Assets High School students begin preparing for college early into their education journey with three language course options this year–Hawaiian, Japanese, or Chinese.
"Learning new languages allows me to connect with people I couldn't otherwise," explained Calum '25. "It allows me to explore a foreign country and have a more meaningful experience."
"Students always have fun learning another language," said Ms. Mengling Tan. "For Chinese class students, some have family backgrounds, so they want to know more. This year, two students who learned Chinese have shared how they want to further their studies."
In addition to teaching Chinese language classes, Ms. Tan teaches algebra and leads the East Asian Art and Craft Mentorship. Ms. Tan is fluent in English, Mandarin, and the Chinese Wu dialect. The Wu dialect is spoken primarily in the area south of the Yangtze River in China, like Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, part of Jiangsu Province.