High School Chinese 1 – Semester 1
Grade 8 - 9
A semester-long live course that builds real communication skills in Mandarin Chinese while meeting the standard for high-school foreign language credit. You will receive 0.5 credit after this course, and 1 credit after semester 2.
🎯 Learning Goals 🎯
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Accurately pronounce Mandarin tones and syllables using the Pinyin system.
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Exchange basic personal information, greetings, and daily-life details in short conversations.
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Recognize and write 100–120 common Chinese characters to form simple sentences.
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Use foundational sentence patterns, measure words, and question forms correctly.
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Demonstrate awareness of key Chinese customs and social norms in context.
👩🏻🏫 Class Format / Schedule 👩🏻🏫
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Meets
2× per week for 18 weeks
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Class Length
50 minutes each session
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Homework
2–3 hours per week (listening, reading, writing practice, projects)
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Credit
0.5 high-school credit (Semester 2 completes the full 1.0 credit)
📅 Weekly Outline 📅
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Week: 1-3
Lesson: 1 - 6
50 Minutes Online Live Lesson
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Week: 4-6
Lesson: 7 - 12
50 Minutes Online Live Lesson
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Week: 7-9
Lesson: 13 - 18
50 Minutes Online Live Lesson
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Week: 10-12
Lesson: 19 - 24
50 Minutes Online Live Lesson
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Week: 13-15
Lesson: 25 - 30
50 Minutes Online Live Lesson
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Week: 16-18
Lesson: 31 - 36
50 Minutes Online Live Lesson
📝Grading & Credit Information 📝
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Grading
1 letter grade after class completion
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Credits
it’s worth 0.5 credit per semester
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Certificate
1 certificate of completion after class completion
👨🏫 Teacher Expertise 👨🏫
Wonder Spark Learning instructors are passionate, experienced educators who specialize in teaching Mandarin Chinese to middle and high school students. Each teacher brings a strong foundation in both language instruction and classroom engagement, ensuring that every learner feels confident and supported.
Our teachers are native or near-native Mandarin speakers with formal training in language pedagogy and experience teaching across different proficiency levels—from complete beginners to advanced learners preparing for AP-level coursework. They combine structured, proficiency-based instruction with interactive, real-world practice so students can use Chinese naturally and meaningfully.
In class, teachers focus on pronunciation, tone accuracy, sentence fluency, and cultural understanding through conversation, games, and guided writing. They also provide individual feedback, scaffold learning for varied ability levels, and use multiple teaching tools (visual aids, pronunciation recordings, and digital review games) to keep students engaged and progressing.
At Wonder Spark Learning, our educators believe that language learning should be inspiring, interactive, and empowering. Their expertise ensures students not only master vocabulary and grammar but also develop confidence, curiosity, and cultural appreciation that will last far beyond the classroom.
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Non-US Teaching Certificate in English to Speakers of Other Languages - Shylah Waugh
Non-US Teaching Certificate in Foreign Language - Shylah Waugh
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Master’s Degree from Dominican University - Shylah Waugh
Master’s Degree in Psychology from Columbia University - Lauren Ran
Master’s Degree in Foreign Language from Lanzhou University - Jiajia Xu
Master’s Degree in Education from UNIVERSIDAD CIUDADANA DE NUEVO LEON - Yamilex Castillo
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Bachelor’s Degree from University of San Francisco - Shylah Waugh
Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Language from Lanzhou University - Jiajia Xu
Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Walsh College - Jessica Decaillon
Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature from Sichuan University - Xiting Dan
Bachelor’s Degree in Education from UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE NUEVO LEON - Yamilex Castillo
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Associate’s Degree in Psychology from College of Marin - Shylah Waugh
Associate’s Degree in Education from Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo de Educación Bilingüe (CIDEB) UANL - Yamilex Castillo
To view a full list of our teachers, click the link below:

