The Top-Notch Teachers Behind Budlong Elementary’s Chinese Program

Two journeys spanning several decades eventually brought Ms. Wei Wang and Ms. Wenjie Zhang Cosentino together to lead the Chinese language program at Budlong Elementary. 

Ms. Wang lived in Shanghai—one of Chicago’s sister cities—before moving to Canada, then Detroit, and then Upstate New York before finally settling in Chicago with her family. Ms. Zhang Cosentino came to Chicago from Beijing in 1999 to study at DePaul University, with the intention of returning to China after she finished her degree. However, she met her husband in the U.S. and decided to stay. 

Neither of them initially pursued education as a career. Ms. Wang worked in human resources, and Ms. Zhang Cosentino was a web developer. Motherhood led them both to transition into teaching, and now, they’re extremely motivated to play a part in helping Budlong become a neighborhood school with a global perspective. 

The Chinese language program at Budlong started three years ago, but this is the first year it is being offered to all grade levels. Serving a student population that represents more than 40 countries has inspired both Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhang Cosentino to use Chinese as a platform to help students learn more about the world as a whole. 

“I have this idea that we are using one culture to bring all of the cultures together,” said Ms. Wang. “For example, one of our first lessons is to learn greetings, so I would call on different students to use their home language to say ‘hello.’” 

Shaping Budlong’s global identity also means engaging parents and the surrounding community. Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhang Cosentino incorporate weekly assignments into their curriculum that require students to share what they’ve learned in Chinese with their parents and siblings. For Mother’s Day, students were tasked with learning a Chinese song and presenting it to their family. 

During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, students are learning about Asian American heroes and the contributions they’ve made to society. Ms. Zhang Cosentino says one of her heroes is Chloé Zhao, who became the first Chinese woman to win Best Director at the Oscars earlier this year.

Both teachers are also collaborating closely with their colleagues on topics that can be taught across Chinese and social studies classes—and even beyond those two subjects. For example, a pre-k classroom recently read The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin, a picture book about learning to love your culture. 

As the Chinese program continues to grow and students return to Budlong after a year of learning at home, Ms. Wang and Ms. Zhang Cosentino hope to nurture a schoolwide love of Chinese culture through events like Budlong’s annual Lunar New Year Celebration. They are also creating an after-school club where students can expand their understanding of Chinese culture through activities like calligraphy and Go. 

These efforts reinforce the structure of the Chinese program, which is meant to act like a series of building blocks. Both of them teach pre-k to introduce students to the language. Next, students have Ms. Zhang Cosentino from kindergarten through third grade to learn vocabulary and how to construct simple sentences. Then, they have Ms. Wang from fourth to eighth grade to learn how to combine words and phrases to create more complex sentences and elaborate on their ideas. 

“When you’re in kindergarten, you can say ‘hello’ in Chinese, and then in first or second grade you can say ‘how are you doing?’ and carry a basic conversation,” said Ms. Zhang Cosentino. “The ACTFL proficiency levels are our standard here at Budlong. Our hope is that students are able to continue taking Chinese in high school and even get college credit.” 

Additionally, Ms. Zhang Cosentino is quick to point out that learning another language—especially one that doesn’t rely on an alphabet—helps with brain development and encourages students to be more tolerant and culturally sensitive. Ms. Wang believes that learning Chinese is something that can positively impact her students across an entire lifetime—their journey. 

“I always tell my students that I don’t expect them to remember every sentence or word, but they will take away an attitude toward the world for their entire life,” said Ms. Wang. “Chinese is a tool to present a different culture, and, from there, we try to help students see the big picture.”