Learning Chinese Characters

For people who learn Chinese outside of a formal course or degree, the choice of whether they learn characters with their initial studies is up to them. Many people have asked me whether they need to learn characters straight away, and the answer to this I think is dependent on your reasons for learning Chinese.

When I first came to China I took lessons throughout the year in Chinese as understanding what people were saying to me was somewhat of a priority. By the end of the year I was reasonably happy with my progress and could understand most day to day things I needed as well as being able to carry out simple conversation. Despite this I didn’t know a single Chinese character. For me at that time I wanted to focus on my oral and my listening, which to be quite honest is hard enough. For those people who may only be in China for one year and who are looking to learn functional Chinese during their stay then I would advise not bothering too much with characters and focusing on spoken Chinese.

For people who are serious about learning Chinese though, and who may wish to continue their studies beyond one year in China, learning characters is a must. Only when you have a proper understanding of Chinese characters and their myriad meanings can you really understand the language. It is generally accepted that a knowledge of 2500-3000 characters is entirely sufficient to read any written work you are likely to encounter. To those new to the language this is slightly misleading though, as whilst this might not seem like a massive mountain to climb, in reality if you do learn these commonly-used characters you still need to learn the tens of thousands of words that can be made with these characters.

As well as their importance in fully coming to grips with the Chinese language another aspect of learning characters that has made an impact on me is how fascinating they can be to study. One aspect of this is in the genesis of the characters themselves. Originating from pictograms thousands of years ago the forms of many characters today still bear a close relation to the meaning they carry. A common example of this is 木(mu) meaning tree or wood.  From there if we have two together we have the character林 (lin) meaning forest.  Finally three together gives us the character 森 (sen) also meaning forest, though generally in a more densely wooded sense.

Whilst not all characters still bear this same visual relation to their meaning, nonetheless when you learn more of their meanings it becomes easier to guess new words from their component characters. For example if you know that the character 电 (dian) means electricity and that 脑 (nao) means brain then it is not the greatest leap of imagination to guess that together电脑 means computer (literally ‘electric brain’). Another basic example would be the character 飞 (fei) meaning ‘to fly’ and 机 (ji) which amongst other things means machine. Thus together we have the word 飞机 aeroplane (‘flying machine’).

For the student who has begun to study Chinese, characters can seem hopelessly complex and nonsensical, and for those who only wish to be able to get by during their stay in China perhaps it is easier not to learn them. Yet for those people who are interested in seriously studying Chinese, the study of characters is not only a necessity but also an immensely rewarding endeavour.

 

 

Chinese qualifications

Prior to coming to China I had very little idea about Chinese language qualifications outside of those which you would obtain at university. Only after coming here did I hear people talk about the HSK, though I was never really sure what it was, what purpose it served or how you could get it. I have given a rough outline her of some of the basic information regarding the HSK for those who may be interested in taking it.

What

The HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) is a standardised test of Chinese language ability for non-native speakers, of which it is the only one recognised by the Chinese authorities. In recent years the format of the test has changed, and there are now 6 levels. These levels are usually put into three bands; basic (levels 1 and 2), intermediate (levels 3 and 4) and advanced (levels 5 and 6). Level 1 is described (by Wikipedia) as ‘Designed for learners who can understand and use some simple Chinese characters and sentences to communicate, and prepares them for continuing their Chinese studies.’ Whilst level 6 is ‘Designed for learners who can easily understand any information communicated in Chinese and are capable of smoothly expressing themselves in written or oral form.’ Above level 2 learners are required to have learned a number of Chinese characters, so for those who wish to reach the higher levels then a sound basis in Chinese characters is imperative. As can be seen in the two descriptions the levels represent a very broad spectrum, so even for absolute beginners there is something to aim for.

Why

In a most basic sense the HSK provides a good yardstick for Chinese learners to gauge their progress. For many people, having a goal is also an excellent motivation to work hard at their reading, writing and speaking. For students who achieve excellent marks in the HSK (usually levels 3 or 4) they may also be able to gain a scholarship for long or short term study at a Chinese university. For those who may wish to gain employment in a company in China, good marks in the HSK may be a prerequisite for the job. In this case most employers would expect the applicant to have achieved a level 4 in the HSK if not higher.

How

There are now test centres for the HSK around the globe, which has made it very convenient for people who wish to sit the exam. There are typically a few different times in the year when you can sit an exam for any given level, however this varies between different test centres so be sure to check with your local test centre in advance. In terms of signing up to take the HSK, registration typically needs to be completed no later than one month in advance and a fee of £60 (approx.) must also be paid in order to take the test. With regards to preparing for the HSK there are numerous online sources providing the official vocabulary list for each level as well as a number of practice tests for learners to take.

 

The HSK is administered by the Hanban institute, so for those wishing to find more information about the HSK, their website is http://english.hanban.org/

 

What to expect from teaching different age groups

One question that will be put to all of our applicants during their initial phone interview with me will be what ages do you feel most comfortable teaching? For some of our more experienced teachers who apply they probably will have a general idea based on their previous jobs. However if you’re one of our many teachers who have had no formal training or experience in a classroom it can be a little difficult to know which ages would suit you best. For this reason I have written a little bit about my experiences of teaching varying ages in China to hopefully assist our applicants in their decision. Unsurprisingly many schools will be attracted to applicants who display flexibility and are comfortable with all ages but there is no harm in telling us your initial preference before we put you forward for interviews.

Our associate schools range from kindergartens all the way up to Universities although it’s worth noting that many high schools (ages 15-18) tend not to hire foreign English teachers and rely on their Chinese staff to teach the syllabus. I have been asked previously which age group would be the most challenging to teach and truthfully there isn’t really a right answer that I can give as it will usually depend on the teacher’s attributes.  There are however different challenges and enjoyments posed by all ages in China. At a University for example often means that the teacher will have a lot more preparation to do for the classes and provide plenty of material so it can mean a lot more marking and work to do in the evenings away from school. However the upside is there is more opportunity to be friends with your students, play sport with them and even eat lunch/dinner together. The fact that all of my university students were so friendly meant that I settled into my job really well. Contrastingly teaching kindergarten will mean very little preparation as each class may mean only learning one or two knew words and practising them over and over again. It can be a little repetitive however creativity is an important aspect of working with the younger children as its vital not to lose their attention so thinking of a wide variety of games, using props and not being too worried about making a fool of yourself by singing songs can all contribute to an enjoyable classroom atmosphere. When teaching younger children, although you are not going to be friends with your students the structure of your schools and the fact you have co-teachers mean you will be able to become friends with your Chinese colleagues very easily and they’re always keen to show you around the city when you arrive.

As I have been in China for a while and have gained good experience with most age groups, I can honestly say I enjoyed elements of teaching them all. Like I mentioned previously if you are teaching the younger children you have definitely got to be prepared to sing songs and make a fool of yourself from time to time so if that doesn’t sound like something you’d like to do I’d suggest opting for the older children as there is no escaping the singing. One thing I would say about Chinese children compared with English children for example which is not in any way a criticism is that they don’t grow up as quickly as Children in England which although took some getting used to. When I used to teach 13-14 year olds they seemed young in terms of their hobbies and the way they behaved so if you want to get away from having to discipline your student’s universities would be a better option.  If you are working with younger age groups there can also be a problem with communication as the student’s English skills are understandably not that great, however your Chinese co-workers will always be on hand to help translate your ideas across to the students and many schools provide a co-teacher to be in the room with you to assist with your class which is a huge help. There is no escaping how cute and fun it is to be around Chinese children and even though I hated the singing I would always look back on my time teaching the youngest children as my favourite.

 

Duped into performing

Many schools will put on performances at various times of the year. Typically these performances come in the form of children singing, dancing or reciting speeches in English (exactly as dull as it sounds). On occasion however the school will try and jazz up the performance by introducing some foreign flavour, something that is invariably bad news for the English teachers. More than once I have been caught up in some kind of Halloween/New Year/Christmas performance both acting, dancing and singing. I should probably mention as well that not only am I terrible at all three but that I have a particular dislike for performing in front of crowds (something that tends to manifest in a beet-red face and nervous sweating). Despite these obvious flaws in my performing repertoire, again and again the school is quite happy for me to take part.
 

The easy route would be to politely decline to take part in the show, however this can be difficult for two reasons. The first is that often the school will not really have anyone else that fits the role (i.e. they want a foreign Father Christmas) which means that they can be quite insistent in asking you. Maintaining a firm line in the face of this can be difficult particularly as it makes you seem like a massive killjoy – after a while it is easier to just cave in. The other problem is that often you’re unaware of what you’re being asked; a polite request to help out with the students’ performance at lunch soon morphs into three months rehearsal for an all singing all dancing ensemble act to be performed in front of the school and an array of visiting teachers. This genuinely happened to me, only after the first couple of rehearsals did I realise the scope of the performance and my role in it – by that point I was already involved and couldn’t really back out.

Throughout numerous rehearsals I maintained the mantra that none of my friends or family would know and that my embarrassment would at least be confined to China. Of course though the school made posters that went up on their website, filmed the whole thing then distributed some quite professional looking dvds of the performance to the entire school – as well as all the other foreign teachers. Naturally everyone at home eventually caught wind of it – at least someone enjoyed the performance.

If this cloud does have a silver lining it is that I care less and less about making an absolute fool out of myself. All I need to do now is find out a way of monetising that and I’m golden.

 

 

Weddings

It sounds pretty mad but I’d say if you teach in China on a 10 month contract it’s a pretty safe bet you will attend at least one Chinese wedding. I managed 3 during my first year and in total have been to 6 compared with only 2 that I’ve attended in England. If you are working at a primary school it’s likely that most of your colleagues will be women between the ages of 25-35, if any of the them have boyfriends there will be plans to get married imminently and they usually invite everyone from work, it’s a great experience and certainly something you’ll remember.

My advice would be to ask around before you go because I embarrassingly wore a suit to the first wedding I went to, the only other person that was wearing a suit was the groom. The best man had a Brazilian football shirt on which gives you an idea of the dress code. It’s not a particularly formal occasion and usually begins in the morning with the groom going to the bride’s parents house to pick his soon to be wife up…literally that is. The tradition is to carry the bride to the car from her house without her feet touching the ground; there are usually fireworks and banger being set off throughout. In my apartment complex I once saw a very weedy guy struggling to carrying a pretty large bride however the Chinese are not ones to shy away from tradition so 3 men carried her down to the car, I’m sure she felt great. There seems to be some sort of handing over ceremony at the bride’s house where the groom must make a list of promises to his new parents in law to how he will take care of their daughter. This is usually turned into a humorous speech before the groom must perform various tasks set by the bride (usually singing or press ups) after all this the groom will give his in laws money. Then the bride is carried out to the car and they drive off to the ceremony, usually in the function room of a hotel or restaurant.

Not all Chinese weddings parties are particularly bothered by making it a private event as I have been to restaurants before just to have dinner and been sat at a table in the middle of a wedding . There was also a bus load of tourists there happy as Larry right smack in the middle of it talking loudly over the ceremony, not a hint of embarrassment.

The bride and groom usually employ somebody to film the journey from their house to the reception. The cameraman acrobatically hanging out of the car behind with his video camera whilst its moving…Wuhan isn’t exactly picturesque so imagine somebody filming you driving around the M25 and you get an idea to what the video might be like. Chinese people can be very cheesy when it comes to romance which is quite sweet and lovely compared to cynical view of many in England although I did go to one wedding which was opened by the groom singing a love song to the bride whilst walking down the aisle towards her, he cried from start to finish. Bit much.  After a short ceremony of around 30 minutes there is a dinner for all of the guests, which is great but then unfortunately that’s it. There’s no disco, party or anything like that. Once people have shovelled in their food their off home meaning the actual wedding lasts around 2 hours. It’s traditional to give the happy couple money in a red packet rather than a gift and if you’re going to a wedding of somebody who you know from work 100RMB would suffice which is around £10, maybe more for a better friend.

Well worth going!! Enjoy!!

 

 

Starting to Teach

As with many people who go abroad to teach, I didn’t have much prior teaching experience. I had ‘taught’ for a month at a summer school in India, however ‘babysat for 3 hours in the morning’ would have been a much more accurate description. Some people take to teaching immediately, and I remember talking to other people who were working at the same school as me who from the first week seemed to be fitting in quite well. They would animatedly talk about how much they were enjoying it and how well they were getting on with their students. Whilst I nodded along sagely, in reality I had no real clue what I was supposed to do in the classroom. The problem was twofold; I was still quite nervous to be in front of 45 students (albeit ones who were 7 years old) and I was not really sure how to structure a class properly. For me I think that when you solve the second problem the first solves itself.

The first class I taught was a fairly classic example of me having no idea how to teach a class or knowledge of activities to use. The children were supposed to be learning ‘What is your name? My name is..’ Assuming that the children would pick it up immediately I got them to repeat the two sentences and set about asking them their name. It turned out none of them could say the sentence clearly (apparently one repetition is not enough for fluency), they didn’t actually know what it meant and besides which none of them had English names (apparently it was my job to provide them with English names). It was then that I realised that other than getting them to repeat the sentences after me I had no real idea what games or activities to use, and that I still had 35 minutes of the class left with very little idea of what to do in it. Talking to some of the teachers who were in their second year was greatly helpful as they were able to tell me a variety of games and activities that could be used when teaching words and sentences. The other thing that I learnt by experience was how quickly (or slowly as is usually the case) to cover different topics and how to go through things in a step by step manner that the students can understand. Once I had a better knowledge of how to actually teach and what to do in the classroom the confidence just came with it.

I still remember the turning point when I reached the lofty heights of being a semi-competent teacher. Having wrapped up a class on prepositions of place, which some of the students even understood, I turned to my co-teacher to see her grinning at me. After asking what was making her smile she replied that that class was actually ‘quite good’ – it only took two months.

 

 

Winter in Wuhan

As the winter draws in over the Yangtze it seems an appropriate time to talk through probably the most challenging time of the year for foreign teachers living in Wuhan….winter! It’s not all doom and gloom though as winter means the appearance of some  delicious seasonal food which tastes all that much better when you need warming up.

Wuhan is absolutely freezing in winter and for people coming from countries where central heating is in the majority of homes it can be a real shock to the system. During my first winter in Wuhan on a barmy sub-zero Sunday evening I found myself sitting on a chair in the shower under a heat lamp reading a book…and I never read.  I must make it clear that I was very unfortunate with my apartment which was particularly cold and most teachers will be much better off than I was. Wuhan’s temperature in winter isn’t particularly low and whenever I check the weather it always seems to be a few degrees warmer than London. Despite this because of the lack of central heating it feels so much colder in Wuhan, pack plenty of warm clothes and buy a thick duvet and blankets around October time then you should be fine. Some lucky people will have an air-conditioner unit in their apartment which really heats the room up although it can get a bit stuffy as the air pumped out of those machines aren’t particularly fresh. If you head down to Walmart you can pick up and electric radiator for 200/300 RMB which is a better option especially if the school cover your electric bill as many do meaning unless you’re big on the environment you can go mental. Electric radiators are also a live saver when drying clothes in winter without them it takes about 3 days to dry anything.

During interviews applicants have asked me about Christmas and whether it’s a holiday in China. Christmas is a normal working day but some schools will allow their foreign teachers to have the day off as they realize the importance of the holiday. We cannot guarantee that you will have the day off but if it’s really important to you then it’s something you should bring up with your school early on. Issues such as being allowed time off can depend on your relationship with your school. If you work hard during the first term and involve yourself in extra-curricular activities I’m sure you’ll be allowed the time off. From my experience former colleagues that have stayed in China for a second year at the same school and were allowed to go back to their home county to celebrate Christmas although don’t expect that during your first year. Christmas is acknowledged in China and shopping malls will have Christmas trees and decorations but it isn’t really celebrated and many Chinese people go shopping on Christmas day.  

It has been mentioned in previous blogs but I cannot emphasize just how good hot-pot is especially on a cold winter’s night. Hot pot is cooked on your table so you can feel the heat from the fire and the soup component of the dish really warms up your insides. It’s one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I’ve had anywhere. It’s relatively easy to order for non-Chinese speakers, delicious and suitable for any dietary requirements as the customer decides exactly what ingredients are included in a hot pot. In December when it begins to turn cold I usually go for a hot-pot at least a couple of times a week which isn’t excessive as there are many different types. It’s not too expensive  but it’s best to go in a group of at least 4 to split the cost. You can keep topping up the hot-pot and adding more ingredients as you go and is a very social way to eat dinner.

Winter……Thick socks….essential