2026 English Club Event Report, Part One

By Jennifer Zhang 

In the first week of April 2026, the first session of this year’s “English Club,” organized by the Chinese American Community Health Services (CACHS), came to a successful conclusion. The “English Club” is an online practical spoken English program designed for Chinese American seniors in the community. On Sunday, April 5, participants gathered for the first in-person event of “English Club”—a graduation ceremony and award presentation. Despite the heavy rain, seniors arrived at Jiayuan Senior Care Center with friends and family, enthusiastically taking part in the event. 

At the opening session, CACHS volunteer Chunmei Yue extended a warm welcome to all attending seniors and guests and offered sincere congratulations to those who received the Perfect Attendance Award and Encouragement Award. She also gave a brief introduction to CACHS and its various community service initiatives. This was followed by remarks from Dr. Min Li, a member of the CACHS Board. While congratulating the award recipients, he also expressed his heartfelt admiration for the participants’ positive attitude and dedication throughout the English Club program. 

CACHS had specially invited the English instructor, Ms. Farina, to attend the event in person. Meeting their teacher face-to-face for the first time, the seniors were delighted, greeting her warmly and taking photos together. They then introduced themselves in English one by one. Some had carefully prepared their speech, while others spoke spontaneously; some spoke fluently, while others were less confident; some kept their introductions brief, while others spoke at greater length. Regardless of style, all participants demonstrated a genuine appreciation for the opportunity to learn spoken English online and a strong enthusiasm for language learning, which was truly moving. 

Next, CACHS volunteer Yaqin Su prepared a delicious snacks and tea. As participants enjoyed refreshments, they engaged in relaxed and friendly conversations. The entertainment and interactive session was then hosted by CACHS volunteer Wei Pan. Ms. Farina opened the performances with a heartfelt song “Friends” in Chinese, earning enthusiastic applause. The seniors then eagerly stepped onto the stage, presenting a variety of performances including Chinese and English songs, recorder playing, and even a Cantonese opera. Their remarkable talents impressed, gaining continuous applause. 

The event concluded with the anticipated award ceremony. The award-winning seniors received Chinese supermarket gift cards or cash red envelopes thoughtfully prepared by the CACHS team, bringing them great joy. The event came to a successful close amid laughter, applause, and group photos, leaving participants with warm and lasting memories.