The Jordan School District was excited to host the fifth annual Cultural Arts Festival at Riverton High School in March. The District has dual language immersion programs in Mandarin Chinese, French, Portuguese and Spanish. These dual immersion programs follow a 50/50 model. The students involved in this event spend half the day in the Chinese language and English for the other half and this cultural event helped them learn more about the Chinese culture. Teachers, students, planners and the administration appreciated how the festival highlighted the Chinese culture 

“The attendance was good! We had kids of all grades come to partake in the event; they were all accompanied by their parents. So people of all ages were here,” said JSD VP of External Communications Chase Glenn. “They were all very excited to see what we had planned for them, and excited to hear about the Chinese bridge program and what it can offer.”

The Chinese high school Bridge Leadership Team was recognized for their service. These students were essential in this cultural arts festival’s success. They volunteered many hours outside of class to plan the festival, prepare competition materials, set up cultural activities, run the talent show and help with cleanup. These organizers came from the Riverton and Mountain Ridge Chinese Club.

“Many worked five to six hours on the day of the event while balancing school, sports and other commitments. Their participation was completely voluntary, yet every leadership team member showed up and gave their best. As their adviser, I am incredibly proud of their dedication and leadership,” said Dual Language Immersion and Bridge Program Instructor Dr. Wei Wei. “Thank you again for supporting our students and celebrating Chinese language and culture with us!” 

This year’s competition focused on language and culture, with grade-appropriate questions covering pinyin, grammar and cultural knowledge. Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, is officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet and is the most common Romanization system for Standard Chinese. The festival’s performances included singing, dancing, instrumental music, skits and even stand-up. There were also language competitions. Grades 1 to 3 competed in Charades, and grades 4 to 9 competed in a Jeopardy game. The preliminary rounds had easier questions while the final rounds were more challenging. 

1. The students studied and practiced carefully to test and perform well in the event they had chosen. These events deepened their understanding and appreciation of the Chinese culture. Beyond that, DLI students often perform as well as or better than peers in traditional programs on standardized tests, developing stronger reading and math skills in both languages.  It has also been found the dual-language environment boosts cognitive skills which include better memory and better problem-solving skills. One obvious benefit is the creation of future career opportunities and respect for other cultures. 

 “What stood out to me most was how much impact the Chinese DLI program can have on people’s lives,” Glenn said. “It opens doors to new perspectives, cultures and opportunities for young students.”