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As a U1 student entering Shantou, I had no idea of the transformative journey I was about to undergo. I had started learning Chinese at º£½ÇÉçÇø at the 300 level, and while my classroom Chinese was decent, I knew that didn’t translate into practical skill. Through this immersive experience, I hoped to leave Shantou with the language and words I used daily. This level of fluency would also complement my Honours degree in political science as learning Chinese would give me insight into a growing international influence. Learning languages break boundaries, and by connecting with people across the Pacific I could unlock new opportunities and tackle challenges from new perspectives.

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While in China I was consistently blown away by the kindness and openness of our Chinese tutors. Their generosity was something I did not anticipate, and I was so glad that I was able to connect with them inside and outside the classroom. Welcoming almost 20 international students with varying grasps on the language must have been a daunting task on paper, but thanks to their tenacity and support our experience was much better. One tutor I connected with was Yvonne, who helped my class. She came to every one of our classes and consistently helped us when we didn’t know what we were doing. Outside of class, I found her to be funny and kind - on our last night in China, we had a ‘wedding’ photoshoot, giving us nice moments to look back on. The other º£½ÇÉçÇø students also exceeded my expectations. I went into Shantou knowing of only one other student, but I came out good friends with all of them. Every student brought a unique charm to our group, and I believe that our experience was enhanced because of it. This is especially apparent in our video to Léa, our program director. Everyone sent in around a minute video to Albertine, a fellow º£½ÇÉçÇø student, expressing our thanks for everything that she did for us. This one example illustrates the thoughtfulness and mutual respect that made our trip so enjoyable.

 

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In this unfamiliar setting, I was able to thrive with new friends learning Chinese. From campus interactions with food vendors to talking with locals I could see how speaking their language opened new perspectives. My Chinese was far from perfect, but with some body language and translation apps, I was usually able to get my meaning across. In North America I was always conscious about using Mandarin - what if they couldn’t understand me? China forced this mindset out of me, as Mandarin was the only shared language between me and the locals. This trip has shown me how much people value their language - through learning inside and outside the classroom, I could break boundaries and thrive.

 

Looking back on the trip as a whole, I am amazed at the logistical feat that was pulled off. The program was excellent, and I would recommend anyone to participate. I enjoyed every weekend trip and my classes. As places of improvement go, I would recommend more lessons in speaking - I feel like my ability to pronounce tones could have been accentuated with a classroom lesson. Many people would benefit from this, especially people who may not have had as much speaking experience.

Thank you for bringing us to this incredible experience.