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Yu Zaohe, a teacher at the Confucius Classroom, says the courses will help the children improve fluency in Chinese, which develops a greater ability to understand the Chinese culture.

The school has been expanding over the past six years due to strong demand from parents, who believe that Chinese language should be taught as early as possible.

"Most parents are living in nearby residential districts. Many of them are interested in Chinese culture, have studied abroad, have some Chinese friends, or even can speak a little Chinese, so they attach more importance to children's Chinese learning," Yu says.

"I didn't expect American parents would have so much passion for Chinese learning before I came to teach here. Now I find Chinese is warmly welcomed here and the job is so meaningful."

According to Yu, more than 1,000 children apply only 30 places at the school each semester.

Chen Weiping, district director of the Hope Chinese School, the largest Chinese school in Washington, says more and more local people have realized the importance of early Chinese learning.

"Mandarin Chinese, spoken by one in five people worldwide, is an important language for American children to learn, especially as connections between the US and China become increasingly intertwined," he says.

The HCS has witnessed fast development since its establishment 20 years ago. It Xhas 4,000 students from kindergarten to grade 12, who are studying in seven branches across Washington.

There are nearly 100 Confucius institutes and more than 300 Confucius classrooms across the US.

Xinhua