This month, Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS Beijing) primary school students got in touch with their lyrical sides for the school’s I’m A Poet event. The students explored Chinese literature, culture, and history with the event’s two sections: listening to poems and sharing poems. For the first section, students listened as their teachers read poems aloud and explained the history and expressions of the pieces. Students then chose their favorite Chinese poems from ancient, classical, and modern periods, and performed them live in front of an audience. In the end, over 120 students recited poems on stage.
YCIS Beijing’s strong dual language program means that reciting Chinese poetry was a surmountable challenge for students, and I’m A Poet provided an entertaining, interactive way for students to get involved with Chinese words and characters. YCIS Beijing’s Chinese Primary Coordinator April Peng says, “Through performing poems and songs that they have chosen, students develop a greater enthusiasm for learning and also grow in confidence and improve greatly in terms of their ability to express themselves in Chinese.”
Photos courtesy of YCIS Beijing
