How USN’s Chinese program is building real-world fluency

High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang-Yeh’s unique approach is drawing national attention and helping students improve their Chinese skills.
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications

At University School of Nashville, students in Chinese class are doing more than memorizing vocabulary lists or preparing for quizzes. They’re telling stories about their weekends, their travels, and their lives, all in a language that once felt unfamiliar.

The unique approach to foreign language learning, led by Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang-Yeh, has drawn attention to the program, with Huang-Yeh being invited to present at this year’s Advanced Placement Annual Conference, where she will share how her teaching style helps students steadily build real language proficiency throughout her classes with Middle and High Schoolers. 

Her method for teaching is simple in concept but deliberate in practice: students learn new vocabulary and grammar, then immediately use it to describe their personal experiences inside and outside of the classroom.

“The knowledge becomes theirs for use,” Huang-Yeh said. “I want my students not just to do well on a quiz or test, but really see the benefits of what language can be used for.”

For Liam Mooney ’28, the approach has transformed his understanding of Chinese.

“I started only knowing how to say ‘Ni Hao’ in really bad tones,” he said. “Now, though, I can confidently hold a conversation in Chinese.”

Liam said he enrolled in the class because of his long-standing interest in China’s history and culture. 

What surprised him most was how quickly the class connected language to real life.

“My favorite part of the class is learning more about day-to-day life in China,” he said. “It’s really cool seeing how people on the other side of the world live.”

That cultural competency that interests Liam is one of USN’s guiding principles and is exactly what Huang-Yeh hopes students gain from the class. She describes language as “a window” into other cultures and encourages students to think beyond their own experiences.

In a typical class, students begin with a short vocabulary quiz, which they call a “squiz,” before reviewing homework, learning new material, and practicing dialogue.

But the centerpiece of Huang-Yeh’s instruction often comes after school breaks or weekends, when students are asked to share personal experiences using both familiar and newly learned grammar.

“They are excited to make the connection that what they learn in class is actually useful,” Huang-Yeh said. “It reinforces their motivation and their capability to use the language for conversation.”

During these exercises, mistakes are part of the process. Students are encouraged to ask questions in Chinese, fill in vocabulary gaps, and build on each other’s ideas. New words introduced during discussions are written on the board and quickly adopted by others.

“The circle draws wider,” Huang-Yeh said, describing how one student’s question can expand the entire class’s vocabulary.

Devin McAteer ’28 initially signed up for Chinese because his brother had taken the class. Now, he sees both the benefits and the challenges.

“My favorite part[s are] probably the squizzes because they aren’t very stressful,” Devin said. “I have definitely improved my Chinese skills over the course of the year.”

Devin said the workload can be demanding, with some assignments taking longer to understand than those in other classes. 

Still, he recognizes the broader value of language learning.

“Speaking multiple languages gives you a view into different perspectives,” Devin said.

Liam agreed, emphasizing the importance of expanding one’s worldview.

“It teaches students to look at the world not solely from their native culture’s perspective,” he said.

Huang-Yeh’s upcoming AP conference presentation will focus on how teachers can integrate conversational proficiency into everyday lessons,  not as a separate goal, but as a constant practice.

“Proficiency needs to be cultivated with consistency,” she said. “As teachers, we need to provide meaningful opportunities and prompts to invite students to talk about their personal experiences.”

Her philosophy centers on consistency and relevance. Rather than waiting for fluency to emerge, she creates frequent opportunities for students to speak about topics that matter to them, from holidays to weekend plans.

Some of these opportunities for students to explore and celebrate Chinese culture include the annual Lunar New Year celebration and Chinese cooking classes for the community. 

She also emphasizes peer learning, noting that High Schoolers are naturally motivated to connect with one another.

“Students love to tell others about themselves and what they do,” she said. “The more they practice, the more they build their proficiency.”

Beyond the classroom, Huang-Yeh sees Chinese as a critical tool for the future. With the United States and China playing major roles on the global stage, she believes foreign language skills will be essential for the next generation.

“Language opens up a different perspective,” she said. “We need to raise up talents who can communicate and work together for the common good.”

For Liam, that opportunity is already taking shape through classroom conversations or the occasional attempt to order in Chinese at a restaurant.

“I’ll use the language to order at a Chinese restaurant when I want to practice my speaking skills,” Liam said. 

It’s a small step, but one that reflects Huang-Yeh’s larger goal of turning classroom lessons into real-world communication.
Back

More USN News

List of 3 news stories.

Archive

Contact

Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212

Phone:  615-321-8000
Fax:       615-321-0889 
Email:    info@usn.org

River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218

Resources

USN Mission: 
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.