Cindy: Professor of Mandarin Chinese and Bilingual Education

Meet Cindy—a Mandarin professor at California State University, Los Angeles and California Poly Pomona. Cindy teaches Mandarin, Teacher Development, Early Childhood Education, and Bilingual Education.

My #LanguageDream for the future is having people understand and learn about the culture of not only their ancestors, but also of other cultures, so everyone can become global innovators.

What first inspired you to become a language educator? What motivates you today?

I was first inspired to be an educator was when I was still a child. As the child of an immigrant family, I grew up learning multiple languages. In the 5th grade, I was selected by my teacher to read a haiku I had written for a Christmas concert. I felt so accomplished, as only 3 students were picked for this opportunity. This experience inspired me to motivate other students like me to build their confidence.

What motivates me today is representing my community, my language, and my culture.

What’s the best or most fulfilling part of teaching for you?

The most fulfilling part of my teaching is inspiring students to advocate for bilingualism, their identities, their culture, and reminding them to never forget where they, and their students, may come from. To me, teaching a language means opening the door to new world, new cultures, and new understanding of the world outside of this country.

Have you got a favorite word or expression in another language? What is it and what does it mean?

My favorite word in Mandarin is 緣份 (Yuán fèn) which means destiny.