Chinese language teaching staff in the School of Languages and Cultures as well as the UQ Confucius Institute facilitated various activities to provide visiting students and teachers with a “taste” of learning Chinese at The University of Queensland.
Dr. Sheng-Hsun Lee first presented an overview of the program and Chinese language learning resources available on campus. Subsequently, Dr. Angela Cook and Dr. Lucy Li engaged the participants in practicing speaking Chinese through activities such as Chinese songs, tongue twisters, and other games. In their session on written Chinese, Dr. Melody Chang and Ms. Shirley Liu presented the beauty of Chinese character writing and its evolution through multimedia and authentic teaching materials. Students commented that it was their favourite activity as they learned about the history of the characters.
The Confucius Institute at The University of Queensland (UQ CI) was an integral part of the “Taste of Chinese” half-day program. The warmly received visit program introduced students to the Chinese New Year festival as well an exercise in the art of traditional paper cutting.
The UQ CI Director Professor Ping Chen was pleased with the outcome of the engagement with local schools.
“Outreach activity to Queensland schools is a core part of the UQ Confucius Institute’s responsibilities in promoting Chinese language and culture,” Professor Chen said.
