Chinese Language Classes Revived at Walls

After what seemed like the indefinite suspension of Chinese language classes at the end of last year, many students were pleasantly surprised in late June to learn the program would not cease.

The program, which had faced elimination due to budget cuts, was restored following advocacy from the Walls community to the City Council. However, with the funding restoration coming in late June, Walls administrators faced a tight timeline to find a new Chinese teacher.

Ms. Yidan Xie, the newly hired instructor, is a familiar face, having previously worked at Walls. Her experience inspired her transition from college teaching to K-12 education. After pausing her teaching career during the pandemic, she returned to the classroom at Alice Deal Middle School. Many Walls students who attended Deal are thrilled to have Ms. Xie back this year.

“I took [Chinese] all three years of middle school,” said Alice de Vilmorin (‘28) who takes Chinese 3. “She’s really, really nice, and she makes us sing songs in Chinese, which is really fun.” When asked if she’s learning a lot in class, Alice responded, “Yeah, definitely.”

“I’m very excited to be here,” said Ms. Xie, a native Chinese speaker who grew up using the language at home. In addition to being fluent in Chinese, Ms. Xie (pronounced sh-yeah) holds master's degrees in teaching Chinese as a second language and East Asian literature.

Ms. Xie began teaching Chinese at the university level from 2013 to 2019 before switching to K-12 education. Prior to joining DCPS, she taught beginner to intermediate Chinese at both Minzu University in Beijing and George Washington University. “I really like the process of building a relationship with my students and seeing their growth,” she said. “I feel very accomplished when I see my students become fluent.”

“Ms. Xie combines learning about history and language, creating an engaging but useful class,” said Nicola Lauren (‘26) who is taking AP Chinese. “Ms. Xie is open and welcoming to all of her students.” She added that, “Ms. Xie prepares us well by assigning work that combines a rubric with proficiency in Chinese and creativity.”

“I think that schools are supposed to give students the opportunity to fully express themselves. When options are limited, that limits the students' ability to excel and learn,” said Anna Mayer, emphasizing the value of the Chinese program. Lauren agreed, adding that “Being in the Chinese program is more than studying characters and learning the language. Instead, it is a community where you get to grow together.”