Before our trip to Chengdu
What inspired you to join the team at the Chinese Language Institute (CLI)?
I always wanted to live and work abroad. I was looking for a job opportunity which valued my international outlook and language skills, as well as my desire to connect and meet with people from all over the world. I wanted something more “grassroots” with a community feel rather than something corporate, and CLI ticked all of these boxes perfectly!
How do your own international experiences in Egypt and Taiwan influence the work you do today?
Living abroad has made me become much more patient and generally very flexible in adapting to change. It has also taught me that the world is a big place and that everyone has an interesting story. This has cultivated a genuine interest in getting to know our students on a personal level. Being culturally aware and sensitive is extremely important and I think I am better at my position because of my past experiences.
Team retreat in Nanjing
You studied Arabic and Chinese during your undergraduate degree. What sparked your interests in language learning?
For me, knowing a language equates to a greater sense of freedom. I believe that studying multiple languages helps develop you as a person and opens up a world of endless possibilities. It’s the ability to venture out on your own, to meet and connect with people from other cultures, and to even act as an intermediary in times of cultural miscommunication. The less you know, the more limited your world is!
Do you have any advice for individuals learning a new language, especially Chinese?
I think passion and persistence are the two things required. You need to be passionate and genuinely love whatever language you intend to learn. You need to have an actual interest in the culture and immerse yourself in its people, literature, and media - you cannot just learn from a textbook. You also need to be persistent because you will come across challenges and roadblocks and have days where you feel like you are not making any progress. This is when you really need to remind yourself of the reasons why you want to learn a language and stay motivated!
Calligraphy Class in the CLI Center
What can students expect from an experience with CLI?
Students come into our program seeking knowledge and a unique experience. CLI acts as the gateway into the fascinating and ancient Chinese speaking world and provides each student with a tailored course fine-tuned to their individual needs. Students can experience a noticeable gain in language acquisition, cultural knowledge, and awareness in a short amount of time. I personally help facilitate this process by building rapport with prospective students as their first and main point of contact. Ensuring a smooth transition for international students in Guilin is my top priority!
What qualities make up your ideal CLI participant?
Someone who is open to new experiences, adventurous, and curious.
Longsheng Rice Terraces
What hopes do you have for CLI programs in the future?
I hope that CLI continues to grow even more in the near future, not just in terms of enrollment numbers at our current center in Guilin, but perhaps the emergence of another CLI center in another city!
Why is it important to learn new languages and experience new cultures?
In our globalized world, the lack of foreign language knowledge really puts you at a disadvantage. The ability to understand another language means that you can understand its culture at a deeper level and be able to access more possibilities. By learning another language, you naturally become a better learner, gain access to a greater range of information, and since language is a huge part of humanity, learning another language teaches you more about mankind as a whole. It sounds overly philosophical but it is true!
