What about the future of the industry? How do you think study abroad and international education will change over the next 10 years?
Jane: Brilliant! I think in the next 10 years more and more people will join in the study abroad and international education. In China, when I was 22, I even dare not imagine study abroad in Hebei Normal University. But 10 years later, I can tell even the first year students in Hebei Normal University may set a goal to study abroad during their university time. 10 years ago, rare students in Hebei Normal University can do the international education but now, students in Hebei Normal University have different choices to go to different universities of different countries.
Great changes made during the past ten years on studying abroad. And the world becomes more open than before and develops faster than before. So I firmly believe culture crossing and sharing will be more and more helpful due to the cooperation and communication of the much smaller world in the following years. And then the importance of the experiences in oversea countries will be obviously important. Therefore, the brilliant future of the industry in the next 10 years everybody can see then.
Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of the SN Mandarin team.
Jane: When the first time I heard in Mandarin: "I made the right decision to come to SN Mandarin! I feel I am doing the right thing with the right people at the right place." Spoken from a colleague during her break. And after she explained to her students the meaning of that sentence, her students nodded their head and strongly showed their feelings to SN Mandarin.
I was so touched by the students and what my colleague said. And I was extremely proud of myself being on the SN Mandarin team at that moment. Yes! I love working in SN Mandarin and I am feeling to stay at my favorite place, am being with my favorite people and am doing my favorite things. Whenever I see my students faces with big smiles cause of satisfaction from my excellent lessons or other helps, the proud to be one of SN Mandarin will become that vivid and strong. And I know that the proud will make me work harder and do more for my dear students and my work place I love!
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
Jane: The stories are too many. Lots of students returned for more classes. Some say they miss us because they feel at home with us; some came back because they are grateful to the training and experience they got here, or they now found their other half or landed a job because of what they learnt with us; some said they were able to sign significant business deals with non-English speaking factories in Yiwu or Wenzhou thanks to what the teachers shared with them in class; some others would say the cultural and business tips they learnt from SN Mandarin instructors helped them make more friends and succeed later on.
However, the most interesting story so far has been about one of our Italian student Chiara. She said ever since she left for Beijing from Shanghai in 2010, the thing she misses the most has been the time she spent with the SN Mandarin crew knitting scarves, making Ge Da soup (a soup from my hometown, Chiara said the soup resembles some snack they have back in Italy, the difference only being is made in China in a Chinese way) and making Zong Zi (a snack prepared in memory of Qu Yuan, an ancient poet in China. Chinese row dragon boats on the 5th day of the 5th month by the lunar calendar and make Zong Zi to honor him).
Then in 2012, she went to work in the UK and made Ge Da soup for her Chinese colleagues. She was later asked to do it once more as they really liked it. She said she missed China even more as she watched her colleagues enjoy the soup she had learnt to do at SN Mandarin. Then in 2014, she got an opportunity to come back to work in their Shanghai office, she didn’t even hesitate about coming back. What surprised me the most was, she came to see me after she got back to Shanghai and she brought me Ge Da soup and Zong Zi she had made specifically for me!
What does your home-country's culture value that is taught in your program?
Jane: I am personally very much influenced by the 5,000 plus years of Chinese culture passed down through time. I like culture and everything that has to do with culture. That’s also why I decided on teaching foreigners Chinese as a second language as my career. Of everything that has had any influence on me, what brought the most out of me as a Chinese instructor is some ancient teaching philosophies. These teaching philosophies have also formed the basis of our pedagogy at SN Mandarin:
"Learning and practice go together." --Tao Xingzhi
"The constant accumulation of dirt can build a mountain." --Hsun Tzu
Learning the vocabulary and grammar is only half the game. The other half is to be able to use it properly in real life.The purpose of learning is to master the laws of the nature world. You can then use these laws to change the world. The same goes for language learning. Students need to follow the “laws” of the language and then you will end up learning more by making less effort. Likewise, language training at SN Mandarin is based on the “laws” of the Chinese language as well as the learning habits specific to different nationality. That’s also the secret to make language training at SN Mandarin not only a lot more fun but very efficient as well. When it comes to language learning, accumulation is key, especially in terms of building vocabulary. The understanding of language context and constant practicing can help become a master of the language before you notice it.