The Sunday language class at Amador Valley High looks like any other. Students sit in uniform desks reciting from textbooks, led by a teacher who occasionally breaks away for further explanation using a marker on the dry-erase board. But now, Pleasanton students can get high school credit for taking Mandarin Chinese classes offered by the Chinese American Cooperation Council's school, which rents space for its Sunday sessions from the Pleasanton school district. Officials with the nonprofit school hope other Tri-Valley districts will follow suit and give credit, too.

The Pleasanton district started giving credit for the school's Chinese 1 and 2 courses — with each one-year class being equivalent to one year in the public school district — this school year, said Charles Young, the district's director of secondary education.

"They're excellent," he said of the school. The district reviewed the curriculum thoroughly and visited the school, he said. Both teachers have state credentials and teach in other East Bay districts. "The quality of their program is very, very high."

Chinese school Principal Richard Xu said the school is working with the district to offer a third high school year starting in the fall. Xu said the school also wants to start an advanced placement Chinese class, but instead of trying to get credit through the district, the school is consulting with The College Board, which gives the tests that can allow a

student to get college credit.

The school, which started in 2003, runs its Sunday-only sessions similar to a traditional fall-to-spring schedule. It has about 1,400 students taking classes from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There are a variety of preschool through adult classes, including music, dance, art and sports. There are also Chinese classes for kindergartners through eighth-graders.

About 30 students are enrolled between the two high school-level Chinese classes. During a recent class, students learned how some Chinese words are used because of their similar sound to English words, though their meanings are unrelated. One student chimed in that it was like Chinese instant messenger users saying "thank you" with the characters "3Q." In Mandarin the number is pronounced "san."

Many students said they speak the language at home and are also taking other world languages — formerly referred to as foreign languages — during the week.

"There's some new grammar and vocabulary," said Bowei Su, 15, a sophomore at Amador Valley High. Su, born in China, immigrated when she was 3 and has taken classes at a Fremont Chinese school.

Foothill High students Edmond Hare, a senior, and Vivian Hare, a freshmen, said their mother sometimes speaks Chinese at home, though the two American-born Pleasanton students said they usually reply in English. She wanted them to learn how to communicate with relatives, but they also enjoy taking the classes.

"If we didn't want to do this we could have dropped out a long time ago," Edmond Hare said.

Xu said as the program grows there may be more students taking the classes for the high school credit, and more who are not familiar with the language.

Currently, students pay $336 per school year, but Xu said that the fee will likely increase to more than $400. He said the lower cost was an introductory amount and was based on the school's shorter Chinese classes for younger students. He said the school will consider scholarships for those who can't afford it.

Local interest in Chinese classes is not limited to Pleasanton. The San Ramon Valley school district offers Chinese at California High and Dougherty Valley High.

Amy Liu, a parent and Sacramento State sociology professor who was closely involved in the partnership because of her education background, said even though the Tri-Valley's Chinese population is growing, it's unlikely many districts will be adding Chinese classes because of ongoing budget cuts.

"It's free services for the school district," she said of the program.

Young agreed.

"It does get difficult in this budget to talk about adding classes," he said. He also said there is interest in Chinese classes because of its value in international business.

Arleen Burns, a world language consultant for the state Department of Education, said it's up to the districts to decide whether to give credit for classes taken outside a district. While the state doesn't track the practice, she has heard of San Francisco schools offering credit for Chinese and Los Angeles schools doing the same for Hebrew classes.

Reach Eric Louie at 925-847-2123 or elouie@bayareanewsgroup.com.