About The Li-Ming Chinese Academy

Text Box: The Li-Ming Chinese Academy (LMCA) is a non-profit school established in the spring of 1995. The School aims to develop students' proficiency in Chinese language and foster cultural awareness through classroom instruction, peer interaction and participation in team activities. LMCA was founded on these principles: nurture physical and emotional well-being of students; establish a participatory administrative system; and provide a harmonious environment where students, parents, teachers and staff can learn and grow together. The School has a Board of Trustees, which selects and appoints the Principal. LMCA uses the facilities at the Julius West Middle School in Rockville, Maryland. School hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Sundays. There are two semesters in each school year, comprising of 16 Sundays per semester. Classes are held for students in grades ranging from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade. Enrollment in 2006 is about 300 students. The LMCA language instructional program adopts the "communicative approach" for second language learners. It is a student-centered methodology, which enables the students to learn functional language in realistic situations. The School continues to develop a comprehensive curriculum from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, suited to those students with Chinese language environment at home. The curriculum draws upon a large collection of different Chinese language textbooks in the U.S. and other countries leading in Chinese language education. Four modules, centered around students' experience and appropriate to students' age and language background, are developed for each grade level. The School teaches the Mandarin pronunciation in listening and speaking, the traditional Chinese characters in reading and writing, and uses the Chinese phonetics as an aid. Students in grades 8 and above will also learn the Pinyin system, and practice computer skills to improve their Chinese language proficiency. The School places major emphasis on teacher pre- and in-service training. All teachers attend periodic teacher training workshops conducted by leading educators in the field. In addition, teachers are encouraged to keep abreast of recent developments in second language teaching by participating in professional association activities and conferences. An Advisory Board consisting of experts in second language instruction, bilingual instruction, linguistics, and psychology advises teacher training and curriculum development efforts. LMCA offers an array of extracurricular activities for students of all ages. Sports include volleyball and badminton. Cultural classes include calligraphy, Chinese painting, calculation with abacus, Go Game, Chinese martial arts, karate, zither, Tai-Chi, Hip Hop, aerobic dance & body sculpting, and Toastmasters. In addition, there are several student clubs, e.g., Student Government Association, lion dance, drance troupe, Chinese Yo-Yo, and Culture Knowledge, etc. The School is managed by devoted volunteers and staffed by dedicated teachers. One major goal is for students to become bilingual and appreciate the advantages of being bi-cultural. LMCA welcomes interested individuals and families to join and work toward these goals. For more information, please visit http://www.li-ming.org.