Starting in middle school, ICS offers a wide variety of Mandarin classes to cater to the wide variety of student language proficiencies.

The Mandarin classes, now in their second 10-week session, were the brainchild of Donald Henton, 73, a retired city bus driver who has lived in Flushing since 1968.

But only one of his neighbors is attending the second session of Mandarin classes, he said, even after he slipped 400 fliers advertising the lessons under tenants' doors.

Is the boom in Mandarin classes a fad or a cultural turning point?

Prior to the 2007-2008 school year, Mandarin classes ranged from Mandarin I to Mandarin V (honors).

Some parents have complained that the school requires them to pay for after-school Mandarin classes, which were previously free but now cost $1,000 per student.

This was not the local Min pronunciation but that of the Mandarin administrative class.

It secured $500 to provide Jason and Anny with after-school Mandarin classes.

In 2007 the school began offering adult Mandarin classes for both beginning and intermediate learners.

He took a few Mandarin classes while attending Harvard to try to improve.