Testimonials:

From CLSC Alumni Parent, Betty Liu, Southport:

"Thank you for offering such excellent programs at CLSC. Our high school, Faifield Ludlowe High School, offers Mandarin during the school day. Now that my daughter Ivy is a freshman there, she will be able to take Intermediate Mandarin (She was able to get waived from Beginner Chinese due to her previous Chinese learning). My older daughter Amber also did this last year.   Because Mandarin is so different from English, it seems to tweak the brain in such a way that it enhances learning other subjects as well, the way learning chess and music do. As a result, I believe my kids have done better in school because of studying Chinese. Best of luck on continuing the mission of CLSC."

From parents Helen and Daniel Zou: 

"We started our daughter, Amelie, in Chopstix 3 years ago, when she was 5. We were looking for a fun but meaningful way to introduce her to the Chinese language and culture. Amelie has shown great motivation to attend class at CLSC every week, so we've continued the program with the purpose of deepening not only her linguistic skills, but also her cultural understanding."  

From parent Lin Shaw:

"The Chopstix teachers make learning Chinese fun for the children by incorporating music, story-telling, arts & crafts."

"Both Quinn and I have grown tremendously from our experience with the Chinese Language School of Connecticut.  It has served as a source of bonding and an outlet for her to stay in touch with her Chinese roots. We began with Chopstix and she is now thriving in Level I.  I am profoundly grateful for the experience it has provided both of us.....but most important and notable is the pride she takes in participating.  I can't say enough about the program, its founders and administrators if I tried."

From parent Daisy Wang:

"I like the fact that the instructors in the Chopstix program are always well prepared for class.  The curriculum is designed in a way that makes the learning process lively and encourages students to focus on the class, which is not an easy task for the toddler age program.  Each student participates. I think these qualities explain the increased interest my son is taking in learning Mandarin Chinese in the Choptix program."

From parent Henriette Hoang Rieffel:

"Our son is in Chopstix II and looks forward to every session because he enjoys playing the games.  The teachers do an incredible job in designing the class so that learning is reinforced by games after each short session.  Parental presence in the class is excellent for both parent and child, helping parents learn the words in order to assist the children at home and making the younger kids feel more secure.

Over all, we are very impressed with the rich yet low pressure atmosphere  in the class.  Learning is fun for all of us."

From parent Samantha Connell:

"It has been well-established that early exposure to language can make all the difference in fluency.  However, like most 3-year-olds, my son is not very cooperative, doesn't like to sit still, and has a very short attention span.  I was very concerned that we would struggle through his Chinese classes this year. 

I have been so pleasantly surprised with how much he has learned.  Huang Lao Shi (Vivi) has done an absolutely incredible job--coming up with fun and interesting ways to engage the children in their lessons for every class.  It is clear that she spends a significant amount of time preparing for the classes and coming up with playful lessons and manipulatives for the children. 

Some examples are:  using Mr. Potato Head to learn facial features, bringing in a huge bag of stuffed animals to learn animals, using individual number characters written on post-its for the children to put onto a picture of a train, blowing up different color balloons to learn colors (and shooting them off!), and awarding stickers and happy faces for good behavior.  Her patience and enthusiasm really keeps the children focused. 

My son has had a great year and has learned more Chinese than I expected.  Most importantly, he enjoys his Chinese school experience."

From Kelly Fischetti, Greenwich Academy:

The girls [at Greenwich Academy] really enjoyed your program.  [Vice Principal] Daisy [Chen Laone] and Miss Li tailored it to their level, class size and time commitment  just perfectly. I think it was an excellent introduction to Chinese language and culture and I know the girls had a great time!

Thank you, Susan and all your staff at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut!

From parent Mary Beth Massaro:

Thanks to all.  Working with everybody at CLSC has been a wonderful experience.  I'm thankful that we found CLSC for [our son] Matt. The creative approach, the fellow students, and of course Huang Laoshi and Zhou Laoshi have made learning Chinese for Matt an amazing adventure!

From parent Liwen Reardon:

My daughter just did her first two media assignments online, and then she started asking whether there were other quizzes or games that she could do - she has NEVER asked for more Chinese homework before!

From Corporate Program Student Monica Debiak:

"For work purposes, I am transferring to Beijing. I was worried about feeling vulnerable once I moved because I could not speak Mandarin. I studied five weeks with a private tutor at the Chinese Language School of Connecticut. I could not have been more pleased with the lessons. In five weeks, I was able to say the basic phrases which will allow me to get a cab, order food, and survive in a foregin city. I only wish I had more time to take more classes before I leave. The instruction was invaluable."

From parent Wendy Scafa:

"Thank you for bringing me here, Mom!!!" was what my then-7 year old daughter Aspen said her 2nd week at CLSC.
 
"CLCS makes learning fun. Instead of just drilling us, my teacher lets us play games to learn. I enjoyed the Chinese parties with all the great Chinese crafts." said Aspen.
 
Chen Lao shi, my younger daughter's instructor,is a gifted, dedicated, master teacher who gives 200%. Her classes were stimulating with learning games, cultural story reading, hands on learning, up and out of your seat experiences. Perfect for the little learners.
 
The Board of Directors, Principal and the teachers all cared about our children, working diligently so the kids would learn Mandarin and would want to learn Mandarin. No easy feat.
 
Sincerely,
 
Wendy Scafa

From parents Wendy Feldman and Dr. Stanley Wainapel:

"We have sampled other Chinese language learning situations [private tutoring, after school programs, small local Chinese schools/classes] but the curriculum and educational goals were not well formulated and there was no continuity of staff.

We are looking for a formalized programs with a committed, stable staff, and well-defined curriculum where each teaching levels builds upon the previous one. Your school seems to meet all those criteria for us.

It is our hope that she will love learning Chinese and be taught in such a way that she will want to pusue it until she is fluent and can read and write. We would like her to be conversant, and, ultimately, literate in the language."

From the Kockenmeister Family:

Thank you CLSC Principal, Teachers and Community for providing a fun environment to help our children learn Chinese!!  My children look forward to the Chinese New Year Festival every year.  We are grateful to have a Chinese academy right in our backyard.

From Laurie Heiss:

Erik Burton and Connor Grealy, 8th graders at Central Middle School, both have a special interest in China and the language.  Erik's father travels to and works in China.  Connor has an abiding interest in the country.  So twice weekly since September, 2005, they have added the study of Mandarin and the culture to their course load, attending a tutored session at Cos Cob library right after school, which was more convenient than Sundays for the active & athletic students.  Yuan Lao Shi and Jennifer Wu Lao Shi have both taught during the full year of study.

The study group has become a fixture at the library, with other visitors sometimes sitting and listening to the lessons!  For thier final lesson of the year, a special event was planned which happenend to correspond with Connor's 14th birthday.  Parents, students and teacher met at Connor's house which was transformed with red lanterns, red eggs and other decorations. 

Their final year-end presentations were each given: a full family tree of their relatives written in Mandarin with a dialogue, of course in Chinese.  Next, the boys were instructed in the wonderful art form of brush painting: the dragon etched ink well and the horse-hair brush carefully explained.  They each learned the up and down strokes to meditative music and understood the essence of this art - painting their favorite characters, and Yuan Lao Shi also created 'long life'. 

Then the celebratory feast began, including the use of long wheat noodles, symbolizing long life which is of course, a birthday theme.  The excellent meal included ground pork, shrimp, special Chinese mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs and spices - over noodles, truly a birthday feast.  Birthday greetings were sung in both languages and as the candles were blown out, they reflected on the fun that learning can be when taught by CLSC tutors!! "Sheng Ri Kuai Le" and Xie xie. 

Sincerely,
Laurie Heiss

From parent and Advisory Committee member, Mei Nishiwaki:

CLSC program is perfect for my family. We are off Asian descent but do not speak Mandarin at home. Through program's extensive use of technology and pace of delivery, my daughters are able to learn Mandarin in a supportive, engaging and enjoyable way.