CB1 – Ms. Ma
I started teaching Cantonese Beginner 1 (CB1) at CSGW in 2013. I have wanted to be a kindergarten teacher ever since I was a child and teaching at CSGW gave me the opportunity to fulfill my childhood dream. I was born in Hong Kong and Cantonese is my first language. I want to help the kids learn and gain interest in Cantonese language and Chinese culture through different class activities such as singing songs, playing games, and telling stories. In my free time, I enjoy cooking and watching tv.
CB2 – Ms. Chan
Hi! I am Ms. Chan, the CB2 and art teacher at CSGW. I am a native Cantonese speaker from Hong Kong. I have been teaching at CSGW since 2013. I have a passion for teaching Cantonese and culture to children. I really enjoyed seeing my students every Sunday and helping them learn to speak Cantonese. I like to help my students learn through games, listening to stories, and speaking in daily conversations. I believe children are our future and I want to be part of it.
CB3 – Mrs. Ng
Mrs. Ng is a native Cantonese speaker and she earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Hawaii. She has taught Pre-K to 3rd-grade classes at multiple schools in Montgomery County. Since 2015, she has enrolled her 3 children at the Cantonese School of Greater Washington (CSGW) to learn Cantonese. In 2019, she began teaching at CSGW and has taught starting levels of Cantonese in both virtual and in-person settings. She is inspired to share various elements of traditional Chinese culture with the students. She engages her students in the CSGW through games and crafts in a fun and interactive environment when learning Cantonese. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, yoga, and hiking.
C1 – Ms. Mak (麥老師)
My adventure with the Chinese School of Greater Washington (CSGW) began in 2023, but my passion for teaching extends far beyond that. I’ve been fortunate to share my knowledge and enthusiasm for Cantonese through various teaching and tutoring roles over the years. When the opportunity arose to join CSGW, I couldn’t contain my excitement. Teaching my mother tongue has always been a dream of mine, and it was a chance to make a difference amidst the challenges my community experienced last summer when a citywide budget cut in our school district threatened our middle school’s Chinese program. During that time, I spearheaded an effort to preserve a program that the school board tried to terminate. We managed to save it then, but it remains an ongoing battle to this day. Through that experience, I have learned not to take my heritage and language for granted. I am excited to return for another year of teaching my favorite age group and class: C1.
Adult Class – Mr. Lee (李老師)
大家好！我是李老師！
I am a native of DC and attended Cantonese school in DC briefly at age 6. However, I didn’t resume learning Cantonese and Mandarin seriously until well into my teens, later serving as teaching assistant at Tufts University’s Chinese language department and working in a Cantonese restaurant in Northern Virginia before becoming an actuarial consultant. Later, I moved to New York City, and after a brief stint in Malaysia, settled in Hong Kong where I lived for over 26 years. In addition to using Mandarin and Cantonese daily in my professional and social life there, I hosted and organized language exchange activities for a number of organizations and also obtained a Chinese Language Writing certificate from the University of Hong Kong. Returning back to the DMV area, I am excited to help provide avenues for adults trying to learn Cantonese past childhood, with a keen awareness of the challenges faced by both heritage and non-heritage learners. Joining CSGW in 2023, I hope to help parents pass this linguistic and cultural heritage on to the next generation.
Apart from hosting language exchanges, I helped to found a Marine Conservation community organization (Living Seas Hong Kong) and became a scuba diving instructor to teach Hong Kong residents about preserving the marine environment. When not trying to pick up my next language, I have also been an avid gardener since childhood in DC and throughout my whole time in Hong Kong. Since returning to Maryland, I have been working to develop an agricultural property with the aim to grow fruits and vegetables of interest to the local Cantonese community.