65 students in Middleton High School’s Mandarin Chinese classes practiced their language skills – and much more – during their field trip to the Global Market & Food Hall in Madison.
Middleton High School Mandarin Chinese Teacher Qin Tian explained the importance of language learners practicing their skills outside of the classroom.
“Our field trip to Madison’s east side Global Market & Food Hall was such a meaningful experience for our students,” Tian said. “From making noodles by hand to chatting with native Chinese speakers during a fun scavenger hunt and tasting all kinds of delicious, authentic Chinese foods — it was learning brought to life.”
104 students are enrolled in Middleton High School’s Level 4-6 Mandarin classes.
“Our field trip gave them a chance to step outside the classroom and use their Mandarin skills in real-life situations,” Tian said. “Experiences like this make the language more than just words in a textbook. They make it real, memorable, and fun.”
Students shared their favorite parts of the field trip.
“My favorite part of the trip was getting to try new foods,” said sophomore Brooke Von Bergen. “I loved to see the similarities and differences from what food is in America to what food is in China. It was very cool to see all the different flavors of familiar brands, and see food that I had never seen before! I also believe that it is important for new language learners to hear a language outside of a classroom setting. This field trip gave me and the other students the opportunity to use Mandarin in a real-world setting.”
“I really enjoyed the experience of learning how to make noodles,” said freshman Weiqi Wang. “It was also fun getting to buy Chinese foods ourselves, especially since there aren’t many Chinese food stores near Middleton where our school is located.”
Students liked how the field trip extended their in-classroom learning.
“In Chinese class, my favorite part is learning about so many different topics,” Wang said. “I love how we explore various places in China, the foods, and the sports that people play there. My favorite ones so far is learning about trip planning and the Olympics; it makes the class fun and interesting.”
“My favorite part of Mandarin class is the games that we play," Von Bergen said. “We get to play a lot of fun games to help us memorize Mandarin words and characters – a process that is often tedious but made fun by the games. I like the competitive aspect of the games, because they push me to be better at Mandarin."
Thanks to Ms. Tian for inspiring students' love of language inside and outside of the classroom!