Field Trip Offers Mandarin Students a “Taste” of Chinatown

Upper School Mandarin language students, along with their teacher Cynthia Ni, visited Chinatown on April 23 where they explored Asian culture, food, music and art.

Starting with a train ride from Little Silver to Penn Station, and then a quick subway trip to the Upper East Side, students headed for the Asia Society to view the exhibit, Asian Journeys. The exhibit showcases art from Tibet and Burma, including Buddhist statuary. Then it was off to Mott Street, where the group got a real taste of Chinatown when they stopped at a traditional Cantonese restaurant and ordered their meals in Chinese.

Following lunch, Ms. Ni and her students walked around Chinatown and Columbus Park, listening to musicians play traditional Chinese instruments, such as the Er-hu (Chinese violin), and investigating the various vendors, selling everything from straw art to bitter melon. The students even tried bubble tea (milk tea with tapioca).

Mandarin is taught in all three divisions at Ranney, beginning as early as second grade and continuing through Upper School. As with all language studies, the Mandarin curriculum not only focuses on developing proficiency in reading, writing and speaking, but also encourages an understanding of the rich and varied cultures of China. Ranney’s close proximity to New York City and Chinatown gives students the perfect opportunity to explore Asian culture first hand.

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