2025年1月22日（星期三），苗苗汉语的胡老师为森林预科学校（Forest Preparatory School）带来了精彩的试讲课程。
On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, Ms. Hu from MM Chinese Club delivered three outstanding trial lessons at Forest Preparatory School.
·The Introduction of Forest Preparatory School
森林预科学校（Forest Preparatory School）是一所独立的男女混合学校，位于蒂姆珀利（Timperley），与阿尔特林厄姆（Altrincham）接壤。森林预科学校招收 2 - 11 岁的儿童，由托儿所和幼儿园（学前班）组成。托儿所和幼儿园全年开放，为小学生们提供充满激励的学习体验。学校坐落在阿特灵厄姆市（Altrincham）廷伯利（Timperley）的一个宁静的住宅区内，校园由充满特色和魅力的房屋组成，周围是绿树成荫、环境优美的花园。在 2018 年 5 月最新的 ISI 报告中，学校各方面均被评为 “优秀”。
Forest Prep is an independent, co-educational school situated in Timperley which borders Altrincham. Forest Prep is for children aged 2-11 years and consists of a Nursery and Kindergarten (pre-school) which makes up the Early Years department alongside the Reception class. Our Nursery and Kindergarten is open all year round (48 weeks of the year) to offer a stimulating learning experience for our youngest pupils. Based in a quiet residential area in Timperley, Altrincham, our school grounds consist of the original house full of character and charm, surrounded by beautifully maintained leafy gardens. The school is rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas in its latest ISI Report in May 2018.
·A workshop of Chinese New Year
今天苗苗汉语把中国新年文化带进了森林预备小学，并为reception, year 1和year 2的学生们介绍了许多与之相关的习俗与汉语词汇。
Today, MM Chinese Club brought Chinese New Year culture to Forest Preparatory School and introduced many related traditions and Chinese vocabulary to the students in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2.
在课程的最初，老师让英国学生知道了“Happy New Year（新年好）”的汉语说法，鼓励学生尝试开口用中文来向老师、同学与家人们问好，大家虽然年龄不大，但是学习速度很快并且发音标准。
At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher taught the British students how to say 'Happy New Year' (新年好) in Chinese, encouraging them to try greeting their teachers, classmates, and family members in Mandarin. Although the students were young, they learned quickly and pronounced the words with remarkable accuracy.
谈到中国年，就不能不提中国的十二生肖。龙年已过，蛇年将至，每一年在中国的传统文化中都有一个富有特色的代表动物。生肖文化尽管在中国及汉语文化圈内家喻户晓，但是对于英国的小学生而言却是一个相对陌生的概念。老师将十二生肖与中国剪纸的形象相结合，带领学生了解不同年份的动物代表。学生们在猜测和交流的过程中体会到了许多乐趣。
When talking about the Chinese New Year, one cannot ignore the Chinese Zodiac. The Year of the Dragon（龙） has passed, and the Year of the Snake（蛇） is approaching. In traditional Chinese culture, each year is represented by a unique and symbolic animal. While the Zodiac is widely known in China and other Chinese-speaking regions, it is a relatively unfamiliar concept to British primary school students.
中国阴历新年对于英国小学生而言也是一个全新的事物，老师联系他们所熟知的平安夜、圣诞节来引出中国的除夕、新年与元宵节。尽管我们有着不同的文化，但山川异域、风月同天，在特殊的日子里，我们都会与家人们围坐在一起，共进美食，享受团圆时刻。
The Chinese Lunar New Year is also a completely new concept for British primary school students. The teacher connected it to familiar occasions like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to introduce Chinese traditions such as Lunar New Year's Eve, New Year, and the Lantern Festival. Although our cultures may differ, as the saying goes, 'lands may be apart and distant, but we all shared the same sky and moon.' On special days, we all gather with our families, share delicious food, and enjoy moments of togetherness.
在中国文化中，“龙”的形象占据了重要地位，与西方多象征邪恶且与火元素关系紧密的龙（dragon）不同，中国的龙（loong）多与水元素相关并且象征着权威。在一个短视频中，英国的小学生们了解到了中国龙的特殊之处。与此同时，为了帮助他们更进一步了解中国人在新年时经常举办的舞龙与舞狮活动，老师也精心准备了道具，为学生们展示了一场现场的舞龙。
In Chinese culture, the image of the 'dragon' holds great significance. Unlike Western dragons, which are often associated with evil and the element of fire, Chinese dragons (loong, 龙) are more closely linked to the element of water and symbolize authority. Through a short video, the British primary school students learned about the unique characteristics of Chinese dragons. At the same time, to further help them understand the dragon and lion dances often performed during Chinese New Year celebrations, the teacher thoughtfully prepared props and presented a live dragon dance performance for the students.
除了舞龙与舞狮以外，国画与剪纸也是具有代表性和中国特色的传统文化。国画不仅能够勾勒出波澜壮阔的山川湖海，也能够细细描绘日常生活中的鸡鸭鱼虫。以水墨创作为主的国画与西方常见的油画之间有着明显的差异，为了让学生们能够更加直观地体现中国国画的魅力，胡老师亲自在课堂中提笔为学生们在宣纸上画下了一只活灵活现的大熊猫，并且让学生传阅观察，引起了学生们的好奇。在快下课的时候，胡老师还为大家分发了剪纸的道具，鼓励学生在课后尝试根据知道自己制作新年时的红包。
In addition to dragon and lion dances, traditional Chinese painting and paper-cutting are also iconic aspects of Chinese culture. Chinese painting can capture the grandeur of mountains, rivers, and oceans, as well as depict the everyday details of chickens, ducks, fish, and insects. Primarily using ink and brush, Chinese painting is distinctly different from the oil painting commonly seen in the West. To help students better appreciate the charm of Chinese painting, Ms. Hu personally picked up a brush during the class and painted a vivid giant panda on rice paper for the students. She passed it around for the students to observe, sparking their curiosity. Toward the end of the class, Ms. Hu also distributed paper-cutting tools, encouraging the students to try making their own New Year red envelopes at home based on what they had learned.
在上课过程中，学生们始终聚精会神，与老师配合默契，并且主动表现出了对中国文化的兴趣。在课后，也有不少同学对这次课程表达了喜爱，并期待能够再次见到苗苗汉语的老师们。
During the class, the students remained fully engaged, cooperated seamlessly with the teacher, and actively demonstrated their interest in Chinese culture. After the lesson, many students expressed their enjoyment of the session and shared their hope of seeing the teachers from MM Chinese Club again in the future.
下周三就是农历新年了，苗苗汉语也在这里预祝大家新年快乐（Happy New Year）!
Next Wednesday marks the Lunar New Year, and MM Chinese Club would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year in advance!
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