On the Path of International Chinese Language Education

The first time I came to Australia was during the rainy season. I could recall that when I settled down in a hotel, the sky was clear and the sun was scorching, but soon it started to rain heavily, which left a deep impression on me. After a year, I have learned to "dance" in the rain, and I am now brave enough to move forward whether it rains or shines.

I taught at Woodroffe Primary School in Darwin and the children were very lively and active in their Chinese classes. They would happily say "你好" when they saw me on campus. Some of the children would give me a hug when entering the classroom. The warmth and comfort of a small but solid hug was incomparable to anything else. The children's imaginative expression and words always impressed me, and sometimes I even felt that I was not teaching them, but they were teaching me to return to the simplicity.

On Dragon Boat Festival, we immersed ourselves in the story of Qu Yuan; on Father's Day, we worked together to make cards with Chinese characters like "我爱爸爸" on them and filled them with love for our fathers through hand-writing; on Mid-Autumn Festival, we narrated the story of Chang'e flying to the moon, made colorful paper lanterns and shared the taste of moon cakes; on Chinese New Year, we discussed the difference between dragon dance and lion dance and longed for the flavor of dumplings; on Valentine's Day, we would say "我爱你" and express our love to the people around us in Chinese; on teachers' and students' birthdays, we would sing "Happy Birthday Song" in Chinese to convey our blessings. It was the greatest reward for me to see the smiles and happiness on the children's faces.

I was impressed by the children in each class. Ma Rui in class B2 was a lively and cute little girl who enjoyed dancing and would dance happily to the music every time she listened to children's songs in Chinese classes. She was especially fond of Chinese classes, always answering questions and helping to distribute writing paper in class. After the last class at the end of the third semester, she hugged me tightly and asked me, "Will you remember me?" I replied, "Of course." As lovely as she was, how could I forget her? There were so many warm moments like this that dotted my starry sky in Darwin.

In addition to teaching at Woodroffe Primary School, I would also attend conferences and events organized by Charles Darwin University. At the Seabreeze Festival, we set up tables and stood on the beach to introduce Chinese culture. At the Mid-Autumn Festival, we gathered to enjoy the bright moon and Chinese food. During the Spring Festival, we participated in the Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the local Chinese Association in Darwin, and we all worked together on Spring Paper-cuttings and celebrated the new year.

During my year at Darwin, I not only honed and improved my teaching skills, but also my life skills. I learned to cook, play badminton and some camping skills, like setting up a tent. I could still recall the first time I tried to set up a tent and cook in the wilderness, as well as the first time I was awakened by the singing of birds in the early morning and then went to look for a natural spring while encountering a large lotus pond by chance. The beauty of Darwin was unfolded in front of me, but still required patience to find it and calmness to feel it. Thanks to Darwin, I was able to slow down and listen to my inner voice.

It was as if I had dozed off and the day had come in a trance to wave goodbye. Upon parting, many people asked me, "Will you miss the small town of Darwin?" and the answer was self-evident. I shall miss the sea breeze, the wind and rain, the towering palms, and the singing birds amongst the branches; I shall bear in mind the love and guidance given to me by all my colleagues, and the heartfelt care of my friends; I shall treasure the innocent smiling faces of the children; I shall face my future work and life boldly with the knowledge and skills I have learned. I shall continue to advance on the path of international Chinese language education and contribute more.