Our Curriculum

Let's Learn Mandarin

Let's Learn Mandarin

A Proven Path to Mandarin Fluency

The SACCI follows a curriculum developed by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China in Taiwan.  The comprehensive curriculum was developed by Taiwan’s Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) specifically for children learning Mandarin as a second language. Built around real-life communication and age-appropriate learning, our curriculum helps students develop confidence in listening, speaking, reading, and writing Traditional Chinese while fostering a lifelong appreciation for the language and culture. The curriculum follows internationally recognized second-language teaching principles and aligns with ACTFL language-learning standards.

Speaking & Listening

Students develop practical communication skills through conversations, role-playing, storytelling, songs, and interactive classroom activities. Speaking Mandarin becomes natural through consistent practice in a supportive environment.

Reading

Students gradually build reading comprehension using Traditional Chinese characters, expanding vocabulary while learning to understand stories, dialogues, and informational texts.

Writing

Beginning with proper stroke order and character formation, students progress toward writing complete sentences, paragraphs, and creative compositions using Traditional Chinese.

Cultural Understanding

Language and culture are taught together. Students explore various festivals, traditions, history, geography, literature, food, and customs, helping them understand not just how to speak Mandarin, but why language is deeply connected to culture.

Curriculum Topics

Unlike traditional memorization-based programs, our curriculum emphasizes communication and engagement. Each lesson includes a variety of activities that encourage students to actively participate while reinforcing what they’ve learned. Students explore a wide range of real-world themes that make learning Mandarin both practical and engaging.

School and Studies

Numbers and Lifestyle

Climate and Environment

Body and Health

Geography and International Outlook

Tourism and Transportation

Family and society

Food and Culture

festival and customs

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

History and Humanities

Technology and Innovation

A Curriculum Designed for Young Learners

Unlike traditional memorization-based programs, our curriculum emphasizes communication and engagement. Each lesson includes a variety of activities that encourage students to actively participate while reinforcing what they’ve learned.

Students benefit from:

  • Interactive dialogues and real-life conversations
  • Vocabulary building through meaningful contexts
  • Sentence pattern practice
  • Reading and writing activities
  • Children’s songs and rhymes
  • Educational games and collaborative learning
  • Review activities that reinforce long-term retention

This spiral-learning approach revisits key concepts while introducing new material, helping students build fluency naturally over time.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Language learning doesn’t stop when class ends. Students are encouraged to practice at home using workbook activities, audio resources, and family conversations that reinforce classroom learning.

Throughout the year, students also participate in cultural celebrations, performances, holiday events, and community activities that allow them to experience Mandarin in meaningful, real-world settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

?

Let’s Learn Mandarin (For Children ) is built on second-language teaching concepts and incorporates teaching approaches and schedules employed in compatriot schools in Europe and North America. The overall learning framework consists of topics at various levels that align with those set by the World Language Content Standards for California Public Schools and the language learning goals established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Each volume is composed of 12 units with dialogs, vocabulary lists, sentence pattern practice, children’s songs and rhymes, and games. The series utilizes both bopomofo and Hanyu Pinyin and includes simplified characters in the notes. Built around everyday conversations, our texts incorporate communication, culture, connection, comparison, and community. Suitable for elementary- and junior high school-aged children, this series can help them effectively develop their Mandarin listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills and deepen their cross-cultural understanding.

Both. Our curriculum develops all four essential language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students begin using conversational Mandarin from the very first class while gradually learning to recognize and write Traditional Chinese characters.

Yes. Our curriculum is designed for learners with a wide range of backgrounds, including complete beginners and heritage learners. Lessons are taught in a supportive environment where students can build confidence at their own pace.

We teach Traditional Chinese, the writing system used in Taiwan and many overseas Chinese communities around the world. Traditional Chinese preserves the historical and cultural richness of the language and provides students with a strong foundation in reading and writing. Students who learn Traditional Chinese can generally transition to Simplified Chinese more easily in the future if needed.