For a number of years, after my aunt and uncle adopted three girls from mainland China, and after opportunities to learn about the country through various school projects and some independent investigation, I have had the desire to eventually learn the Chinese language to fluency, so that one day I might live there and compose choral music in Mandarin (music is another personal passion). Professor Tseng's Elementary Chinese class was the best way a student could've hoped to begin on that journey. Not only does she manage class time in a balanced and comprehensive fashion, covering vocabulary, grammar, speaking and listening skills, but her bright and joyful personality imbues all with the same sense of happiness in the task of language mastery. No language program is complete without some contextualization of that language in the atmosphere wherein it was developed and is currently used. We have been exposed to a number of cultural aspects of the people through various festival celebrations, presentations, movies and field trips which were incorporated either directly or indirectly (i.e. through extra credit or close organizational affiliation) with the curriculum. Just through the little Chinese I have acquired during these past two semesters, a much deeper avenue of understanding has been opened to many things which formerly intrigued me about the Far-Eastern wonder. And contrary to popular opinion, although it is more difficult for most Westerners to grasp than a Romance or Germanic language, while during the first months of Level 101 it seemed overwhelming, Chinese is not an indefatigable difficulty beyond the level of most people's academic ability. I would encourage any student with an interest in Chinese or the Chinese people and their history to take Tseng Laoshi's class (as we call her). You will not regret it!