As Tea Leaves Rise and Fall, the Chinese Language Comes Alive-Shanghai High School International Division

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As Tea Leaves Rise and Fall, the Chinese Language Comes Alive

June 12, 2025

Recently, the Grade 7 non-native Chinese experimental class "Tea Aroma and Literary Charm" ingeniously integrated Chinese language learning, scientific inquiry, and life practice through tea culture. In the emerald-hued tea broth, students’ focused gazes were reflected, while Chinese characters unfurled alongside tea leaves, taking root in their hearts as cultural heritage.

Chinese Language Skills in Tea Culture: From Actions to Etiquette

The first lesson invited a tea art teacher to demonstrate traditional Chinese tea ceremonies. Centered on "Chinese language skills in tea culture," students learned over 20 practical verbs such as brew tea, pour water, smell the fragrance, and savor the tea in real-life scenarios. Through activities like filling in verb-based exercises, designing dialogues, role-playing, and exploring tea-related history, language learning, etiquette, and cultural traditions merged seamlessly. Amidst the curling tea steam, students not only completed fill-in-the-blank exercises and role-plays but also connected with the history of tea depicted in documentaries. Their language proficiency and cultural awareness grew as naturally as tea leaves unfurling in water.

Discovering Tea Culture: Interdisciplinary Exploration

The second lesson delved into tea culture through literature, history, and science. Students read vernacular adaptations of The Classic of Tea by the "Tea Sage" Lu Yu, comparing Tang dynasty tea-boiling techniques with Song dynasty tea-whisking artistry. Through scientific experiments, they observed color changes in green and black tea infusions, exploring the relationship between fermentation levels and tea polyphenol content. Group discussions on "coffee vs. tea for refreshment" sparked creative dialogue design and oral practice. Later, students tackled knowledge challenges in a "Tea and Me" worksheet, contrasting milk tea with traditional tea to uncover the secrets of milk tea, investigating home tea sets, answering tea trivia, and crafting healthy tea-drinking plans.

Floating and Sinking in the Teacup, Rising Warmth of Cultural Heritage

In teacups, tea leaves rise and fall; in the classroom, the warmth of cultural heritage ascends. These young learners witnessed the awakening of Chinese from mere symbols to living meaning. This "culture-activated language" teaching model offers a replicable ecological blueprint for international Chinese education, unlocking new possibilities for traditional cultural pedagogy.

Written by ZhangXinyi

Pictures by Grade 7 Non-Native Chinese teachers

Reviewed by Chen Fan,Liu Dong.