I am Professor Allen Tam, Cantonese instructor at College of Alameda for twenty-five years. I teach Cantonese from beginning to advanced levels, i. e., Cantonese 9A/B, Spoken and Written Cantonese; Cantonese 10A/B, Elementary Cantonese; Cantonese 11A/B, Intermediate Cantonese; and Cantonese 12A/B, Advanced Cantonese: Reading & Writing.

According to the recent linguistic report of the world from the United Nations, Cantonese is recognized and listed as one of the seven most used languages in the world–English, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, French, Cantonese and Arabic. Cantonese is an old language that had been used since the Tang Dynasty in China (618 AD), and most poems during this period were written in Cantonese. As a matter of fact, Cantonese is more widely spoken outside of China than Mandarin! Explore any Chinatown or Chinese community in America, and more often than not you will find people conversing in Cantonese! In addition, you will more often hear modern Cantonese spoken in Canton, Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, and overseas.

Students who enroll in Cantonese classes often do so to learn and understand a new culture. They are a diverse body, coming from different walks of life and cultures. They have awesome opportunities to meet, understand, and appreciate different peoples and cultures while learning the Cantonese language and its own culture.

As for student extracurricular programs at College of Alameda, I am the sponsor of the Cantonese Club. All students are welcome to join and participate in a variety of Cantonese language and cultural activities and functions year round. It is very meaningful, worthwhile, and fun to get involved in this club’s educational and cultural activities and functions. For more information, visit the Cantonese Club site in the Student Union Quarter in Building “F”.