4 minute read
HEYNI EDUCATION-VANCOUVER
Courses Tailored for Your Child
Heyni Education-Vancouver’s philosophy is rooted in the proverb “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” with a corresponding belief that the first step includes offering children quality and personalized Chinese education.
Founder and director Zixin (Bella) Chen says, “The journey starts with simple, grounded steps, and success comes from continuous and relentless efforts. The two joined horseshoes in our logo represent the connection between different cultures and languages.”
Heyni’s first centre opened in Richmond in 2022. Bella spent several years preparing to launch Heyni; she focused on educational research and educational technology products before accepting students.
A new location is scheduled to open in Dunbar this year. Bella mentions, “Heyni is the partner of Fulbright Canada and an official HSK test centre (HSK Richmond).”
Whether you are interested in having your child learn Mandarin or Cantonese or boosting their Chinese reading skills, Heyni offers a variety of courses tailored for your child.
The learning centre caters to students from kindergarten to Grade 12. Small class sizes ensure personal attention and practical learning. Mandarin, Cantonese, and elementary math are among Heyni’s most popular courses. The learning centre welcomes students of all language proficiency levels, whether new to Chinese or already speaking the language.
Classes are offered after school and on weekends. In addition, seasonal camps take place.
“I established Heyni when my son was three years old and my daughter was nine months old. They were our first students and helped me set up the classroom. Heyni has provided my children with a fantastic Chinese learning experience, enabling them to grow up in Canada while mastering the Chinese language, and has taught them how to communicate smoothly with their grandparents,” Bella says.
She says, “The women in my family profoundly influenced my career choices. My mother was once a rural English teacher, and her life-changing experiences through education inspired her to bring more hope and possibilities to children in rural areas lacking educational resources. My grandmother also navigated tumultuous times with the foundation of a good education.”
Since 2009, Bella has been actively involved in Mandarin Chinese phonetics and teaching Chinese as a foreign language.
She graduated from Chongqing University in China, majoring in broadcasting and hosting arts. She holds certificates in children’s broadcasting and hosting, first-level Mandarin proficiency, and teaching Chinese as a foreign language.
“In 2018, Heyni became the world’s first integrated media Chinese education platform, integrating rich video educational content with convenient mobile internet communication methods alongside traditional in-person education.”
Bella says, “Heyni is a vertical institution in Chinese education, specializing in providing professional Chinese education for speakers of different native languages, including English, French, Korean, Japanese, etc. We specialize in various aspects of Chinese language learning, such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, translation, and critical thinking, with different professional Chinese teachers.”
Classes include the Fun Chinese Graded Course. This comprehensive set of Chinesegraded courses covers learners’ varying stages, from beginners to advanced levels. Each level focuses on developing students’ listening comprehension, oral expression, reading skills, and writing abilities.
The practical graded Chinese language courses’ curriculum helps students establish a solid foundation in the Chinese language while fostering improved proficiency in Chinese and English.
The Yes Heyni Graded Chinese (Idioms) course combines fun, knowledge, history, and culture into one. Following the principle of starting with the easy and progressing to the difficult, this course uses age-appropriate stories and grammar based on the learner’s characteristics. It enhances children’s thinking abilities and cultural literacy.
Storytelling draws from world-class picture book stories (Chinese versions) and mainstream Chinese cultural stories. This part of the curriculum focuses on improving students' Mandarin pronunciation skills and helping them understand the structure of Chinese words and sentences. Art and crafts encourage students to create and boldly unleash their imagination.
The speaking and pronunciation course aims to help students improve the accuracy of Mandarin pronunciation through Pinyin, enhancing the standard and elegance of spoken Mandarin.
Heyni’s instructors hear plenty of positive feedback, including how students have improved cognitive abilities, acquired Chinese language skills more quickly, and enjoyed a happier learning experience.
Bella says, “We strive to empower children with ‘active learning’ and hope that more students can engage in high-quality Chinese courses, gaining knowledge of the language, better discipline, and character.”
Heyni Education-Vancouver
4531 Dunbar Street
Vancouver BC V6S 2G7
Phone 778-794-3964
Article by Sarah Gordon. (Feb 2024) @PALLAMEDIA
