Thank You for Accompanying Me

If there is a road that people would like to walk again, it may not only be because of the beautiful scenery along the road, but also because of the wonderful memories, kind-hearted people, and mysterious challenges on the road.

In August, on the eve of my departure, I suddenly received a notice that I could stay for another term. Should I stay? I made this decision within ten seconds. Because of this decision, I worked and lived in Turin for another ten months.

Thanks to my experience in the first term, I experienced no discomfort or obstacles in terms of everyday life in the second term, so I could immerse myself fully in teaching.

I was still teaching at Collegio Valdese, a private high school located in an alpine valley far from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The number of students in this high school is very small, with less than 60 students in total for all five grades. However, there are many language courses offered, including Chinese, English, German, Latin, and Greek. And I am the Chinese language teacher at this school.

Giving Students the Joy of Learning Chinese

I usually teach three or four times a month, with each session lasting five hours and one hour per grade. The content for the first and second grades mainly focuses on pronunciation, vocabulary, and spoken language, while the content for the third, fourth, and fifth grades highlights grammar, culture, and HSK tests, with flexible textbook choices. One week before each class, I would contact the co-teacher of mine to inquire about the content, and then prepare the lesson based on the grammar points or cultural phenomena specified by the co-teacher.

Perhaps many teachers have the impression that Italian high school students are "rowdy", "too active", and "difficult to maintain discipline". However, I have not encountered such "trouble" at all in that school, because most of the students are even quieter than the valley! With a small number of students, their personalities are more introverted.

In my previous term, I always forced myself to "teach students something." This time, I tried to make the classroom atmosphere more relaxed, so that students can feel more enjoyment in learning Chinese. For example, after teaching first-grade students vocabulary and grammar related to "catching a cold" and "being sick," besides repeated practice and situational simulation, I would also choose the Chinese version of the animation series "Peppa Pig" for them to watch. After watching, they would answer questions and retell the story. This kind of practice would not too mechanical or rigid.

As another example, the course arrangement required third-grade students to read the story "Painted Skin" from the book "Strange Stories from Chinese Studio"; although it was a simplified storybook with very plain language, the students only finished a dozen or so pages, which meant that they had only been shown the parts in which the characters were introduced, and they did not know anything about the storyline. Meanwhile, the partnering teacher wanted to spend two lessons on this story.

But judging from the students' current language level, it was impossible for them to finish reading this book within a week, and there were many unfamiliar words in the original story. If I explain too much, the students would have fewer opportunities to speak Chinese.

Therefore, for the first class, I selected a 10-minute animated version of the "Painted Skin" made by netizens, containing both the original classical Chinese text of "Strange Stories from Chinese Studio", but also modern Chinese explanation. As a result, the students were able to retell the story smoothly prior to the end of the class.

For the second class, I showed the students some clips from the movies "Painted Skin 1" and "Painted Skin 2," aiming to introduce how the director reflects the problems faced by contemporary Chinese people through adaptation. Most of the dialogue was brief, and the students could understand it and answer questions with high accuracy.

Being a Chinese Language Teacher, Demanding and Fulfilling

Although the number of teachers and students in this school is small, each person has their own unique characteristics and is very interesting. The receptionist is an Indian who speaks fluent Italian, the English teacher always wears a British smile, the Greek teacher is obsessed with Chinese calligraphy, the physics teacher likes to chat with colleagues, and my co-teacher, who appears to be a local Chinese language teacher, is actually an Italian internet celebrity artist who is crazy about Beijing dialect.

Since my dormitory is far from this school, and my first class starts at 9 o'clock in the morning, so I have to get up at 5 o'clock. After quickly having breakfast, I need to catch the train and bus to get to the school. Following five consecutive hours of classes, I have to rush again. In between, there is no time to have a proper meal, so I am usually hungry and cold all day long.

In winter, due to the short daylight hours, I leave when it's still dark and come back in the dark. Even so, I still love it here. After work, I always look out of the window at the snow-capped mountains and the playground. The beautiful scenery is enough to make me forget my temporary fatigue. Thus, I unintentionally collected all four seasons outside the window.

Every day after work, I pass by the bank of the Dora River. Gazing at the flowing river, I always think of a dialogue. Shakyamuni Buddha asked his disciple, "How can you keep a drop of water from drying up?" The disciple couldn't answer, and Buddha said, "Merge into the ocean."

Aren't we international Chinese language teachers also drops of water in the cause of international Chinese language education? Thanks to TCSL, I am also grateful for every partner I have met in my work. It is because of their company and support that my journey has not been so lonely.

(Author: Li Xiangning)