by Derick Strode

Seven Gatton Academy students are finishing up a four-week intensive language study abroad course in Tianjin, China.  As members of WKU’s Chinese Language Flagship Pilot Program, they have been studying abroad at Nankai University this winter term.

The students have taken daily classes in Chinese language, have worked with one-on-one Chinese tutors, and have taken cultural classes in shadow boxing, calligraphy, and Chinese cooking.

Study abroad trips teach students lessons that are impossible to fully match in an American classroom setting.  As Benjamin Venable (Oldham ’11) points out, one lesson he has learned has gone far beyond language: “I have learned so much about etiquette here.  While eating, speaking, walking, and toasting, the Chinese have so many unwritten laws regarding body language.  It is so easy to offend someone unintentionally.  The good thing is, though, that I can use these etiquette rules anywhere.  One can never be too polite,” he said.

Students are also imbedded into the culture with the intention of helping them use their Chinese language skills in everyday, real-world settings.

Jason Ludden (Adair ’10) has noted that his experience is helping him identify what he still has to accomplish in the Flagship program.  “When I first came to China from the U.S.A., I felt pretty confident.  I thought we had learned every useful phrase possible, but communicating in China was not as easy as I thought it would be.  Now I know how hard it is and where I need to improve,” he said.

Students have been on excursions to the Tianjin port, a special economic development area of the country, and to Beijing.  On Thursday, the students will make one final trip to the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall.

While on excursion in Beijing this past weekend, students were greeted by WKU President Gary Ransdell.  In Beijing, Dr. Ransdell and the WKU Chinese Flagship Pilot Program hosted a Presidential Reception for Chinese business leaders, education leaders, and journalists.

Three Gatton Academy students were on-stage during the program.  Seniors Samuel Firkins (Spencer ’10) and Amy Cordero (Pike ’10) performed the popular Olympic welcome song, Beijing Huan Ying Ni (Beijing Welcomes You) with WKU student Will Meredith.  Firkins played piano and led vocals and Cordero joined in on the violin.

At the program, junior Sarah Schrader (Warren ’11) was selected to give a speech in Chinese to represent the Gatton Academy.  In Chinese, she introduced herself to the mostly Chinese audience, described the Gatton Academy, and talked about her experience in the Flagship Program.

“I was extremely honored to be selected to represent the Academy,” Schrader added. “It meant that my teachers considered me responsible and capable enough to adequately convey how much we have all learned this past semester.  Although I was a little nervous, I knew it was important to do my best in order to enforce the prestige of our program.”

Students will return to Florence Schneider Hall just in time to start the spring semester.  However, the conclusion of the trip is not the end of their Chinese studies.  Each student is enrolled in the next step Chinese language course for the spring semester.

A blog is being updated throughout the trip by WKU Alive Center’s Cheryl Kirby-Stokes at http://cheryl-lostintranslation.blogspot.com.

The trip is directed by Dr. Liping Chen, Academic Director of the WKU Chinese Institute, and Amy Eckhardt, Administrative Director for the program.More information about the Chinese Language Flagship Pilot Program can be found at http://www.wku.edu/chineseflagship/.