By CSEBRI Staff
Have you ever wondered what you can do with the Chinese language?
When CSEB first was founded in 2011, we had the goal of helping young children begin the journey of bilingualism by exposing them to the Chinese language. Our method was to introduce them simple and most frequently used vocabulary words. We introduced a song to go with a lesson and exposed the child to the Chinese characters as well. Students took lesson with us usually once a week. As more children enrolled in our program, our method evolved from introducing simple vocabulary word to immersive style depending on the background of the child, their dominant learning style , adaptability and the age of the child…etc.
After receiving several requests from adult learners, we opened our door to adult learners in 2015. Since then, we’ve had quite a few adult learners in our Chinese program. Some of them are working professionals who already have a career but want to learn Chinese for personal enrichment. Some of them took Chinese because they want advancement in their career and having Chinese language skill will give them the additional credential. Others want to learn Chinese because their companies are already working with China and having the Chinese language skill will let the company entrust them with more responsibilities, thus, an advancement inadvertently. Many times, there are no clear path in terms of career advancement for someone with additional Chinese language skill but the benefits are noticeable to be mentioned. Companies are hesitate to name Chinese language as one of the skills they are looking for because Chinese and English languages are starkly different and obtaining a proficient level in Chinese may take years; plus it is much easier to hire an interpretor or a translator outside of the company to take on the job that requires Chinese language skill. On this page, we obtained the permission of one of our adult learners at CSEB to let you peek into the life such a journey.
I want to thank, Keri in advance for her geniousity of heart in sharing her experience with us. In her sharing, you will hear: 1) how she started getting interested in learning Chinese, 2) what she did after she discovered her interest in the Chinese culture and language 3) What did she do to nurture that interest. 4) How did her interest come to fruition and what she is continually doing and currently doing with her Chinese. You are also welcome to ask her a question, which I will feature in the next newsletter and/or on our website. Lastly but not least, we have provided you a forum to ask your questions about what you would like to do with Chinese. What are your dreams and aspirations that having the skill of Chinese can help you to obtain or reach? I hope you will enjoy reading Keri’s sharing and experience and would like to hear from you.
Keri’s Sharing on her journey to learning Chinese:
I am so incredibly grateful for Jeannie and the Cultural Society. Jeannie is an amazing Chinese teacher, I am so glad that I found her. From class number one, she made sure she knew my goals and what I wanted/ needed the most help in. She developed a customized plan for me and made sure to find materials that best suited my goals. Within months, my skills improved immensely. I was able to read and write hundreds of new characters, learning many new words every single week. Jeannie also made sure to include some cultural lessons as well that supplemented class material.
My background: I fell in love with the Chinese language and culture after a month long trip to Beijing in 2015. After graduating college in Chicago, I taught English in Shanghai for one year. This was an absolutely incredible experience, but unfortunately I had to return home to Rhode Island for a family emergency. Since the day I returned to the US, I knew I wanted to move back again, but with a bit more of a grasp on the language. I began searching for a Chinese teacher, and contacted Jeannie. Jeannie responded almost right away, and I began taking classes with her not even a week after our initial phone call.
Picking up the phone to call Jeannie and schedule classes with her at CSEB completely changed my life. I am writing this from Kunming, a beautiful city in Yunnan Province in China. Not only did I learn a lot from studying with Jeannie, but she told me about an incredible opportunity to study in China on a scholarship program. I currently attend Yunnan University, taking classes on the Chinese language every day. With this scholarship my tuition and room are covered, and I get a stipend every month to use for my other living expenses. When I told Jeannie about my story, and that I was hoping to return to China again, she told me in great detail about this program. She advised me through the application, and gave me some information from the Bangor Chinese School in Maine who also worked with me on the application. I am even considering applying for this program again next year, potentially to get my Master’s Degree.
Though I have not had a chance to take a wellness class with Jeannie, believe me, she can make miracles happen! When I return, one of the first things I will do is take a yoga class with her. For Chinese or for wellness, I know that Jeannie is a wonderful teacher who will make your goals come to life. She made my dream come true of living in China again to study the language. She also was incredibly helpful in improving my language skills and confidence in speaking very rapidly, and it made the move here all that much easier.
~ Keri
If you are interested in submitting a question for Keri about her experience in China. (Please use the form below and write your question in the Message section.) Please indicate your question is for Keri.
If you are interested in teaching English in China, learning Chinese at CSEB or have a question to the Director, please use the form below and indicate that your question is for the Director about our Chinese program.
