Teacher builds trust through language

By LIA ZHU and CHELSEA GE in San Francisco |

chinadaily.com.cn |

Alan Heath, a Chinese language teacher, and his students perform

zuoyi, the traditional Chinese greeting that dates back thousands of years, before the start of class at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah. [Photo by CHELSEA GE/chinadaily.com.cn]

Red paper-cuts and brush-inked calligraphy cover the walls. A sign by the door reads "100 percent speak Chinese". When Alan Heath walks to the front of his classroom at Lone Peak High School, his students rise, fold their hands in front of them and bow. Heath bows back. Zuoyi, the traditional Chinese gesture of greeting and respect, is used to open every class.