Chinese Lessons

Nancy Chen picks up Mandarin flash cards after teaching a class at Clark College on Sunday. (ZACHARY KAUFMAN/The Columbian)

Student Rebecca Lam, of Ridgefield concentrates while trying to say the phrase, “You are the teacher Mrs. Chen,” in Mandarin.

Nancy Chen leads a class in Mandarin at Clark College on Sunday. Chen came to the U.S. from Taiwan in 2001.

Concentration was etched on Rebecca Lam's face as she worked to say, "You are the teacher, Mrs. Chen," in Mandarin.

But she got it and won a, "Hey, good job," from Nancy Chen.

Lam is one of nine students in Chinese Adult Conversation class held on Sunday afternoons at Clark College. It is held in conjunction with the American West Vancouver Chinese School, which has 85 preschoolers through fifth-graders who also study Mandarin on Sundays.

Lam is in the class because her husband, Daniel Lam, is part Chinese and her three children are enrolled in phonics classes at the Chinese school. "I really want to learn along with them so I can support them in their schooling," Rebecca said. Her boy, Karl, is 8, and her twin girls, Ingrid and Elsie, are 5.

So how is it going, learning Mandarin?

"I am loving it," Rebecca said after her second lesson Sunday. "I am so excited. We've got movies and my kids took a summer class in Chinese in Portland at the International School."

At Sunday's class, teacher Chen worked with students on easy phrases. There was much laughter along with the learning.

"She's really comfortable to work with because she doesn't pressure you," Rebecca said of Chen. "I love her. Her whole demeanor, she's so accepting, encouraging and she even talks about when she was learning English and that makes you feel more comfortable when you stumble."

"I try to teach them from the very beginning of the conversation," Chen said. First phases include "I am sorry," "Good morning," and "How are you?" The class will continue until June.

"It's fun because they have a strong motivation to learn," said Chen, 50, who came to the U.S. from Taiwan in 2001. She is married to dentist Frank Lin and has two boys, Jimmy, 21, a student at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and Danny, 16, a student at Union High School.

Lily Chen, 16, no relation to Nancy, serves as class assistant. Lily, of Camas, left Taiwan in the third grade.

Most class members either have a Chinese spouse or a child in the Chinese school.

Student Ruth Fung said she has been married for nine years to Albert Fung, who is of Chinese descent. Their son, Austin, 6, is in the phonics class.

"We want to carry on the Chinese tradition with our son," she said. "We go to Hong Kong about every two years to visit relatives and I have four sister-in-laws. I want to know what they're saying," she said, laughing.

Tracy Woods of Camas and Carrie Duffey of Washougal have a common reason for being in the class. Their families adopted a child from China.

"We look forward to taking (Grace, 4) back to China and we just want her to be able to communicate with people in China," Duffey said. "One in five people on the planet speak Chinese."

"I'd like to be able to sing a lullaby in Mandarin," said Woods. Her daughter, Anna, is 6 and she and husband James will travel to Taiwan late this year to adopt another baby girl.

And why not help your child be fluent in Chinese, Woods said. "It's going to help in any career. And I do think it shows huge respect for the culture."

And teacher Chen said she is happy to help the students, because "conversation is the first step."