Online for the 2025-2026 School Year
Teacher: Mrs. Yanhong Ochs
Email: chen_yanhong@hotmail.com
Online for the 2025-2026 School Year
Teacher: Mrs. Yanhong Ochs
Email: chen_yanhong@hotmail.com
Note: You must submit an application and be accepted to the class before submitting payment.
Who Should Apply:
1. Students who are highly motivated, independent workers having completed at least three years of dedicated Chinese language study, and aiming to significantly improve their proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, while also gaining cultural understanding can be a good fit for this course. Native and heritage speakers are welcome to enroll, as long as their reading and writing skills are developed.
2. Students who are looking to improve their Chinese language skill through application practice, not necessarily preparing to take AP exam are welcome to audit the class.
To apply: Please send me an email with the following:
1. 姓名，方便的联系电话和邮件箱地址，所在时区和合适你的课堂时间；
2. 用中文自我介绍一下并介绍一下你中文学习的历史，包括但不限于已经学了多久，怎么学的（比如通过公立学校，周末中文学校，夏校，去中国的机会，等），现在的中文水平和加入AP中文课堂的目标。
If you have challenges reading the message above, please contact me and I will assist you.
Required Materials:
1. Barron’s AP Chinese Language and Culture, any Edition by Yan Shen, M.A. (Amazon sells affordably)
2. 5 Steps to A 5, 3rd Edition by JianMin Luo (Amazon sells with 25% discount at $19.39.)
Technology requirements:
High-speed internet
Headset with a mic (ability to record audio)
Webcam
Email account for communication (can be parent’s)
Course description:
This course is designed to:
1. Help students develop their language skills in Chinese reading, writing, listening, and speaking;
2. Develop their proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational.
The course is designed around the following six themes:
1. Families and Communities;
2. Public and Personal Identity;
3. Beauty and Aesthetics;
4. Science and Technology;
5. Contemporary Life;
6. Global Challenges
There are eight key skills assessed in AP Chinese Language: Comprehend Text, Make Connections, Interpret Text, Make Meanings, Speak to Others, Write to Others, Present Orally, and Present in Writing; essentially encompassing the ability to understand written and spoken Chinese, make cultural connections, communicate interpersonally, and deliver presentations both orally and in writing.
To develop their language skills, students will study grammar and vocabulary with a focus on communicative competence, while interacting with a rich variety of everyday materials.
Course Goal:
The goal of the AP Chinese Language and Culture course is language proficiency, which means the student can accomplish tasks, interpret, and exchange information in Chinese. It is not limited to memorizing a word list, filling in a worksheet and using structures in a textbook. Language proficiency, from the AP perspective, includes the ability to interpret difficult authentic materials (meant for native speakers), and communicate in a culturally appropriate manner. AP students should acquire linguistic and cultural knowledge, as well as strategies that help them understand context, infer meaning and make correct choices in communication. AP students should utilize analytical skills, in addition to other skills, to function in Chinese.
Through this course, students would not only have success on the AP® Chinese Language & Culture exam, but that through their preparation, students would develop a deep appreciation and understanding of Chinese culture and that they would be able to engage in the target language.
Workload:
A typical week’s worth of assignments may include two to three reading samples (of a few paragraphs each), some audio listening sample, several multiple choice exercises, writing exercises, and recorded oral presentations. Students will interact with one another and with the instructor by way of forum discussions, presentations, and live class sessions. (Live class sessions will be held once a week. Attendance is strongly encouraged, but not required.) Students should plan to invest about an hour and a half to two hours a day in this course. A practice test will be administered in the beginning of the school year to assess the baseline of the student.
Tuition: $700 if enrolled after June 30. $650 early bird price if tuition is paid by June 30. Auditing fee will be $350.00. Cost of required material is additional.
Length of course: Class will begin in the last week of August and will end after the AP® exam in May.
Breaks: There will be no assignments due on any U.S. National Holidays. In addition, students will have one week off for Thanksgiving break, two weeks off for Christmas / New Years, and one week off for spring break.
Class Days and Time: This course will meet live each week with day and time to be determined after polling on students’ available time. These live sessions are expected to be very beneficial to the student’s learning and attendance is strongly encouraged. Sessions will be recorded if student needs to miss for some important reason. Absence should be communicated ahead with instructor.
Instructor qualifications:
I am a native Chinese speaker who has taught family members Chinese including my two children since they were born. My first child took AP Chinese with me during his freshmen year of high school three years ago and achieved the highest score and I have been working with my younger one preparing her for the same. I am an advocate for improving cross cultural understanding while retaining family heritage. I have been teaching algebra and geometry with a weekend Chinese school in the past seven years. My educational background is MAB (Master in Agribusiness, Texas A&M, College Station, TX and BA in Finance, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.