Bridgeport Middle School teacher, Sabine Riley, is a polyglot.  The funny-sounding word simply means that she knows several languages. As a French native, Riley speaks fluent English and Spanish, teaching both French and Spanish at BMS. In June, she will be adding a fourth language to her repertoire, Mandarin Chinese.

 

“Oriental language has always intrigued me,” she said.  “I found it both fascinating and baffling how people could read and write using Sino signs.”

 

Three years ago, Riley was offered an opportunity to learn Mandarin with the Confucius Institute at West Virginia University.  The goal of the program is to train teachers and certify them in Chines.  Students involved with the WVU Confucius Institute work directly with their sister school in China, Tianjin University.  Riley jumped at the chance to learn the language and has spent three years, nearly every weekend, taking classes to get certified. Nine people from around the state started the program, but only four remain at the lend of three years.  

 

“It has been a commitment and a steep learning curve,” said Riley.  “I will finish on June 16 and I am really glad I stuck with it.”

 

Over spring break, Riley was invited to join the WVU administrators in a cultural tour of China, including visits to Beijing, Tianjin, and Xian.  Throughout the trip, the group visited eight schools and one university, including the top two middle and high schools in the nation.  

 

“The schools were very formal and courteous,” said Riley.  “Many knew English and they took pride in their teaching.  They imbedded music, storytelling, recitation and calligraphy into most lessons and each morning, the entire class worked out to music together.”

 

Because a failed exam can mean that a student is not promoted in China, school is taken very seriously.  Students stand behind their desks until the teacher arrives and bow and sit when told to do so, demonstrating respect for both the teacher and the privilege of education.  

 

“Their standards are much higher than in the United States when it comes to education,” said Riley. “They spend a lot of time studying and preparing for their exit exams.”

To better prepare for her overseas adventure, Riley learned about the Chinese culture and protocol and worked with her teacher in order to make a speech upon her arrival.  She recorded her Bridgeport Middle School students greeting the Chinese students and holding up BMS Braves shirts that were gifted to the administrators in China.

 

“I would like to create a sister school relationship with BMS and a middle school in Tianjin,” said Riley.  “I have introduced my seventh graders to the culture and language and they seem very excited to learn more.”

 

Being immersed in Chinese culture, tasting foods that are not available here, and meeting gracious people from the other side of the world were all highlights for Riley, but her ultimate goal is to bring these experiences back to the classroom.  

 

“I want to make sure our students are competitive in the globalized world and additional languages they can understand and speak will be beneficial to them in the long run,” she said.