School at CLC teaches students language, culture of China

School officials and parents of students at the Xilin Lake County Chinese School feel that learning Chinese is becoming more and more important in today's business world.

Every Sunday, children in grades kindergarten through high school learn the Chinese language and culture at the school at the College of Lake County in Grayslake.

About 100 students, including a few from Wisconsin, attend the classes that have been provided by the school since 1995.

Most of the students are of Chinese descent, but about 10 percent are Caucasian students.

"We'd really like more American students to enroll in our school," said Jinhua Chen, who has been the principal of the school for the past three years. "In the last few years the interaction between China and America has become more and more important, especially in business."

When the school first started, mostly students of Chinese descent attended classes, said Chen Zhao, one of the school's first board members and a parent of a student and a graduate at the school. Lately, she said there has been an increase in the number of non-Chinese students.

Chen said it is sometimes difficult to do well in business school if you are unable to speak Chinese.

Personally, both Chen and Vice Principal Wei Li said they got involved in the school because they wanted to contribute to the community by volunteering for something they believed in.

The school offers Chinese language classes, drawing classes, SAT classes, language art classes, and also bilingual Chinese language classes to meet the increasing demand of the English speakers.

For many parents, it is very important for their kids to learn the language and culture of China.

"When I was a little girl back in China I had a dream that some day I could come to the United States of America," said Rose Burba, who also serves on the school board. "When I made it to America in 1992, my dream was to be able to have my children speak Chinese and carry on the Chinese heritage. My dream is being realized by Xilin Chinese School of Lake County."

"We're the first generation coming from China," said Zhao. She feels it's important that her children learn about Chinese culture and traditions and she also sees benefits on the business side as well.

"I have two boys. Their grandparents are still in China. If they know both English and Chinese they'll probably have more opportunities," she said.

In addition to her children receiving a good education at the school, Zhao said they are also able to make new friends.

"If you learn earlier it's easier," Chen said. "It's difficult to catch up."

And not only do parents depend on the school, the school also depends on the parents. About one-third of the school's funds comes from parent donations.

The teachers at Xilin Chinese School have several years of teaching experience and master's degrees and beyond. The curriculum for each level has been developed by the teachers with reference to the standard recommended by the Institute of Chinese Literature, Ji-Nan University, Guangzhou, China. The Chinese classes are taught at 11 different levels and sometimes older students tutor the younger students.

Each year, the school celebrates the Chinese New Year, has a summer picnic and acknowledges other Chinese festivals, such as the Moon Festival.

The Xilin Assocation, which operates the school, recently hosted the fifth annual Asian/Pacific American Festival in Naperville. About 600 people attended or participated in the outdoor concert that entertained while educating about Chinese traditions and culture.

New students interested in learning the Chinese language or about the culture and traditions of China are always welcome.

For more information, visit www.xilinlakecounty.org.