Stepping out of the traditional Mandarin classroom, students immerse themselves in Chinese culture

By Wu Ningning

Elyse Ribbons was tired. She was staring down Chinese characters and idioms that had resisted memorization since before dawn. As the evening went on, she swallowed more and more coffee. The more coffee she drank, the more confused she became. The foreign audience members in the theater groaned in recognition. For Mandarin learners, the experience is familiar.

This scene is from Elyse's original drama Green eyes on Chinese, which portrays a student desperately preparing for an exam the next morning. Her torturous journey through Chinese learning provides countless comedic and thought-provoking moments, especially for those learning Mandarin. Elyse, the playwright and actress, can speak Chinese like a local; but this is no thanks to her classroom learning, where she was bored by dusty textbooks and passive speaking exercises.

Rigid teaching

Her skepticism of Mandarin teaching is widely shared. Chinese classes for foreigners often focus on flat classroom exercises, rather than everyday communication. Zhang Hongming, professor of Chinese linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says the major problem with the language classes in China lies in the teaching methods.

"The classes in China emphasize imitation and memorization. Most Western students are inclined toward an interactive approach, and developing communicative competence. The present classes are too rigid," said Zhang.

Elyse agrees that Mandarin learning in China needs more interaction. She attributes her own impressive grasp of the language to "bringing language into [my] personal life instead of the classroom."

Outdated textbooks

Textbooks are also a problem, not least because many were intended for Chinese natives. Thus they focus on vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure rather than phrases often heard or used naturally by native Chinese. Popular words such as maidan (to pay a restaurant bill) never appear in these books.

"It is impossible to imagine that a Chinese textbook aimed at native students could also be applicable to Western students. But it is the way some'experts' do it," said Zhang.

Street talk

Unsatisfied with the current teaching method and textbooks, a few students try to step out of the classroom to learn Chinese. Chatting with vendors, taxi drivers, or people on the bus, and immersing themselves into the Beijing cultural scene, they assume they have mastered the language.

Nevertheless, when reading or discussing formal academic articles, language is still a barrier.

"Mandarin is a language of nuance and context. Actively talking with a native speaker and attending extra-curricular activities is the best way to keep the language realistic rather than simply strengthening language ability," said Zhang.

"Most language students learn from 'street language'or 'street talk' which doesn't indicate their real Mandarin level."

So if a student wishes to bring their writing up to the level of their speaking, Zhang believes the classroom is the only option.

"In order to master the language systematically, students have to go back to the classroom, at least at the basic stage," he said.

Elyse agrees. "You need to do it at the beginning because most people do not have the will power to push themselves to sit down and write," she said.

Exploration

For aspiring Mandarin learners unsatisfied with classroom teaching, more and more teaching organizations are realizing their problem and trying to improve their teaching skills.

Using a communicative approach, the classroom of Bridge school, a Mandarin language training school for adult Western learners, has become a rehearsal room for language interactions in real life. Activities are designed to resemble daily life situations.

Thanks to these interactive teaching methods, Lina, a French job-seeker and a student of Bridge school who came to China only two months ago, could discuss her coming Christmas plans with her partner in Chinese class fluently.

"I believe students learn best when they are motivated to learn by seeing the practical and important information presented in the classroom. Therefore, I have deliberately created a learning environment where students are motivated to learn because they see the relevance of the course to their career goals and interest," said Zhang Lichen, the instructor at the school.

Language schools are not alone in their enthusiasm for teaching innovation. Online learning systems have also started teaching Mandarin. Located in a hutong, the Popup Chinese team puts a special focus on colloquial Mandarin and customizes lessons to help students prepare for the HSK exam (The Chinese Proficiency Test). They have their students study on the subway, or listen to their podcasts while driving to work. Online tools are also added to teach people how to write characters. The program is attracting more and more learners.