Publish date: Jan 18, 2021
December marked the end of 2020, but wherever there is an end, there is a beginning… Although 2020 has been a challenging year, making us feel isolated from time to time, a new community emerged in the Chinese Language Program (CLP), connecting our students, volunteers, TAs and professors!
Everyone shaking off their nervousness with a smile, as they gradually step out of their comfort zone!
Our TA team recognized an integral part that our volunteers have in the learning and development of our students and decided to initiate a team-building and “Thank You” party event for our volunteers to show their appreciation for them. This also gave our volunteers the opportunity to really get to know the teaching team and how to continue supporting each other in the coming year. The event provided an opportunity for our volunteers in the lower-level heritage classes (CHIN141 & CHIN241) from diverse backgrounds to socialize and feel a sense of belonging in our community.
“The main reason is to thank the volunteers for their dedication and effort in the last term. Moreover, I’ve realized that self-isolation has become more and more common nowadays, and I wanted to do something for our volunteers by organizing such an event, giving them the opportunity to interact with others and relieve the stress which has accumulated over the school term.”
“Volunteers help out students achieve their language goals faster and better and add a sense of achievement. Volunteers are tightly integrated into the way the Chinese Program works, and in turn, we also offer them opportunities for professional and personal development of core skills in leadership!”
Great laughter exploded during everyone’s self-introduction and experience sharing about what they have learned during the term about themselves while volunteering.
One worth mentioning is when a volunteer said that she learned to enter the “driver seat” when it comes to teaching students that is fundamentally different than when she was in the “back seat” as a student. This pushed her into feeling discomfort, but over time, she learned that pushing out of her comfort zone benefited her and her student. When she pushed her students, she felt that she was also pushing herself and improving herself! Trust in herself was something that she felt was a key takeaway.
Another volunteer said that seeing students learn Chinese reminds her of the experiences she had been through when learning English. This kind of introspection allowed her to really apply empathy to the way she worked with volunteers. She understood exactly how language learners felt herself and tried her best to make the students she worked with to feel comfortable while also pushing them to engage with the Chinese language and culture. This intercultural understanding is what she believes to be the largest takeaway from her work with students. They found it enjoyable to share and impart her knowledge of her own culture onto students but also learned so much about the culture that other students were coming from and this brought about changes in the way she thought about herself in this world.
“I learned how to communicate with students from different backgrounds with varying levels of Chinese proficiency, as I had to figure out a way to approach each and every one of my students. To my students: as long as you don’t give up, one day you will be able to master the Chinese language!”
“Giving feedback on their writings is a highly rewarding experience as you see students’ improvement throughout the course! It is a great space for self-reflection and mutual learning.”
“It’s always my pleasure that I can be an Essay Helper for the CHIN141 students, as I was extremely impressed by the students’ love and enthusiasm for Chinese, even though Chinese writing might not be their strengths.”
“Having been a Chinese student myself, being a tutor has allowed me to understand what it is like on both sides. I learned to be more understanding of student mistakes and how teachers work with students to improve.”
Volunteers have always been a huge part of our students’ journeys, as they help students learn Chinese beyond a classroom setting. This term was especially difficult with everything being online, but a passion for the Chinese culture and language brought our students and volunteers together. To end this journey with a beautiful conclusion, our students came together to express their gratitude to their volunteers. “我的家人说我的普通话好多了 (“my family says that my Mandarin has improved a lot, thank you,” says a student from CHIN 141. “I just wanna say thank you to 篙朗, your feedback was very helpful and I love reading your comment responses on each of my essays,” says another student from CHIN 141.
December marks a break in the learning journey, but the journey continues. As the new term begins, the Chinese Language Program is seeking volunteers to join and be a part of our big family, as it offers great opportunities to meet new people and to enhance your communication and interpersonal skills. 快来加入我们吧 (Come and join us)!