Garland Students Learn Mandarin in the Gym

Unique curriculum combines language learning with martial arts at International Leadership of Texas charter school.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 9:35pm

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A bold, pop art-inspired illustration featuring a single Kung Fu nunchuck icon repeated in a grid pattern, rendered in a high-contrast, neon color palette to capture the dynamic fusion of martial arts and language learning.The unique Mandarin-Kung Fu gym class at International Leadership of Texas charter school combines physical and linguistic education to prepare students for global citizenship.Garland Today

Students at the International Leadership of Texas charter school in Garland, Texas are learning Mandarin Chinese through an innovative gym class that combines language instruction with Kung Fu lessons. The class is taught entirely in Mandarin by Coach Li Yue, who guides the students through martial arts movements while also drilling them on Chinese vocabulary and phrases related to the exercises.

Why it matters

This unique approach to language learning aims to engage students in a more active, immersive way compared to traditional classroom settings. By pairing Mandarin with physical activity, the school hopes to help students better retain the language skills while also promoting fitness and cultural awareness.

The details

Coach Li Yue leads the Mandarin-language gym class, where students practice Kung Fu moves while conversing in Chinese. The class focuses on vocabulary and phrases related to the martial arts, with the goal of having students become fluent in both the language and the physical techniques. Students report that the class is challenging but that they are seeing improvement in their Mandarin skills through the constant repetition and practice.

  • The Mandarin-Kung Fu gym class has been part of the curriculum at International Leadership of Texas in Garland since the school opened in 2021.

The players

Li Yue

The coach who teaches the Mandarin-language Kung Fu gym class at International Leadership of Texas.

Tania Araejo

A student in the Mandarin-Kung Fu gym class who says the class is challenging but that she has seen significant improvement in her Chinese language skills.

Falak Alkhaldi

A student in the Mandarin-Kung Fu gym class who notes that while Mandarin has over 5,000 characters, the class focuses on vocabulary related to Kung Fu, which helps with memorization.

International Leadership of Texas

A charter school in Garland, Texas that has integrated Mandarin language learning with Kung Fu instruction as part of its curriculum to help students become "international citizens of the world."

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What they’re saying

“We are practicing the dialects through the movements. So that means the kids, they can speak Chinese and practice the movements also.”

— Li Yue, Coach

“It's just hard. It just takes a lot of practice.”

— Tania Araejo, Student

“Chinese is a big language. It has over 5,000 characters. We don't memorize all of them. We memorize the stuff that has to do with Kung Fu, and whenever you see characters a thousand times, you get used to it.”

— Falak Alkhaldi, Student

The takeaway

The innovative Mandarin-Kung Fu gym class at International Leadership of Texas demonstrates how schools can creatively integrate language learning with physical activity to engage students in a more immersive and effective way. This approach could serve as a model for other schools looking to expand their language programs and promote cultural awareness among their student populations.