Yesterday I attended the Ab Initio Mandarin course run by the LCLC. Out of lots of workshops I have done in the past, this was by far the most I have learnt. The lesson started with sharing our own knowledge of words and learning what we all knew. Then, we were told many facts about China and Chinese culture by our enthusiastic teacher. We were also showed real Yuan notes and about the currency. After this we covered some basic mandarin greetings and then worked on the four different tones, pronouncing them together. What I enjoyed most about the session was the end section, when we made traditional decorations for spring and I have never been to a class that taught such a rich culture in such an interesting way.
-Mara Luca, Grey Coat Hospital