Derek Yang: A Chinese teacher making a difference

Derek Yang (杨德诚 yáng dé chéng, surname, kind, sincere) has been a Chinese language teacher in both China and the United States for many years. He has been a Middle School Chinese language teacher at Breck School in Golden Valley for the last 18 years.

By Jodi Yim James, Staff Writer 

Derek Yang (杨德诚 yáng dé chéng, surname, kind, sincere) has been a Chinese language teacher in both China and the United States for many years. He has been a Middle School Chinese language teacher at Breck School in Golden Valley for the last 18 years.

Yáng lăoshī 杨老师 (teacher Yang) grew up in Shanghai where he attended elementary school, middle school, and high school. After earning a degree at Shanghai Normal University, he became a Chinese language teacher at a technical school in Shanghai. Because many mainland Chinese nationals grow up with another local language (Chinese recognizes 56 different languages within Mainland China), studying Mandarin Chinese is often required and considered typical while pursuing one’s education in China.

In 1988, Yang came to the Twin Cities where he first attended the University of Minnesota English as a Second Language (ESL) program to enhance his English. He then attended St. Mary’s Graduate School where he earned a Master of Arts in Management in 1992. This was a change in major from being a language teacher to working in business management. However, when seeking a job, he found it difficult to land a position in his field. Yang applied for and was placed in a Chinese language teacher position at Breck School. He has been in this position for 18 years. 

At that time, the Chinese language program at Breck was a small program and Yang only taught part-time in the Middle School. Over the years, Yang has watched this grow into two full-time Chinese teacher positions in the Middle School, (as well as two more teachers in the Upper School, and two in the Lower School).  

Students entering Breck Middle School choose between Spanish, Chinese, and French. There has been a steady increase in students selecting Chinese in the middle school. Students may add a third language as an elective when they begin in the Upper School in grade 9, combining Chinese with French or Spanish. As the global situation has changed, Chinese programs have grown in numbers. 

From the start, Yang says, learning to teach Chinese in the United States required major change on his part. When he was teaching in China, the pedagogy was teacher-centered, which is sometimes called the “sage on the stage” style of teaching or “what I say, you do.” He was teaching at the college level in a different era and on the other side of the world. 

Then in Minnesota almost 20 years ago, Yang says he plunged into teaching middle school Chinese and, “I absolutely love my job.” At first, he felt he did not understand American middle school students. He had to learn how to write lesson plans that addressed the development, needs and interests of his students. He had to learn how to manage his classroom efficiently and most of all, how to make learning Chinese FUN! Once he began this career, Yang never thought to change. He finds as he makes learning fun for his students, he enjoys his work. “I really care about my students,” Yang says with a sparkle in his eyes and a smile. 

At first he taught all four grade levels in the middle school, which includes grades 5, 6, 7, and 8. He basically had very small classes of students for four successive years as he was the only middle school Chinese teacher. Through this experience, Yang really began to understand middle school students, who bridge lower and upper school during the middle years.  

Yang also experienced student feedback as they moved on to upper school. As they moved on, the students showed great appreciation for everything he had taught them. Yang felt his job was important and he was making a significant difference in his students’ lives. “They stop and chat. They show respect. They make you feel good about what you do,” says Yang. “Each student is different, yet the goal is the same: help them learn Chinese.” 

When the Chinese classes had smaller groups of students, Yang said it was easier to manage the coursework. As the program has grown, there is more pressure for the teacher to effectively distribute class time, adjust the lesson plans for a larger diverse class, and reach each individual student’s needs. “However,” Yang adds, “as I see students gradually begin to speak very good Chinese, it makes me feel good to see them use the language naturally during the course of the day. As the students progress in middle school, they use Chinese for daily conversation in my classes. They use what they learn.” 

The most challenging part of teaching for Yang is helping students who have difficulty with communication. “I work with parents to make sure we can help their students and this is good, however, for some this subject matter of learning Chinese is a challenge. Moreover, some students have learning concerns. Yet, I feel these students are very brave to have this great desire to learn Chinese. Despite their learning challenges, they are very motivated and they work hard to succeed. The students learning Chinese today are not just the brainy ones. We have a cross-section of academic ability levels that are successfully learning Chinese. Students embrace the challenge with courage. So, I help them as much as I can. I remind myself that I am here not for my own pleasure but to serve all of my students. My efforts are greatly rewarded as my students respond and improve. By grade 7 when I send them on to the next teacher, students are cheerfully speaking Chinese.” 

“Most important, class must always be fun, and never boring. Students having fun in the learning process is the key. Around these bright young students, I stay young at heart with a fresh, sharp mindset. I am not yet ready to retire – I love the challenge in my work.” 

Yang uses a lot of art and culture in teaching Chinese, which is encouraged by Breck School. “We explore Chinese art, using the毛笔máo-bǐ or painting brush, and we do paper cuts and drawing. Lots of students are visual learners so artwork helps them learn both Chinese culture and characters.”

“My favorite lesson to teach is the one about what students like to do, ‘你喜欢什么?’ [nǐ xǐ huan shénme? You like to do what?],” Yang shares. “They interview each other about their favorite sports, activities, and hobbies. They find out about their common interests and involvements, while they are learning Chinese. It is fun networking for everyone.” 

“A second lesson that is fun is when we study colors and clothing [颜色 yán sè colors, 衣服 yī fu clothes],” shares Yang. “We collect pictures of outfits to create a fashion magazine. Students write original sentences to go with the pictures. I try to always have fun activities to go with the teaching.” 

As a seasoned teacher Yang has advice for those new to teaching Chinese:
Be patient.
♦ Know your students, on an individual level.
♦ Make class work fun.
♦ Use technology.
♦ Investigate what they enjoy in learning.
♦ After years, they will know you care and recognize what you have done for them. You will know the significance of your work.
♦ Even if I am strict, they know I care, which is most important. 

“Once I started teaching middle school Chinese,” reflects Yang, “I never looked back.”