International Chinese Course Begins – Witness How “Laowai” Learn Chinese in TEDA

On October 25, a lively atmosphere filled the multifunctional classroom on the third floor of TEDA Community College. Twelve foreigners from eight countries namely Germany, Japan, the United States, Russia, Nepal, Indonesia, Hungary, and India, gathered together. Under the guidance of a professional teacher, they started their Chinese language course in TEDA in a small class.

This term’s International Chinese Course is a free public service program primarily targeting foreigners with no or little knowledge of Chinese in TEDA. It provides intensive and systematic teaching of Chinese language knowledge to help students master everyday Chinese phrases and basic dialogues while improving their listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities. Divided into 10 sessions, the classes are conducted in a small group format with the aim of ensuring that students gain practical skills and apply what they learned in their future work and daily life.

In the classroom, the teacher employed full Chinese immersion teaching. She used props and body language to help students understand the words they were learning. The students were encouraged to read aloud and engage in activities and situational dialogues to enhance their memory. The “Whisper Game” is a favorite among the students. They were divided into two teams, and when the teacher gave the signal, the first person in each team discreetly spoke a Chinese word they saw to the next person in line, and this continued down the line. The team that correctly said the word in the shortest time won. Through the fast-paced games, the students made their impression of the vocabulary more profound in the race against time.

“In addition to Pinyin, stroke writing, and spoken Chinese instruction, we also offer courses in traditional Chinese cultural experiences such as calligraphy, guzheng, tea art, and cooking,” said Li Ziling, Deputy Secretary of Party Branch at TEDA Community College. She explains that the International Chinese Course is an ongoing flagship program in TEDA for many years. It primarily teaches foreigners in TEDA and even in Tianjin to learn Chinese language and culture. This helps make their life here easier and contributes to the continuous improvement of the investment and service environment in TEDA while promoting Chinese traditional culture and conveying the voice of China.

Annette from Germany is particularly fond of the guzheng experience class. Her husband works for a foreign company in TEDA. A few months ago, she came here to live with him. Albeit unfamiliar with TEDA before, she quickly fell in love with this lovely city to live and work. To better adapt the pace of life here, Annette signs up to become a student in this term of the International Chinese Course to systematically learn Chinese language and culture. In the guzheng class, after the teacher’s brief explanation and demonstration, Annette skillfully plucked the strings, and beautiful melodies flowed gracefully from her fingertips. Although Annette had some prior exposure to this Chinese instrument with a history of 2,500 years, she was particularly excited to play it again and soon found herself immersed in it. “I really love China and I love Tianjin,”said Annette.

Like Annette, more and more “Laowai (pinyin for foreigners)” working and living in TEDA have come to appreciate this increasingly international city. As one of China’s earliest 14 national-level development zones, TEDA boasts advanced manufacturing and service industries and attracts high-quality global enterprises. By the end of 2022, the entire region had accumulated 6,146 foreign-funded projects, including 532 projects from 117 of the Fortune Global 500 companies. As high-quality enterprises from around the world take root here, executives and technical talents overseas have also come to TEDA, becoming important forces driving regional economic and social development.

Arun is conducting research in sports medicine at a hospital in Tianjin. This young man from Nepal is a “China enthusiast.” He can speak conversational Chinese, but he faces difficulty expressing more or having good communication with patients in this language. Therefore, on a friend’s recommendation, he joined the program to learn. Every time he attends the class, Arun takes the subway from downtown to TEDA, not feeling tired at all. Instead, he enjoys it all the way. He says, “I’m willing to come here to learn (Chinese). Distance is not an issue.” In his leisure time, Arun rides his bicycle to visit Tianjin’s attractions like the Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street, and tries various Chinese cuisines. He has a particular fondness for Tianjin’s fried dough twists. He expressed that he really likes TEDA, “The environment here is good, and it’s comfortable to live here.”

With the continuous enhancement of China’s comprehensive national strength, the influence of Chinese culture is growing overseas. People from all around the world are increasingly fond of Chinese culture and are joining the ranks of those learning the Chinese language. We are also seeing more and more foreigners coming to China, including Tianjin.

As the economy grows, TEDA is keeping up with globalization, making herself an important window for the world to understand Tianjin. At present, there are approximately 5,000 expats living here, primarily from more than 80 countries and regions, including Germany, Russia, South Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The convergence of diverse languages and lifestyles has given rise to TEDA’s distinctive multicultural environment.

In order to meet the needs of foreign residents, allowing them to integrate well into the local life by learning Chinese and Chinese culture, after careful planning and preparation, TEDA Community College has been organizing Chinese language and cultural programs for foreigners since September 2014. They employ professional Chinese teachers to teach Chinese and offer additional courses in Chinese cultural specialties such as Traditional Chinese Operas, calligraphy, guzheng, tea art, Tai Chi, and cooking. This provides a high-quality platform for foreign residents in TEDA and the Binhai New Area to learn Chinese and engage in cultural exchange.

With more and more foreigners coming to TEDA for investment, work, and life, learning Chinese in the International Chinese Course and being proficient in speaking Chinese and understanding Chinese culture have become a trend. “Through diverse course offerings, we aim to provide foreign residents living here with a deeper understanding of TEDA and a greater appreciation of Chinese culture,” said Li Ziling.