Bridging the Gap: Course Materials for Pre-China and In-China Language Study

Recent reports have highlighted the difficulties involved in achieving fluency in Chinese under a three year undergraduate degree program, and the importance of intensive study and in-country language experience (Ingleson 1989: 113, 242; and Smith et al 1994:89-92). Increasingly, university Chinese programs in Australia and overseas now tend to offer a period of study in China. Typically, this will be based at a Chinese tertiary institution where special classes in language and culture are offered for foreign students by the Chinese staff. It's a wonderful learning opportunity for our students. Yet it's also a very challenging experience. Students have to deal with the cultural contrast of being suddenly confronted with the assumptions of the Chinese educational system, and with Chinese-style language teaching practice and expectations. When they venture outside the university campus, they can be overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of the linguistic environment which is no longer contained between the covers of the textbook, and confidence in their own Chinese language abilities can be shaken. The transition is not an easy one; while some students weather it succesfully, others may retreat into the dormitory, finding their enthusiasm for Chinese language study dampened.