Students in Ms. Tiffany Fan’s Chinese classes recently went on a field trip, a first for students studying the language at Schreiber.  On Feb. 7, 19 of the 22 students in the Chinese 2 class visited Flushing to add an element of culture to their study of the language.

The students visited a bookstore and a tea store offering both bubble tea and traditional hot tea, a Chinese staple.  They also visited a bakery, a food court, and a market in the area.  At the market, they encountered interesting Chinese specialty items.

“It was enjoyable,” said senior Andrew Kim, “It was something that you don’t do on a regular field trip.  I got to see many different things about Chinese culture that I wouldn’t have experienced going to Flushing myself.”

The opportunity to speak to native Chinese speakers in Chinese while making purchases was a novel experience for many students of the class.

“I believe they gained from the experience because it’s very difficult and it takes some confidence to actually talk to a Chinese person,” said Ms. Fan.  “All my students had the courage to actually say something in Chinese to a native speaker, so I think it’s very important for them to take the first step and break the ice this way.

This trip was also a first for Ms. Fan, who is a recent addition to the Languages Other Than English department.

“I was a little nervous, but my class behaved wonderfully and they tried to speak and practice their Chinese,” said Ms. Fan.