Pascack students test Mandarin skills in Manhattan Chinatown

Fifty-two students from Pascack Hills and Pascack Valley high schools filled a coach bus on Oct. 16 for a trip to Manhattan’s Chinatown.

The students, who range from ninth through 12th grade, represent the district’s six Chinese classes and its Asian Culture Club. They participated in a language exercise designed to take them out of the classroom and into the neighborhood.

Teacher Liam O’Neill said the goal was to show the richness and diversity of China through close-up slices of local life. He noted that while it is difficult for teenagers to engage strangers in a foreign language, group settings with guidance make it possible. This familiarity helps students feel more at ease in an area that is known but often feels foreign.

Younger students in grades 9 and 10 worked in small groups with a list of 20 to 25 challenges. These tasks included recognizing Chinese characters, finding cultural landmarks like houses of worship, and photographing incense. More adventurous assignments required students to get a haircut on Pell Street for five points or receive a foot massage. Others had to record videos of friends trying new foods while speaking Chinese.

Upperclassmen received a culinary assignment. They were asked to explore the variety of cuisine available in Chinatown by trying three or four different types. O’Neill said the group likely tried spicy noodles, meat buns, and Beijing duck, along with Taiwanese bubble tea.

O’Neill, whose Chinese surname is Ōuyáng, spends his own birthday with the group. He and colleague Debbie Yao prepare students with practical vocabulary before the trip. Afterward, they use the photos and videos collected from the scavenger hunts for future classroom experiences. O’Neill said this first-hand experience is a halfway step toward full immersion.

The program has made several trips to Taiwan, where students visit Taipei Municipal Yangming High School for eight or nine days. The district’s Chinese program has fluctuated in size, dropping from 11 classes about six years ago to six today. O’Neill said he sees signs of renewed growth in enrollment.