Speaking to Janny Man, a long time Chinese teacher who currently teaches at Waltham Forest Chinese School, we finally get the answers to how organisations like the Waltham Forest Chinese School have grown significantly due to the increased interest in the Chinese language.

Over the years, the number of Chinese students has increased. Recent statistics have shown that studying Chinese has been popular more than ever. It’s been reported that Chinese A-level has become the 3rd most popular language to study, overtaking German A-Level. For all the readers wondering why Chinese has become a popular language over the years, I have conducted an interview with an experienced Chinese teacher, Janny Man, who teaches at Waltham Forest Chinese School.

How long has the Waltham Forest Chinese School been opened for and how long have you taught there?

From what I can remember, it’s been opened for about 35-36 years. I have been a Chinese teacher at this school for 23 years.

Has there been an increase in the number of people learning Chinese at the Waltham Forest Chinese School?

Definitely. There has been a huge increase in the number of people learning Chinese. When Waltham Forest Chinese School was first set up, we mainly taught Cantonese with only 2 small Mandarin classes. Now we have a huge amount of classes that teach either Cantonese or Mandarin. As a Chinese teacher, it’s extremely heartwarming to see that the number of Chinese students is not only increasing locally but globally as well.

Why do you think there has been an increase in the number of people learning Chinese?

Many of the students here are Chinese so I think that many parents send their children here to allow them to be in touch with their culture and learn Chinese. We do also get students who aren’t Chinese but learn it because it’s a very interesting language. As China is developing economically, I think that understanding Chinese is becoming a useful skill and asset, especially in the business world.

What do you want to say to the people who are interested in learning Chinese?

If your someone who would like to learn Chinese, don’t be afraid to try it out! There is a stigma about how hard the Chinese language is. However, if you are truly interested in the language, you’ll not only learn Chinese but you will understand the Chinese culture much better.

After conducting my interview with Janny Man, we finally understand why more and more people are studying Chinese. At Waltham Forest Chinese school, everyone is welcomed there and learning Chinese has never been so easy! As a current student there myself, I can say I have made real progress and understood the culture much better. Other students such as Mekumi Chan said that “the lessons there are very really enjoyable”.

For those interested in attending the Waltham Forest Chinese School, please contact them via their email walthamforestchinese@hotmail.com. Lessons take place on Sundays from 10:30am-12:30am.