The tone of Piedmont Language School’s classes is having fun with the language, and the goal is to instill a love of learning Mandarin, an accent and an ear.
Early Mandarin
The PLS Early Mandarin class is for our youngest students (TK to 1st grade) who have little or no experience in Mandarin.
This class lays a fun foundation for learning at the higher levels. A textbook is not used at this level; the teacher teaches in themes primarily using simple crafts, rhymes, storytelling and games to engage students. Some of the themes explored in this class are Myself, My Family and My Friends. The idea is for students to get a feel for the language, and to immerse in the spoken language, without being conscious of the fact that they are learning.
Pre-Level 1 Mandarin
The PLS Pre-Level 1 Mandarin class is geared towards students who have completed PLS Early Mandarin or are have been assessed by EBCS Administration as to be ready for Pre-Level 1.
This class continues to build the foundation for learning of characters and speaking Mandarin. A textbook is not used at this level; the teacher teaches in themes primarily using simple crafts, rhymes, storytelling and games to engage students. Some of the themes explored in this class are Myself, My Family and My Friends. The idea is for students to get a feel for the language, and to immerse in the spoken language, without being conscious of the fact that they are learning.
Mandarin 1
The tone of these classes is having fun with the language, and the goal is to instill a love of learning Mandarin, an accent and an ear. We utilize different levels of workbooks/textbooks depending on age while bringing lots of art & crafts and hands-on activities into these classrooms. There is 10-15 minutes of light, age-appropriate homework on a weekly basis to reinforce classroom learnings
Mandarin 2
The PLS Mandarin 2 class is for students who have either completed PLS Mandarin 1 or an equivalent Mandarin program.
The tone of these classes is having fun with the language, and the goal is to instill a love of learning Mandarin, an accent and an ear, while building upon what has been learned in Mandarin 1. We utilize different levels of workbooks/textbooks depending on age while bringing lots of art & crafts and hands-on activities into these classrooms. There is 10-15 minutes of light, age-appropriate homework on a weekly basis to reinforce classroom learnings.
Mandarin 3
The PLS Mandarin 3 class is for more advanced learners and signifies a more academic chapter in language learning.
30 minutes of weekly homework is consistently assigned. The goal is “what can you do with the language that you learn”, and with this in mind, our focus is on learning more practical and functional Mandarin.
The PLS Mandarin 4 class is for advanced learners and will begin preparing students who endeavor to enroll in Mandarin in 8th grade at Piedmont Middle School.
Mandarin 4
The PLS Mandarin 4 class is for advanced learners and will begin preparing students who endeavor to enroll in Mandarin in 8th grade at Piedmont Middle School.
The Mandarin 4 teacher will base some lessons off of material in the Mandarin textbook used at PMS.