Foreign language learning is a valuable endeavour that can not only open new and exciting opportunities for work and travel, but also new insights and perspectives into peoples and cultures. It is in learning a foreign language that we gain an insight into, and appreciation of, other ways of being, living and thinking.
Among the many interesting and exciting aspects of Chinese language and culture is learning more about and enjoying typical Chinese cuisine. Online learning has presented some Middle School Chinese classes with an opportunity to connect with their peers and families by cooking some Chinese dishes from the comfort of their own kitchens!
Towards the end of Term 3, Ms Li and Ms Shen led their Year 7 and 8 Chinese classes through some recipes step-by-step. The Year 7 students whipped up traditional fried rice, while the Year 8s created pork dumplings from scratch! This experiential learning opportunity gave students a chance to interact with one another as they followed the teacher’s cooking demonstrations, shared feedback about their and their peers’ creations, and most importantly, enjoyed devouring the end product of their hard work!
The students’ comments, posted in their shared Padlet throughout the cooking activity, encapsulate the success of the experience:
‘So fun to cook with all of you!’
‘My first batch is done, they are sooo tasty!!!’
‘Thanks so much for taking the time to do a cooking class with us! I had a great time, and my family really enjoyed the dumplings.’
‘We did half pan-friend and half steamed, they were really good!’
Many parents were also keen to get involved in this activity, which strengthened the links between students’ language learning and family life: ‘It was a lovely idea to have a cooking class. Sam really enjoyed preparing the dumplings for our family dinner tonight and everyone loved them.’
A huge thank you to Ms Li and Ms Shen for arranging such an engaging activity that allowed students to get away from their desks and participate in some active, experiential learning through cooking and culture. Xie xie!
Ellen Moffatt
Leader of Learning – Languages
