Passion for Chinese Language Continues
I started teaching back in 2013 and got a formal license for the India China Academy (ICA) in 2018. The ICA is an organization established with a vision to build a bridge between India and China through educational and cultural exchanges, mainly offering Chinese language courses and many short-term culture training programs including Chinese painting and philosophy. Currently, we have four faculty members on payroll and three visiting faculty members. More than 300 students have studied with us and 25 students are enrolled in ongoing classes.
On March 21, 2020, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide Janta curfew followed by a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the ICA we quickly went into action: we had no choice but to move from our regular classroom sessions to online teaching. As an academy, we have always believed in the bond between teachers and students. Now we must not let any situation hinder our students’ ongoing learning process and ensure the safety of all those associated with the academy.
Normally a classroom session would consist of a larger group of students ranging from 10 to 40 years old all sitting together in the same class. For an online session, it is difficult to hold a large group together. We reduce the number of students per class so that we are able to give each student enough attention. Besides, long online sessions can be physically tiring so we took certain measures like cutting the number of hours for each session. With the lockdown, several questions emerged, such as how to continue the lectures, how to ensure the same amount of fun learning, how to maintain the teacher-student bond, and other challenges regarding academy management, conducting activities, checking homework and conducting exams.
To overcome these challenges put forth by the pandemic, we turned to digitization. Re-strategizing teaching methods and tools, the ICA conducted online interactive sessions to create a learning environment with the same level of fun as in previous classroom sessions, despite the physical distance. We also designed exercises, activities and learning materials to suit online teaching.
Last year we celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival by visiting the historical Kanheri Caves in Mumbai along with some Chinese friends who shared their childhood experiences of the festival and the legend of Chang’e. Our students had a reunion lunch and enjoyed traditional Chinese moon cakes. Later they shared their thoughts in small groups. Given the current situation, we are unable to meet students personally, but that has not dampened our spirits. To ensure fun learning and keep everyone connected, we have conducted online games related to the Chinese language such as “guessing the character” and “choosing the right word.” We have also produced and shared videos about cultural experiences. Through our YouTube cultural platform Chinichashma, our students understand the Dragon Boat Festival much better.
Various digital platforms are put to use. Zoom is used for conducting online lectures; WeChat and WhatsApp are used to maintain contact with students; DingTalk maintains attendance records. These digital platforms had already existed before the pandemic, but the epidemic situation has accelerated the adoption of digital technology.
We have also been committed to preserving the ICA’s traditions in every possible way. One of them is the naming ceremony. We believe that it earnestly connects the students to a language if they have a name in the language they learn. As soon as the students finish their first semester in the ICA, the teacher bestows upon them a name that depicts their individual qualities and attributes. We had a graduation ceremony for some students a few days ago, and also their Chinese name-giving ceremony.
In normal time, we call students together and write their names on red paper in Chinese calligraphy, which signifies good luck and a new identity for them. This year we had an online conference making a beautiful presentation with their Chinese names and their meanings. Student Kalpit, also a researcher, was named Shūwěi (which literarily means “mighty book”). He found that the naming ceremony is a very unique concept and felt “more connected to the academy and China.” Similarly, Karan Gala and Aksha Dedhia described the ceremony as a very emotional moment and they were grateful to their teachers for spending time and energy to find an appropriate Chinese name for them. I am proud to see that the online ceremony was equally effective as my students have enthusiastically embraced their names.
Our main goal of conducting activities as such is to connect the students not only to the Chinese language but also to Chinese culture. We have conducted various webinars in the last three months on topics including Confucius, Chinese characters and an introduction to Mandarin, which ranged from one to two hours per session. Apart from the teaching faculty, we also invited experts and researchers from respective fields to participate such as Mr. Robin Betch from the University of Tubingen in Germany, and Mr. Kalpit Mankikar, a former Times of India reporter, among others. The webinars always have an open question and answer time. We encourage participants to share feedback, considering it an opportunity to keep learning and improving. The positive response and encouraging feedback from students and Chinese enthusiasts, not only in Mumbai but also from other parts of India, have motivated us to keep these webinars going.
Previously, only students from Mumbai could take advantage of ICA educational programs, but now a wider range of students have access. Going online, we have seen certain advantages such as time saved in communication between students and teachers, and students can study in the convenience of their own homes. There are also certain new challenges, though, like the preparation of educational materials. Teachers have to spend more time preparing to ensure that an online session is productive and has the desired results. They make image-heavy presentations because visual aids help students learn better. We also use quizzes, role-playing, and group presentations to keep online sessions as interactive as classroom sessions. Thanks to the young teachers in our team, who adapt their knowledge well to new technological implementations, the transition to online teaching has been smooth.
We do miss meeting our students in person, but we are adapting to the new scenario very quickly. Our motivation comes from an idiom from the The Analects, which is also the cherished motto of our school—“Xué ér bú yàn, huì rén bú juàn (学而不厌,诲人不倦),” which translates to “study tirelessly, teach with endless enthusiasm.”