Overseas Chinese Teachers: Help Indonesian Students Well Learn Chinese Language with Chinese Talent and Skill

Teachers and students of Pahoa College Indonesia holding the Mid-Autumn Festival Party last year

On the morning of 6th, when the journalist of chinanews.com found the overseas Chinese teacher Chen Ling at Pahoa College Indonesia, she was designing the plan of Chinese talent and skill learning and performance for Indonesian students wholeheartedly.

In the recently-concluded final of the 16th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in Indonesia, Chen’s student Fei Wenbin won the national champion. Therefore, Chen won the honorary title of “The Best Tutor”.

Watching her own student become a national champion from a Chinese lover in just two years, Chen said that she was filled with a sense of achievement.

In August, 2016, Chen was dispatched to the Confucius Institute at Maranatha Christian University by Hebei Normal University. After arriving in Indonesia, she was designated to teach primary spoken Chinese, intermediate spoken Chinese, intermediate comprehensive Chinese and Chinese talent and skill in Pahoa College Indonesia.

In the final of the 16th “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students in Indonesia, Pahoa College Indonesia making brilliant achievements. Chen Ling (third from left), the tutor of Chinese talent and skill

One year was gone in a flash. In this summer vacation, faced with the choice between coming back to China and retaining the post, Chen said that she chose the latter without hesitation.

“Because it is cozy here, and the Indonesian students are cute and eager to learn Chinese well. The Indonesian people are friendly and nice; there is also a team of Chinese teachers, who are close with each other. I feel really at home here.” Chen, a graduate majored in music, sees the beauty of the work and life in Indonesia.

“Although there are few modern high-rise buildings here, it is filled with the primitive and refined atmosphere of fairy tales. Plants are designed in a peculiar style in front of every house, which brings refreshed air to the tropical weather. The flowers and grasses make me relaxed and happy.” It can be seen that Chen is a girl who is good at discovering beauty.

Students of Pahoa College Indonesia learning and exchanging ideas with each other

In her eyes, what is more beautiful is the amity and kindness from Indonesian people. Chen said, when she shuttles between dormitory and the campus, the guards on the street or in the accommodation would definitely greet her with huge Indonesian-style smiles; when she looked for her lost mobile phone in the store with little hope, she found that her phone was put at the service counter by someone; when she asked a couple for directions in poor Indonesian language, they took her to the destination in person in case that she was confused…“Such simplicity and kindness are just like the warm sunshine to everyone.”

Fitted into the local life, Chen presents the ability and spirit of a Chinese teacher through her efforts and innovative work.

Pahoa College Indonesia, where she works, is a university with undergraduate course co-established by Hebei Normal University and Pahoa Education Fund. The approach of “Learning in Indonesia + Learning in China” is adopted here to explore and practice the model of education cooperation between China and foreign countries.

As for the oral Chinese class, Chen innovates the teaching approach by speaking tongue twister with gestures, playing various kinds of games, singing, telling daily stories before class and teaching idioms from interesting stories, bringing laughter to the classroom.

Chen said that all her students have the consciousness to think independently and study. “Now the students always ask me all kinds of questions in class, so I have to be extremely careful while preparing for the lesson.”

Students of Pahoa College Indonesia in the library

Through this year’s “Chinese Bridge” competition, Chen found that the students who participated in the competition not only show more passion for Chinese, but also become more concentrated and active in class. She found it is all because of the students’ interests in Chinese culture, talent and skill.

Therefore, she came out with the idea of establishing Chinese talent and skill clubs. Under the support of He Yanjie, Chinese Director of Pahoa College Indonesia, she started to organize calligraphy club, singing club, dancing club, cucurbit flute club and so on.

“Out of our expectations, every student joined two or more talent and skill clubs,” Chen said. She added that Chinese talent and skill will be promoted as a special program in the school. Learning Chinese talent and skill can stimulate students’ passion for learning Chinese and enhance their confidence in learning the language well.

“Students are like the stars, I wish everyone could produce their own light.” Chen said.

(Story by Lin Yongchuan, photos by Pahoa College Indonesia, chinanews.com, Jakarta, September 6th)