Chinese language immersion day for pupils

Enjoying a Chinese tea ceremony are (from left) Maisie Hulls (8) of Grant’s Braes School, Lucy Maole (10) of St Clair School, and Leyton ‘Aluesi (12) and Holly Bezett (12), both of Tahuna Normal Intermediate, at Tahuna Normal Intermediate yesterday.

The pupils were among about 350 taking part in  a Chinese language immersion day at the school.

Event organiser Courtney Lousley said the pupils were  among 950 school children  in  an Otakou Mandarin Cluster which taught Mandarin to Dunedin pupils.

Yesterday pupils participated in  t’ai chi, t’ai ji fan dancing, kung fu, calligraphy, paper cutting and dumpling making as well as having conversations with pupils at the programme’s sister school in China, Mr Lousley said.

Funding for the Otakou Mandarin Cluster would run out at the end of the year, but Mr Lousley hoped it would be renewed because the pupils were "very keen to acquire and continue learning Mandarin language".