT
Option B: Saturday, 1:00 - 1:30 PM PT
Grades: 1 to 8
Program Leader: Tammy Guan
Program Description: YAPA Kids Mandarin provides students with all the necessary basic information to be able to read, write, listen to, and speak Mandarin Chinese. We teach all levels- from beginner to advanced, so whether you know nothing and want to get started or you’re already fluent and want to improve, we can help make the task much easier. Learning Mandarin is a fun and interesting endeavor that, once completed, is extremely rewarding. The overall class experience will change depending on the students’ skill levels, and can range from starting right at the basics to reading articles and writing essays. The class will progress as students learn more and more, but don’t worry; we will be right alongside the students helping them learn in the way they feel most comfortable. We invite students of all grade levels between grades 1 and 8 to join us as we share our knowledge of the Mandarin culture and language!
Program Teachers: Selena Shen, Maggie Dong, Nikhil Jagota, Isabelle Chan, Daphne He, Elizabeth Wang, Shivam Mani, Yifei Lu, Lily Wang, Selena Shen, Ann Lin, Miranda Dong, Ashley Perez, Connie Huang, Jennie Li, Betty Gao, Ziyuan Bi, Yining Li, Julia Tsuei
Teacher Bios
Selena Shen
Hello everyone, I'm Selena Shen, the team lead for Mandarin, and a rising Senior in Mark Keppel High School. I'm a chinese which borned in China and later on moved to U.S. I can both speak and read Chinese fluently. I'm really excited in teaching chinese and to explore the interesting part in it!
Maggie Dong
Hello everyone! I am Maggie, a rising sophomore at Branham High. At school, I take the Chinese 3 class, and I will be taking Chinese 4 AP next year. I have taken chinese classes outside of school, as well as singing, giving speeches, and overall performing using Mandarin in public places. I am so excited to be sharing my knowledge and my culture with you guys!
Nikhil Jagota
Hi everyone! My name is Nikhil Jagota! While my last name isn't Chinese (my dad isn't Chinese), I can still speak Chinese because of my mother, who's from China. I really enjoy speaking Chinese and continuing to learn more and more about Chinese culture. Although I'm not taking Chinese at my high school, I do attend a weekend Chinese school to continue improving my Chinese, where we usually sing song and write essays about current events or other topics. Overall, I can't wait to teach you how to speak Chinese!
Isabelle Chan
Hi, my name is Isabelle and I'm a rising junior at Lynbrook High School. I grew up attending a Mandarin immersion public school which allowed me to take AP Chinese as a freshmen. I've also competed and won awards in various speech and read-aloud contests, including ANCCS. Last year, I participated in an exchange program to Taiwan which improved my Mandarin and allowed me to experience Taiwanese culture. Look forward to sharing my love of 中文 with my students!
Daphne He
Hi everyone! My name is Daphne He and I am a rising junior at Mission San Jose High school. I am currently in AP Chinese and have been learning Chinese for over 10 years.
Elizabeth Wang
Hi guys! My name is Elizabeth Wang and I look forward to working with you guys!
Shivam Mani
Hi, my name is Shivam Mani and I just graduated from Saratoga High School. I started learning Chinese last year and studied abroad in Chengdu last summer. I really enjoy learning languages and Chinese history and culture!
Yifei Lu
Hi everyone, my name is Yifei Lu and I'm currently attending Chaminade College Preparatory. I'm pretty fluent in Chinese, as I grew up speaking it with my parents. I've also taken Chinese Classes for almost 10 years. I'm very excited to work with you guys :D
Lily Wang
Hey guys! My name is Lily Wang and I'm a junior. I have speak mandarin since little and live in China for 4 years and I'm excited to teach mandarin to you guys.
Ann Lin
Hello everyone, I'm Ann. I am a Senior in Pioneer High School. I was born and raised in Taiwan until I moved to America 2 years ago. I am a native Mandarin speaker, I would love to share the most authentic Taiwanese culture by teaching Mandarin with fun activities and games with little kids! Hope I can make a difference! 希望我們合作愉快!
Miranda Dong
Hi guys! My name is Miranda and I’m a senior at Foley High School. I came to the US from China in the middle of second grade, and I somehow maintained my Chinese. Very excited to teach!
Ashley Perez
Hi my name is Ashley Perez and I am a junior at Mark Keppel High School. I grew up in an Asian community for most of my life and became interested in learning the language throughout the years. I was able to learn Mandarin and practice my skills during my one month stay in Shanghai, China.
Connie Huang
Hi everyone! I'm Connie, and I'm currently a junior at Skyline High School. For most of my life, I've lived with my grandma and my mom who only speak Mandarin at home and that's transferred over to me! In my free time, I love to sew, crochet, read, watch movies, and do other grandma-like hobbies!
Jennie Li
Hey everyone! I'm Jennie and I'm currently a freshmen at Hume Fogg Magnet High School. My whole family is from China so i speak fluent chinese at home. I have also been taking Chinese Classes for 9 years. I'm so excited to meet you all!
Betty Gao
Hello everyone! my name is Betty Gao and I'm a sophomore at Sacred Heart School. Chinese was my first language, and I've been learning it throughout my life via my family and visiting China. I hope my experience with the language and culture can help you grow in it too :)
Ziyuan Bi
Hello! My name is Ziyuan Bi. I am a current Senior at Mark Keppel High School. I was born in China and then move to America. I speak both Mandarin and Cantonese fluently. I took AP Chinese Language and Culture in my Sophomore year and got 5 of 5 for the AP Exam. I am very happy to be your teacher and let's learn more about Mandarin!
Yining Li
Hello everyone! My name is Yining Li and I am a junior at Mark Keppel High School. I was born in China and moved to the United States at the age of 12. I am fluent in Mandarin and somewhat proficient in English. I hope I can use my Mandarin skills to help teach students that are interested in learning Mandarin.
Julia Tsuei
Hello everyone! My name is Julia Tsuei and I'm currently a freshman at El Camino High. I've spoken chinese my whole life and am fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese. I'm looking foward to meeting and teaching you all!