Students say Ni Hao to Beijing
From the Darling Downs to the Black Stump, stories of people and places from our region
THE relationship between Australia and China has grown exponentially over the years, both economically and culturally.
With these strong ties, it’s never been more important for universities to train a generation of Australians proficient in Chinese languages to accommodate the needs of our national interests, says USQ lecturer Yan Zhao.
Ms Zhao teaches Chinese Studies at USQ and is currently preparing a group of students for a four-week intensive language course with Beijing Language and Culture University beginning next week.
The trip is funded through the Federal Government’s New Colombo Plan which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo Pacific by supporting Australian university students to study and undertake internships in the region.
Ms Zhao said the trip would be a life changing experience for her students.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to enrich themselves both intellectually and culturally,” she said.
“It will open their eyes to the impact of culture on language – not just what people say but how they say it, how they interact and behave. This contextual understanding will help make their language skills more applicable, more efficient, and more helpful in the future.”
USQ students Courtney Cook and Ruby Weeks are among the group of students heading to Beijing, and while nervous about the adventure ahead, both are brimming with excitement.
“I’m expecting some awkward situations but that’s the point, isn’t it? Bridging the differences between cultures is what will make this experience so worthwhile,” Miss Cook said.
Both Ms Cook and Ms Weeks agreed that while learning Mandarin Chinese might seem daunting to the
general public, language studies wasn’t as scary at it seemed.
“Whenever I tell someone that I’m studying Chinese,
they say, ‘wow that must be so difficult’ but it’s not as hard as people think,” Ms Weeks said.
“After the first couple of
lessons, you get over how different the characters are and just really enjoy all the new words – it’s so interesting.”
To learn more visit usq.edu.au/study/degrees/ humanities-andcommunication /language-and-culture.