Staff Spotlight: Charlotte Gao

I’m a Chinese Language teacher and a Coordinator of Programs. Right now, I’m designing the 2nd phase of the Chinese Language Program for China Public Diplomacy Association. At our BICC campuses, aside from our regular Chinese language courses, we also design special Chinese Language and Culture programs for foreign journalists working in Beijing, for embassy officials etc. I’m the program coordinator for the Chinese Language and Culture program for African foreign correspondents who need to be familiar with all aspects of Chinese culture to be able to write insightful news articles on China.

We’ve just finished the ‘Training Workshop for Chinese Teachers from abroad’, a program designed to further improve the Chinese level and teaching Chinese Mandarin techniques of foreign teachers who teach Chinese in their own countries. Teachers from Russia, Mongolia and Nepal participated in this phase of the training program, which was the fourteenth workshop since 2006.

The training course included 100 class hours, plus numerous sightseeing and cultural activities. The second phase this year will be organized from July 9th to July 29th. We expect more than 100 teachers to take part in the next phase of the program, held during the summer break. We encourage teachers with interest in becoming Chinese teachers to apply.

Also, BICC is organizing a FREE Summer Camp in Beijing from July 6 to July 26, sponsored by Confucius Institute Headquarters (Hanban). During three weeks of intensive Chinese language learning, participants will improve their capability in Spoken Chinese and cultivate their interest in the study of Chinese language. We’re receiving applications until 20th of April 2015, so students between the ages 18 - 26 years are welcome to apply!

Studying abroad is it becoming the norm for an international career. Students don’t just study a language because they want to speak it and learn more about the culture when they are studying abroad, they want to find an internship and work there, integrate into the new culture and stay for a few years.

I’ve noticed that students that have an objective like finding a job in China, they learn the language faster as they have a very strong motivation to speak Chinese well during a job interview. With the rapid development of China’s economy, China will continue to be a top destination for students who desire to study abroad.

I’m always proud to be part of the BICC team, but if I had to choose a special moment it was is when I landed in Zimbabwe and met the primary school children that I was going to teach Chinese language to.

I was very proud to teach them their first Chinese words and to teach them a few interesting facts about the Chinese culture. The year I spent in Zimbabwe was definitely the best teaching experience so far.

In China, the younger generation must always show respect to the older generation, for example cousins and family members don’t address each other by name, but rather by saying ‘older brother’, ‘younger brother’, ‘ auntie’, ‘uncle’, etc. It is quite challenging for foreigners to understand and to remember all the polite forms to address the people around them.

So we, as teachers, need to emphasize the importance of being respectful to the elderly, to the family members, to the co-workers and address them by their title, rather by name. But once the students understand this cultural aspect, they are equipped with far more than just words to immerse themselves into the Chinese way of life.