Another cultural facet has been added to the Riverside Arts Center.

On Sunday, Nov. 4, the center at 32 E. Quincy St. will open a Chinese Language School, a division of the newly established Chinese Cultural Center.

The director/teacher of the school, Xueyan (pronounced Schuyen) Fang, said she hopes to provide insight into the Chinese culture.

“I wish to teach Mandarin Chinese as a second language to both adults and children,” Fang said. “Through the school, I will provide students with a foundation for conversational Chinese, and also to cultivate interest in the language, culture and traditions of China.”

Fang is the wife of Owen Shurson, a sculptor and member of the board of directors of the Riverside Arts Center. It was Shurson who brought the idea of adding the teaching of the Chinese language to the center, hoping to enlarge the local approach to culture from the visual arts to include language arts.

Jennifer Taylor, actress, artist and a board member of the Arts Center, is excited about the addition.

“Xueyan is one of the kindest, most generous people I have met and she has a passionate enthusiasm to teach both adults and children the Chinese language,” she said. “It is such a mysterious language. I believe so much is based on sound or inflections. The wrong inflection can totally change the meaning of the spoken word.”

China is acknowledged to have the fastest growing economy in the world. Because of its influence on the rest of the world, China’s success has created an international rush to learn Mandarin Chinese, the official language of both the financial and cultural society of China.

“Proficient speakers of Mandarin Chinese will find jobs in various fields such as business, government and international relations,” Fang said.

Fang arrived in the United States nine years ago from Tianjin, near Beijing. She holds a degree from the University of Tianjin, has worked as a reporter in China and also in the Chicago area for the Chinese Journal Newspaper. She is also affiliated with the Midwest Office of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

“Our curriculum enables students to acquire practical communication skills, develop competence and confidence, and experience the joy of learning another language,” she said.

The Chinese language adult class is an eight-week course in beginning Mandarin. Lessons are organized around themes including family, food and travel. Children’s classes for fall 2007 are for students ages 4 to 9 and 10 to 15, where they will build a basic vocabulary through course study and games.

In addition to classwork, the Chinese Cultural Center offers tutoring and children’s birthday parties. Parties must be scheduled no less than 30 days prior to party day.
Activities include Chinese crafts, songs, stories and Chinese food.

On Friday, Nov. 23, and Saturday, Nov. 24, an exhibit at the Freeark Gallery of the Riverside Arts Center will feature the work of Ke Su Fang, Xueyan’s father.