Source: School of Chinese as a Second Language
Written by: School of Chinese as a Second Language
Translated by: Nakayama Yushi
Proofread by: Liang Jianxin
Edited by: Wang Dongmei
On the evening of August 9th, the closing ceremony of the 2014 U.S. Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program China Institute in Guangzhou was successfully held at SYSU. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of state, the CLS Program China Institute in Guangzhou was administered by the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures of The Ohio State University (OSU) and hosted by School of Chinese as a Second Language (SCSL) of SYSU. 25 students from U.S. elite universities, such as Brown University, The University of Pennsylvania and The US Naval Academy, participated in the intensive advanced-level Chinese language study and cultural experience activities from June 16th to August 9th.
At the closing ceremony, Dr. Xiaobin Jian, Director for the CLS China Institute in Guangzhou and Associate Professor at OSU, sincerely thanked SCSL for their support and efforts towards the program. Wu Xiaoyan, Deputy Director of Office of International Cooperation & Exchange at SYSU, expressed her warm congratulations to the 25 students who had successfully completed the program, as well as her wish that they will carry back with them the goodwill of China. Zhang Shitao, Deputy Dean of SCSL, reviewed the progress of the students, gave details of their Chinese language studies, research reports and cultural activities, and conferred to each of the students a certificate of completion.
CLS students and teachers performing at the closing ceremony
Students prepared wonderful Chinese performances to show the results of the past 8-week study at SYSU. Ming Mei (Rachel Deason), a student from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sang a Chinese song called “The Outside World” with her language partner. The audience was amazed at her beautiful voice and flawless pronunciation of Chinese. Fei Jiaming (Jamie Fisher) from the University of Pennsylvania and Jiang Meiying (Marika Jones) from Western Washington University gave a moving recitation of four poems, such as Li Bai’s classic Chinese farewell poem “Sending off Wang Lun” as well as the fourth verse of Xu Zhimo’s "Farewell to Cambridge”. Their exquisite expression of fond farewells received a thunderous applause from the audience. He Kaili (Kelli Hogue) from Western Kentucky University played Erhu (Chinese violin) and talked about her two-year study of this classical Chinese instrument, showing her deep passion for Chinese Culture.
The CLS Program was founded in 2006 by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State. It offers fully-funded overseas language institutes for U.S. university students in thirteen critical languages, such as Chinese, Arabic, Japanese and Russian. In 2014, there are 550 recipients of the CLS Program, chosen from 5,500 applicants from 667 U.S. universities. These students were sent to 23 partner institutes in 13 countries to study critical foreign language. The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures of OSU has received funding from the CSL Program and administered six summer language institutes in Asia. This year SYSU has become a partner institute of the CLS Program China Institute in Guangzhou.
The CLS students in Guangzhou not only undertook high level Chinese language courses at SYSU, but also conducted researches in the streets and alleys of Guangzhou City and participated in diverse cultural experience activities. At Guangdong Guangya High School, CLS students held a discussion called "My life and China” and exchanged ideas with high school students. At the Rehabilitation Experimental School, students participated in a public service activity called “Sea of Love”, showing their love and care for the children with cerebral palsy at this special school. At Guangzhou Children’s Library, they joined in an event called "Chinese Language Bridge” with students from Liberal Arts College of SYSU, in which they shared stories from America with local children. Through these meaningful activities, the CLS students deeply immersed into Guangzhou local culture.
This year the U.S. CLS Program was conducted for the first time in Guangzhou. It’s also the first time the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures of OSU cooperated with the School of Chinese as a Second Language at SYSU to hold a summer intensive language program. Zeng Zhini, the Resident Director of the CLS China Institute in Guangzhou, says that SYSU has a strong team of faculty in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages. Different kinds of teaching styles, pedagogy methods and teaching philosophies have been merged together, bringing in great thoughts and ideas. Students have improved their Chinese language and increased their knowledge of Chinese culture in this two-month program.
