Conversational Taishanese 101 CEXTN49-202680

Introduction to Taishanese

with instructor Crystal Chan

Sessions: 6

Thursdays, 6:30pm-8:30pm, 10/15-11/19/2026

Location: Chinatown/North Beach Center, Room 1105

Conversational Taishanese (Toisanese) is a beginner-friendly, interactive language course designed to help students develop a practical foundation in Taishanese (Toisanese) , a heritage dialect widely spoken in San Francisco’s Chinese community. Each class meeting combines pronunciation and tone practice, vocabulary building, and guided conversation focused on real-life topics such as introductions, family, food, and daily routines. Students can expect a supportive, small-group environment emphasizing listening and speaking exercises, short cultural insights, and community interaction. The goal is to help learners gain the confidence to hold simple conversations, recognize common phrases, and understand the cultural context of the language. By the end of the workshop, students will have the skills to introduce themselves, share about their background, and engage naturally in everyday dialogue in Taishanese (Toisanese).

Materials: Learn to Speak Taishanese 1: A Beginner's Guide to Mastering Conversational Taishanese Chinese [$24.99]

Instrucotr Bio: My name is Crystal, and I was born and raised in San Francisco. I grew up speaking Toisanese at home and continue to speak it daily. I studied at Cumberland Chinese High School for a decade, where I later became a teacher’s aide supporting language learners in class. Professionally, I’ve served as Director of Communications for Myrna Melgar’s campaign for District 7 Supervisor, leading Toisanese and Cantonese community outreach. I currently work as a marketing consultant. I’m passionate about preserving and revitalizing Taishanese language and culture for future generations.