WCCA
Westlake Chinese School offers different levels of Simplified Chinese classes (suitable for students whose parents have a Chinese native language background) and Chinese culture classes (suitable for students whose parents do not have a native Chinese language background, adopted Chinese children and those interested in Chinese culture and arts) and extra curriculum programs, such as Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Painting, Dancing, Badminton, Table Tennis, Yoga, etc. Both parents and students are welcome. For specific course teaching content and teaching materials, please refer to the relevant pages for details.
Simplified Chinese Preparatory Class
Instructor: Ms. HaoWang
Target Student:
Textbook: Chinese Grade 1, edited by Ma Lping)
Ms. Hao Wang is originally from Wuhan, Hubei Province. She loves reading andenjoys spending time with children. She graduated from the Department of Biology at Peking University in 1992 and earned her Master’s degree in Biochemistry from
the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2003. Since 2006, she has been teaching Chinese at West Lake Chinese School, accumulating nearly 20 years of teaching experience. Ms. Wang is passionate about inspiring young students’ curiosity and motivation to learn. With love and patience, she creates a supportive and engaging learning environment where children feel proud of being able to read and write Chinese—and truly
enjoy coming to Chinese school.
Course Introduction:
This course is designed for children from Chinese-speaking families who already have some listening and speaking ability in Chinese but have not yet systematically learned character recognition, reading, or writing (typically aged 5–7). The course is conducted in a relaxed and engaging classroom environment, emphasizing listening and speaking practice while gradually introducing the origins of Chinese characters, radicals, and writing rules. This lays a solid foundation for students to progress to Simplified Chinese Level 1. Students will gradually become familiar with and study the content of Unit 1 of the Grade 1 Chinese textbook.
Learning Goals:
1. Recognize approximately 100 basic Chinese characters
2. Read texts aloud correctly and understand basic sentence structures and common expressions
3. Gain a basic understanding of Chinese character structures and stroke order
4. Practice simple sentence construction and writing exercises
5. Perform basic daily oral communication
6. Develop good Chinese learning habits
Simplified Chinese Level 1
Instructor: Ms. Yilan Wang
Both of Ms. Wang’s children grew up in a Chinese school. Through tutoring her own children with the Ma Liping textbooks, Ms. Wang gained many teaching insights and developed the idea of teaching Chinese herself. She joined the teaching team at West Lake Chinese School in 2025. Although she has not been involved in Chinese teaching for long, she loves Chinese education and enjoys spending time with children, being patient and attentive. She hopes to foster interest and build a solid foundation in Chinese for children aged 6 to 9 through a relaxed and enjoyable classroom environment.
Course Introduction:
This course is designed for children from Chinese-speaking families who already have some listening and speaking ability and can perform simple daily communication but have not yet systematically learned character recognition, reading, or writing (typically aged 5–9). The course follows the teaching philosophy of “listening and speaking first, character recognition as the foundation, and reading as a priority.” Through catchy songs, rhymes, short texts, and accompanying character recognition and writing exercises, students gradually develop a sense of the Chinese language, accumulate common vocabulary, master basic characters, and gain initial reading and expression skills. Level 1 students study Units 2 and 3 of Grade 1 Chinese after completing Unit 1.
Learning Goals：
1. Recognize and master approximately 200 Chinese characters
2. Read texts aloud correctly and understand basic sentence structures and common expressions
3. Further master stroke order, character structure, and writing standards
4. Combine words, construct sentences, and read short texts independently
5. Gradually build confidence and interest in daily communication in Chinese
6. Stimulate self-directed reading and develop good learning habits
Course Introduction:
This course is designed for students who have completed Unit 2 of Grade Chinese and continues to follow the teaching philosophy of “listening and
speaking first, character recognition as the foundation, and reading as a priority.” Through songs, rhymes, short texts, and accompanying character
recognition and writing exercises, students will study Unit 3 of Grade 1 and Unit 1 of Grade 2 Chinese, covering character recognition, pinyin review,
basic vocabulary and sentence patterns, reading comprehension, and writing practice.
Learning Goals：
1. Recognize and master approximately 250 high-frequency Chinese characters
2. Read texts aloud correctly and understand basic sentence structures and common expressions
3. Master the commonly used characters and words in Unit 1 of Grade 2 and write them correctly
4. Read short texts independently, understand the story content, and retell them
5. Gain basic grammar and sentence patterns for simple daily expression
6. Develop interest in learning Chinese and self-directed reading skills
Simplified Chinese Level 2
Instructor: Ms. Shunqin Li
Target Student:
Ms. Li served as a teacher at the International College of Yunnan Agricultural University, where he has been engaged in Chinese language and culture courses for international students for many years. He has been teaching Chinese for 23 years. He has successively taught Chinese language and culture at the Royal University of Nakhon Pathom in Thailand, the Islamic Educational College in Jordan, and the Confucius Institute at Cleveland State University in the United States. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in urban education at Cleveland State University. Teacher Li has rich teaching experience; she is not only passionate about teaching Chinese but is also gentle and patient with her students. She also incorporates various games into the classroom, allowing students to improve in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.
Simplified Chinese Level 3
Instructor: Ms. Hong Zhang
Target Student:
Textbook: Ma Liping Chinese, Volume 3
Ms. Zhang comes from Shanghai. She loves literature and art. After working as a middle school teacher in China for 13 years, she went to the North Rhine- Westphalia University of Applied Sciences in Germany to major in business management. After retiring from her work in the United States, she started teaching Chinese at our school in 2017. Teacher Zhang is passionate about teaching. She is full of love and patience for her students and can cultivate their interest in learning Chinese according to their different ages. When students encounter learning difficulties, she patiently guides and encourages them. She hopes that every student can persevere in their studies and improve their Chinese listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, and she also wishes that the experiences they have while studying at West Lake Chinese School will become unforgettable moments in their growth.
Course Introduction:
This course uses Ma Liping Chinese, Volume 3 as its main textbook. It is designed for students who have completed Volumes 1 and 2, and who possess basic conversational skills in Mandarin as well as the ability to read Pinyin. Following the teaching philosophy of “listening and speaking first, character recognition as the focus, and steady progression,” the course aims to enhance students’ language expression, reading comprehension, and cultural literacy through engaging and interactive activities. Students will develop stronger interest in Chinese learning while deepening their cultural identity.
Learning Goals:
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Character Recognition: Learn approximately 250 new Chinese characters, reaching a total of over 600
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Reading: Read aloud texts accurately, understand key content, and retell in simple form
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Writing: Write common words and basic sentence patterns, with attempts at short-sentence composition
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Speaking and Listening: Communicate in brief conversations in daily situations
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Cultural Literacy: Learn about traditional festivals, fables, and historical figures through the texts to broaden cultural perspectives
Simplified Chinese Level 4
Instructor: Ms. Guilan Ding
Target Student:
Textbook: Chinese, Volume 4 by Ma Liping
Ms. Ding graduated from Cleveland State University in Ohio with a master’s degree in education. His major was 'Curriculum Design and Teaching', with a focus on 'Chinese Language Teaching'. Teacher Ding has taught Chinese at Magnificat High School, Hawken High School, and Saint Edward High School, possessing rich teaching experience. In his teaching practice, Teacher Ding adheres to the foreign language teaching standards set by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), focusing on practical application of skills, and helps students improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities in a relaxed and enjoyable teaching environment.