George Tan
Staff Writer
Every Monday, the Jackson State University Office of China Initiatives (OCI) provides students a great opportunity to learn Chinese for free through the Chinese Corner held at 5pm in the Student Center Room 3241.
JSU students who are interested in learning the Chinese language and culture are welcomed to attend. Students are given a chance to learn Chinese from Chinese native speakers. The Chinese students accommodate all domestic students’ needs by tutoring them according to their respective proficiency levels.
The Chinese Corner was initiated by the OCI in September 2005 and received overwhelming responses from JSU students who are eager to learn the Chinese language and culture.
In addition to teaching students how to speak Chines, the corner provides a platform for student interactions and promotes diversity awareness.
“The coolest greeting is now “ni hao” instead of ‘wassup’ or ‘waddup’,” said Major Brown, a senior from Crystal Springs, Miss. He added that learning Chinese is so much fun and he thinks it is essential in the competitive world to be able to speak a foreign language besides English.
Yalian Pei, a mass communication major and exchange student from China said, “I like this experience so much. I enjoy tutoring JSU students in the Chinese language and sharing my culture. My greatest satisfaction is when the students can pronounce Chinese words correctly!”
“What else could be better than being able to learn the language from native speakers? Come join us for the fun!” stated YiLan Liu, a graduate exchange student from China.
Corey Carter, a sophomore from Jackson, Miss. who is taking a Chinese class this semester said, “I really appreciate the learning experience offered by Chinese Corner. It helps me practice what I’ve learned in class, and I see progression. Not only that, I’ve learned more outside the classroom about the Chinese culture and life.”
“Ime encanta! (I love it!)” said Naomi Drake in Spanish. “My Chinese name is du le shi. It’s just cool, and I had a lot of fun learning Chinese. This Chinese Corner is helpful for oral Chinese, and I’m more confident to speak the language now.”
Ebrahim Al-Areqi, a computer engineering major and exchange student from Yemen said, “As China is rising in this twentieth century, I think I need to master the Chinese language because I want to be a business man. Thank you, JSU OCI, for offering me this opportunity to learn the language for free, which I don’t think is available in other universities.”
“We are excited that JSU students are able to benefit from the Chinese Corner. Aside from learning the language skills, the aim of the program is to have our students interact across cultures, which promotes diversity and mutual understanding,” said Mei-Chi Chen Piletz, Director for Office of China Initiatives.“
The OCI hosts different programs for JSU students, including Chinese classes and internship and exchange programs to China. During this fall semester, another batch of students will be participating in service learning in Shanghai, China.
For more information, visit the Office of China Initiatives in the College of Business, call (601)-979-2609, log on to 10.14.12.245/oci, and/or become a fan on Facebook at “Jackson State University Office of China Initiatives.”
