Let's Learn Chinese Language Together – Overcome Difficulties, and Find Joy in it

I sowed a seed of the Flowers of Hanyu and then kept shining and watering it with love. Now, the flower is quietly blooming here in "Bel Paese" - Italy.

-Author's Note

First Encounter with the Exotic Vibe

"Ladies and gentlemen, this plane will arrive at Milan Malpensa Airport in 30 minutes. The temperature outside the cabin is 28 degrees Celsius..." It was a flight of 10 hours across a distance of 8,000 kilometers. Yesterday morning, I was still making the final preparations for my international flight and now, the ache all over my body was reminding me that I had landed on another plate of the earth. Milan, a "City of Fashion" and a "City of Charm" which used to be seen only on screen, was now unfolding itself in front of my eyes. I began to feel the "heartbeat" of this foreign city, bearing in mind my dream of teaching Chinese and filled with the expectations of an unknown place. 

Subsequent Clash of Cultures 

Whether in the Chinese language class or in the extracurricular cultural activities, I can always feel the enthusiasm of the learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. Participants of the evening courses for adults were from all walks of life, including university professors, multinational employees, lawyers, and retirees. Although they had different careers, they were all passionate about learning Chinese language and culture. 

Dining in a Chinese restaurant with participants of an evening course

Taste of Happiness

At the Confucius Institute, National University of Milan, I finally began to teach in the capacity of a teacher. The classes I taught in high school consisted of four grades, and I made different teaching plans for each grade based on the learning and age characteristics of my students. I communicated closely with local teachers and tried my best to cooperate in every hour of the Chinese class. Participants of the Confucius Institute's HSK courses tended to study Chinese in their spare time, because they belonged to different age brackets and came from all walks of life. In class, I would discuss some hot topics about current affairs and at times, playfully speak a few Italian words. We were more like friends who were curious about each other, and our classes were filled with laughter. 

In addition, I was responsible for teaching children's courses at the Confucius Institute. Despite the language barrier, every child who met me would kindly greet me with my Chinese name "Xiangming". Apart from teaching entry-level spoken Chinese, I would also try to explore some courses related to Chinese culture, so as to fully inspire children's desire for knowledge and skills. To that end, I tried "every trick" to get closer to the children by cutting the character "春（spring）", drawing a dragon, making a firecracker, writing a "福" character, etc. In every lesson, the children would try to read and write Chinese characters carefully. In those ordinary yet extraordinary days, I really felt the growth of the "Flowers of Hanyu". 

Curricular activities for children

"Chinese Bridge" Competition

Finally, let's learn Chinese language together, overcome difficulties, and find joy in it. May we be fearless, hold on to our dreams, and work hard every moment. Time flies by really quickly! This is already my second year and also our second year in teaching and learning Chinese. It will also be another but not the last year we spend with the international Chinese language education program. Over the past two decades, countless excellent Chinese language teachers and workers have accompanied the Confucius Institute on its way forward, and the Flowers of Hanyu have now been in full bloom under their constant care. The efforts to make our dream come true have never ceased. In our twenties now, we are still young!

A group photo of all the staff of the Confucius Institute taken at Spring Festival

About the author: Chen Xiangming, a volunteer Chinese language teacher to Italy.