Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies enjoy a long-term friendly cooperation. These two “sister universities” established Confucius Institute at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (CIHUFS) together in 2009. Since its founding, CIHUFS has organized students and teachers to visit China and participate in cultural activities for many times. And this is the 12th “Korean and Chinese” summer camp of CIHUFS organized by BFSU.
Since CIHUFS began operating, its activities, concerning Chinese language teaching and experience of Chinese culture, have exerted positive and broad influence on Korea, especially in Seoul. Apart from various Chinese language teaching classes, CIHUFS has organized its students and headmasters, along with those in cooperative primary and secondary schools, to visit China and take part in summer (winter) camps, cultural trips and educational investigations, which were well received by the Korean society. “Korean and Chinese”, a short-term training program, is a credit course set up by CIHUFS for its students. This year, 40 students from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies applied for the summer camp. In addition, the summer camp also includes three students from the Confucius Institute in Liege (CIL), Belgium, which makes the program even more international.
To create a good environment for their study and life in China, BFSU arranged satisfactory accommodations and various extracurricular activities for campers from Korea and Belgium, and assigned high quality and experienced Chinese language teachers to take charge of teaching. Besides, BFSU has appointed 6 postgraduates majoring in Teaching Chinese as Second Language to provide after-class tutoring for the students, which was spoken highly of by both teachers and students.
The success of the summer camp can be attributed to the following practices:
Combination of mature teaching mode and small-class teaching
“Korean and Chinese” Summer Camp features highly mature teaching mode. The Chinese language textbooks used in the summer camp, which are independently developed by CIHUFS, emphasize task-based teaching approach, uniting in-class learning with after-class language practice. The latter helps students with output of knowledge gained in class. Then students shall hand in their schoolwork to their teachers, and get feedbacks from teachers. In this way, a cycle of learning was completed. Thanks to this learning mode, students are able to be familiar with abundant expressions used in daily life, grasp content of the curriculum, and better understand Chinese rituals, thus attaining the pre-set goals of coming to study in China.
Combination of language learning and cultural adaptation
Based on curriculum requirements of the Confucius Institute, BFSU has carried out detailed planning on cultural site visits while making full arrangements for teaching. Students could apply knowledge learned in class to daily life flexibly through visits to places of interest, local dwellings and educational institutions, shopping, and taking public transport, which have aroused their interest in learning Chinese, and improved their sense of achievement. Since most students come to China for the first time, they are deeply impressed with the cultural spots. On the closing ceremony, some student said, though one might frequently see the Great Wall in textbooks and images, one could hardly imagine how majestic and magnificent it is until seeing it in person.
Combination of cultural respect and cultural adaptation
Based on deeply-rooted cultural origins, China and South Korea are culturally connected. However, Korean students may find some problems and cultural barriers when studying and living in China. For example, in terms of food, Korean students are sensitive to Chinese spices, of which they are not fond. Upon many years’ experience in reception, BFSU has arranged meals with “Korean” flavor, showing full respect to their dietary habits. Meanwhile, some special Chinese food is added for them to feel “a bite of China” in terms of Chinese cuisine. Students from Korea and Belgium keep on singing praises for Quanjude Roast Duck, a well-known Chinese cuisine.
Through the short-term summer camp, students have not only gained improvement in Chinese language and experience of Chinese culture, but also better understood the Chinese society and learned about Chinese people’s friendliness, diligence, and passion. On the closing ceremony, they expressed sincere thanks to the teachers and assistants for their hard working, and to the Confucius Institute Headquarters, BFSU, CIHUFS, and CIL for the opportunity to visit China. They said, they would cherish the two weeks’ sweet memories, and introduce an open, prosperous, democratic and civilized China to more friends around.
