"There are several reasons why I decided to learn Chinese. I've been to China three times, my [wife's sister] lived there for about 20 years and we visited and we've travelled extensively around China and I love it.
"Then I started to learn more about the history of China and with that I learnt a bit of the language but I wanted to learn more."
Making mistakes in class was something he had to overcome but the classroom environment was encouraging and professional, he said.
So far he has learnt to count, introduce himself and have basic conversations in Mandarin.
"Ni Hao, wo jiao Miker. In English, this means: 'Hi, my name is Mike'."
"One thing I would like to say is 'Liangwei laoshi dou hen hao', which means 'The two teachers are very good'."
There are about 20 people in the adult class with Mr Sparks. Many were businesspeople who wanted to learn the language to better themselves in a business environment.
"One man in the class, his wife is Chinese so he's here to learn the language so he can meet her halfway," Mr Sparks said.
"Others are businesspeople who go over to China on business and want to be able to have basic conversations and then there are other people like me who are interested and just want to give it a go."
For Ry Housham, 8, learning Mandarin was a way he could communicate with his older brother without his mother knowing what he was saying. He is one of the youngest students at the Chinese Language School.
"His older brother has been learning Chinese for about two years and Ry thought it would be fun to have secret conversations that I couldn't understand," mother Evie Housham said.
"And it's worked that way. They go into their bedroom and practise together so it's a lot of fun for him.
"His uncle also lives in Hong Kong and he told Ry he always wished he learnt Mandarin before he moved to Hong Kong as it's such an important language to learn from a business point of view so that also encouraged him to learn the language."
Meanwhile, Bay residents can learn French and Spanish at the Bay Learning Academy in Mount Maunganui. The academy started on July 16 and offered beginner foreign language classes as well as after-school tuition and English for international residents.