When students
study abroad, it’s usually with the goal of immersing themselves in a target
foreign language environment. At the Hopkins-Nanjing Center for Chinese and
American Studies, however, it is truly a bilingual community. Classes are
conducted either in Chinese or English, and student life includes various initiatives
that mirror the bilingual academic environment.
The Public Speaking Club has two components: daily and biweekly. Buttons
worn by members daily indicate the language in which to speak in for the day.
When other students see the button, they are encouraged to converse with the
wearer in that language. There are also biweekly meetings held to practice public
speaking in the form of short speeches. The speeches are given in the target
language, and the rest of the club provides feedback following the speech.
The Movie Club has a mission of introducing the US and China in
the form of a weekly film. While students cover specific topics such as
history, culture, and politics in class, movies provide an immersive experience
to see all three come to life. Where else would you see James Bond and 孙悟空 (Sun Wukong, the Monkey King) sharing a stage?
Chinese and International students also work together to run a
weekday coffee counter in the student lounge. Not only does this shop provide the
bargain cup of joe in town, it’s also a way for students and faculty to
interact with each other outside the classroom environment. There’s even an
incentive for repeat customers in the form of a loyalty stamp card.
For many study abroad programs that consist exclusively of
international students, the environment may morph into a Chinese in class,
English for everything else setup (unless the program enforces a Chinese-only requirement).
For the HNC, however, there’s roughly an equal number of Chinese and
International faculty, staff, and student body. This unique composition is what
makes the HNC bilingual community sustainable. A quick look around the Center
will show that everything from bulletin board memos to laundry machine
directions are presented in both Chinese and English. In addition to the clubs
mentioned above, an equal ratio of Chinese and English can also be heard at informal
gatherings such as study groups, dinner outings, and ping pong matches.
Why is a bilingual community important? Students not only gain an
understanding for their target culture, but are able to educate each other on
the similarities and differences between the two cultures. A bilingual experience
teaches students valuable skills in intercultural communication, skills that
will be essential in their future careers in academia, business, government,
and more.
Written by Nanfei Yan, HNC Certificate/SAIS MA Student
