Mandarin more popular as job-seekers head to China
Mandarin more popular as job-seekers head to China
Dr Rosemary Haddon and Langhui Ying
A budding interest in learning Chinese in Palmerston North reflects a growing awareness of its employment benefits, says the head of Massey University’s Chinese language programme.
Dr Rosemary Haddon, from the School of Humanities, recently set up a pilot Mandarin community class at the Palmerston North City Library with the assistance of Lanhui Ying, a specialist Chinese language teacher currently working with the university, as well as local high schools and community groups.
She says the enthusiasm of the students reflects a marked cultural shift in attitude towards the importance of Chinese language, as more people in the Manawatü region travel to China for work, business and leisure. Dr Haddon says a number of locals are moving to China because they can’t find work in New Zealand. Her observation of this trend, coupled with the arrival of Ms Ying, prompted her to trial the community-based class.
“When I go to China I bump into them [local people] at the airport, or on the plane coming back. A lot are working there – they couldn't find work here but they’ve found work in China.”
She says once people are living and working in China, they realise they can improve their opportunities with better knowledge of the language. A growing number are opting to study Mandarin from China via distance learning at Massey, she adds.
Ms Ying, who has more than 20 years’ experience teaching Chinese as a second language to international students and foreign Chinese language teachers, says many Westerners are initially daunted by the number and complexity of characters they need to learn when studying Chinese.
She is currently doing a PhD on how knowledge of the 3500-year-old history of Chinese characters can enhance language learning. Knowing the stories behind the characters makes it more enjoyable and easy to learn the language, she says.
She is a qualified teacher of Chinese who holds a Master’s degree from the prestigious Beijing Languages University, and is in New Zealand under the auspices of Hanban (Office of the Chinese Language Council International). She will spend two years in Palmerston North to provide language learning support at schools where Mandarin is being introduced, as well as tutoring campus-based and distance students at Massey.
She has been particularly impressed by the language acquisition of Massey’s distance students, who she is tutoring for conversation. “They really do very well. I thought learning online would be difficult, but they’ve really achieved a lot”.
The weekly 10-class pilot programme runs to the end of August. Dr Haddon and Ms Ying hope there will be enough interest to continue, with the possibility of also running a class for childre
Dr Rosemary Haddon and Langhui Ying
A budding interest in learning Chinese in Palmerston North reflects a growing awareness of its employment benefits, says the head of Massey University’s Chinese language programme.
Dr Rosemary Haddon, from the School of Humanities, recently set up a pilot Mandarin community class at the Palmerston North City Library with the assistance of Lanhui Ying, a specialist Chinese language teacher currently working with the university, as well as local high schools and community groups.
She says the enthusiasm of the students reflects a marked cultural shift in attitude towards the importance of Chinese language, as more people in the Manawatü region travel to China for work, business and leisure. Dr Haddon says a number of locals are moving to China because they can’t find work in New Zealand. Her observation of this trend, coupled with the arrival of Ms Ying, prompted her to trial the community-based class.
“When I go to China I bump into them [local people] at the airport, or on the plane coming back. A lot are working there – they couldn't find work here but they’ve found work in China.”
She says once people are living and working in China, they realise they can improve their opportunities with better knowledge of the language. A growing number are opting to study Mandarin from China via distance learning at Massey, she adds.
Ms Ying, who has more than 20 years’ experience teaching Chinese as a second language to international students and foreign Chinese language teachers, says many Westerners are initially daunted by the number and complexity of characters they need to learn when studying Chinese.
She is currently doing a PhD on how knowledge of the 3500-year-old history of Chinese characters can enhance language learning. Knowing the stories behind the characters makes it more enjoyable and easy to learn the language, she says.
She is a qualified teacher of Chinese who holds a Master’s degree from the prestigious Beijing Languages University, and is in New Zealand under the auspices of Hanban (Office of the Chinese Language Council International). She will spend two years in Palmerston North to provide language learning support at schools where Mandarin is being introduced, as well as tutoring campus-based and distance students at Massey.
She has been particularly impressed by the language acquisition of Massey’s distance students, who she is tutoring for conversation. “They really do very well. I thought learning online would be difficult, but they’ve really achieved a lot”.
The weekly 10-class pilot programme runs to the end of August. Dr Haddon and Ms Ying hope there will be enough interest to continue, with the possibility of also running a class for childre
