Opening up China through language

Dedicated teacher takes great pride in introducing foreign students to his nation and explaining its way of life

A sense of achievement has motivated Liu Zhigang to continue teaching Chinese to foreign students overseas, the veteran educator says.

Liu, 35, who has been working in a public school - Johnnie R. Carr Middle School in Montgomery, Alabama, in the United States - says he is not only happy, but also enjoys a sense of accomplishment, when he hears the boys and girls in his seven classes speak Chinese, talk about Chinese food, sing Chinese songs and celebrate Spring Festival with him.

"When talking about China, many Western people may only know about the Great Wall, kung fu or pandas. They have little idea of the nation's history and culture. Some people even take it for granted that the country remains in a stagnant state," Liu says.

"However, the economic growth and strong national power have convinced them that China is not the old one, not the same country with men having pigtails or women having bound feet. They hope they can know more about the country, its culture and its square-shaped characters. So as a certified and professional Chinese language teacher, my career brings me glories. I am a living example for them of how an ordinary Chinese man looks."

Liu was assigned by the Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban) to teach Chinese language at Carr Middle School in 2016. He is to stay in the US for two years, according to his contract, after which he will apply to a school in the United Kingdom.

At least 350 Chinese-language teachers have been assigned by Hanban to more than 90 countries, according to official figures. The teachers who apply to work at overseas middle schools or universities are required to have a master's degree, be certified at second-level, class A in Mandarin, speak fluent English and have at least two years' experience in teaching language to foreigners. The term of service could be two to four years, depending on the country.

Liu says he likes his job because he considers himself a cultural ambassador who promotes Chinese culture to the world. "You cannot only teach characters, of course," he says. "What is contained in the words and characters are the country's civilization and philosophy, which is distilled and settled from 5,000 years of history.

"I am so glad to see that more and more young people in the United States show an interest in learning Chinese and choose it as their second language in school. Some of them may have been following their parents' wishes in the beginning, but they had fun learning and told me they would like to have a chance to taste jiaozi. Some say they hope to have a Chinese pen pal. I, their Chinese teacher, may be the first real 'Chinese element' they came into contact with. And my manners and behavior may directly influence their ideas about the country."

Such thinking gives Liu a sense of mission. Before going to the US, he worked as an educator for many years, and his students included adults and teenagers from Germany, Japan and South Korea. They may speak a different mother tongue, or work in different industries, so the background of the students will decide their focus while learning Chinese, Liu says.

"As their Chinese language teacher, you have to figure out the students' characteristics first, and then teach what they need. As Confucius says, 'Teach students in accordance with their aptitude'.

"For example, businesspeople would like to learn words and expressions that can help them do business, and their learning periods may be short. They like crash courses; they may work in China and have an advantage in the language environment. Middle school students in foreign countries will not be that interested in commercial Chinese; they would like to learn more general language. They are more interested in how people speak and communicate in daily life in China, how they show their feelings in Chinese."

Liu started teaching Chinese in 2010 in Shanghai. His first students were senior high school students from Germany. They went to China for a one-month summer school project, Liu recalls. They could not speak a word of Chinese when they arrived in Shanghai, but when they left, they could sing the Chinese song The Moon Represents My Heart.

"The modernized Shanghai impressed them. Two of them even told me that they had decided to study in China as overseas students, and take part in Chinese language-related industries. Their words gave me a sense of achievement. That was the biggest reward of my work."

In his spare time, Liu immerses himself in studying teaching methods and writing books. He has developed a video library of Chinese language teaching materials that helps students learn Chinese words and grammar while watching short films. The method has won high praise from learners. "That is a great way. I make progress in learning Chinese by following this way," says one of Liu's students from Italy.

Liu has also tried to use his experience in teaching to help more Chinese teachers. In 2014, his first book on Chinese language teaching, Spicy Chinese, was published by Commercial Press. The book, which collects Liu's stories about teaching Chinese through cartoons and pictures, is among books for beginners for many Chinese language teachers and foreign learners.

Last year, Liu published another book, Diary of a Chinese Language Teacher, which collects many interesting cases and stories of Liu's students during their learning process. The book contains many short stories written by foreigners in Chinese, including their impressions of Beijing's hutong, the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and their lives in China. It also covers many language mistakes that are easily made by foreign learners.

Liu says he hopes the sense of achievement will encourage more young Chinese people to pursue a career in language teaching. "If you think of teaching language only as an occupation to make a living, it will be difficult for you to stay with it," Liu said during a speech at Xiamen University in Fujian province. "But if you treat it like a career, you will find fun in it."

He adds: "I believe this is a glorious career. I hope what I do can help more foreigners know China, like the country and its culture. In addition, I also hope more young Chinese teachers will love and be proud of their work."

renjie@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/11/2017 page22)