This is my daughter third year attending this Chinese school and she loves it! So far she is learning Cantonese, which is hard to find in the Bay Area. They will start to add in Mandarine at a later grade level. All the teachers so far have been great finding kid appropriate method to teach them Chinese, which is really hard for the elementary aged. The school also have so many fun activities to get the kids excited for the school. read more

Excellent Chinese school in the bay area. My son was attending school in Hong Kong in his early age, during the time, his teachers were mostly using Cantonese and English, and of course, his classmates were speaking Cantonese too. When we relocated to the bay area, we found a problem that he started NOT using Cantonese to talk to us and so does talking to his little brother. My wife and I think it's critical to keep his mother language, which is Cantonese, in both verbal communications and writing skills. We start looking for a good Chinese school, which is teaching Chinese using Cantonese and Traditional Chinese characters, for my sons to learn Chinese. And then realized finding such school is extremely difficult! Most Chinese schools are teaching mandarine and simplified Chinese characters; I don't against using it, but as a Hongkonger, we grew up using Cantonese and Traditional Chinese, we can better teach our kids using the same language, and we think Cantonese and Traditional Chinese are harder to learn, kids can always be able to learn the mandarine and simplified Chinese when they grown up, provided that they have a good foundation of Chinese culture and understanding of Chinese. as a result, we go to this school, west valley Chinese school. The class schedule is every Friday night, 2hr each, we can still have Sat to do something else, it's a good fit for us. The most important part is the teaching programme, which can continue his Chinese education without much difficulties on starting, which make everything easier for parents to send their kids to school. My son had been there for two years, we are really enjoying the learning environments, making friends who're speaking the same language with us, and a lot of activities that can enhance the ability of my son (and us) to use Chinese. I am really glad that the teachers there are very professional and teaching with heart; As an example, my son was having a read-a-loud competition, and the teacher were using her spare time to do extra training with him, for two months before the class; We are talking to the teacher almost everytime after class, learnt the difficulties of teaching kids the Chinese in the US, and got a lot of advice from the teacher on how can we do better, and also share the techniques to communicate with kids. Just like normal daytime school. I will send my 2nd kid to the school for sure. I hope my kids can be attending the school till grade-12, making friends there and having fun. So far from the two years school life, I would say it's promising ;). read more

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This non profit Chinese school offers both Cantonese 廣東話 as well as Mandarin 普通話 language lessons (in upper grades). My kids love the school especially the Student Council as it provides on the spot leadership training and opportunity as well as community hours for Council members & officers. It now offers AP Chinese Class to prepare the student who intends to take the AP Chinese Exam. Http://WVCLS.org read more

My daughter still continues taking her Chinese here. Just learned that it can help her as a second language at Monta Vista. Now that is a plus! Fun learning Chinese culture and class size makes a different. read more

My son had a great time learning Cantonese in West Valley Chinese School. The board members and registrar are extremely helpful and efficient. Special thanks to Miss Elva Lau who uses creative and fun way to teach the kinders. It makes their learning experience enjoyable and stress-free. Perfect environment for young kids to learn Chinese. Highly recommended!!!!! read more

My younger son just graduated from West Valley Chinese Language School. He started when he was 5 years old and now a high school senior. It is not easy to get to school every Friday for 2 hours, but it is totally worth it. My older daughter also studied in the school for 10+ years. She is in college now, she sometimes text me in Chinese, that makes me so proud. I truly believe that language is one of the best gifts I have passed on to my children. What set the school apart is its group of very dedicated teachers, its pretty complete curriculum from kindergarten to AP level, the many activities for students, and the opportunities for the students to perform and organize activities for the school. And it is one of the very few Chinese schools in the Bay Area to offer Cantonese lessons from Kindergarten to 3rd grade. read more

excellent school for children of all ages and different learning needs. my son doesn't know chinese/cantonese to begin with, but he's making good progress with strokes and numbers already. he's in ck (chinese kindergarten) and the teacher is amazing. she managed to get 5 year olds engaged and learn. i am very pleased. the tuition is cheap. its on fridays from 7-9pm, so you can still enjoy weekend with kids :0) friendly learning environment. read more

My kids have been attending this Cantonese school for years. There are other Saturday morning Cantonese alternatives, but Friday evening was perfect for our family, because we wanted to reserve the weekends for activities, such as sports, traveling, relax, etc... Our family is quite busy (whose isn't?), but wanted to make it a priority for our kids to be a part of this culture. Otherwise, I feel they will not be able to connect as much to their own people. I grew up not wanting to go to Cantonese school, but realize now that I should have tried harder and was glad that my parents pushed me to learn my native tongue. My kids should have this same opportunity to learn about their identity and heritage. They may not be fluent in Cantonese (unless they speak at home or stay in Hong Kong for some time), but they will have some recognition and understanding of their lineage. They can decide later whether they stay or leave. Having an additional language skill can open doors for communication with relatives or others who are more comfortable with Cantonese. read more

My kids just started this school (after a Chinese learning center closed) and we're happy with it. The teachers and volunteer board members are very helpful and open to communication. Hopefully we'll be here for the long run. read more

My daughter took the Cantonese and traditional chinese in this school. She loves it and enjoy a lot. Thanks for the teachers!

Excellent school for learning the Chinese language (both Cantonese and Mandarin). The school provides not only a great environment for Chinese learning but also a community that nurtures a sense of belonging for students, teachers and parents. My son graduated from West Valley Chinese Language School a few years ago! It had been a wonderful journey for my son and myself. read more

My daughter has been in this school for 2+ years. This school is ideal for families who want to expose the child to both Cantonese and Mandarin. Many people didn't realize the school also offered Mandarin initially (including myself!). It actually has a very good AP Chinese class (Mandarin only). Many Cantonese parents send the kids to Mandarin Chinese school because they felt that they had to choose between Cantonese vs Mandarin (even the family speaks Cantonese at home). People feel they don't need to study Cantonese because they speak it at home. I took a different approach because the vocabulary would be very limited if the dialect was only spoken at home ("kitchen/family words only). This school offers both. The teacher to student is low. The students get a lot of attention. The school also offer scholarship and speech contest training in preparation for outside contests - all that for free! what a deal! read more

My daughter enjoys learning Cantonese on Friday night. The Chinese characters are fun and meaningful to her. The class is fun and teachers are caring! Mandarin will be introduced at fourth grade at the school! It is special for her to learn the native language of her parents at a school setting. read more