Clases

Otro artículo más que escribí para la clase de BC. En este describo un poco cómo son mis clases de TBC.


My experience in The Beijing Center for Chinese studies does not resemble that of Chinese university students. TBC is housed in the University of International Business and Economics, but it is not very integrated into campus life, nor do we take any courses with Chinese students--my classmates are primordially Americans. Some of the faculty is Chinese, but there are also many international faculty members. TBC is a very well situated American bubble; I get glimpses of Chinese student life, but I do not participate in it. My limited knowledge of the Chinese language and culture relegate me to this peripheral experience. Nonetheless, because China is so complex and foreign to me, this experience and the conclusions I indirectly derive from it fascinate me.

All TBC courses except Chinese are held in the 4th floor of a UIBE classroom building. UIBE students don’t have access to our facilities, and do not really understand what we do. Some local students have even developed conspiracy theories about TBC, and as a senior prank they sneak into our hallway and take pictures with the statue next to the library.

I am taking 4 courses--Beginner Chinese, Chinese Economic and Political Reform, Crafts of China, and International Business. All are held in small classrooms of 30 students or less furnished with simple desks and very uncomfortable chairs. Some of the faculty are important Chinese intellectuals--one of our history teachers appeared in an influential movie about China after the Communist Revolution. Most are foreigners with extensive experience in the country. My International Business teacher, for example, has lived here for years and participated in key DC negotiations regarding China.

All my non-language courses last 3 hours, meet once a week, are casual, and stress the importance of attendance and participation. The goal of Crafts is to develop a connoisseur’s eye for Chinese crafts. The teacher disregards stressful exams and extensive theoretical reading; the whole class builds towards our final project, which consists of collecting a series of examples of a particular craft, explaining their cultural significance, and recognizing quality. International Business class is based on readings from our textbook supplemented by our teacher’s extensive experience as a businessmen and banker in China. Our grade depends heavily on a final exam, but participation and in class presentations are also important. My Reform class is by far the most challenging--it is taught by the dean of the school, involves extremely complex readings, and grades depend on two highly analytical exams.

Chinese classes are held on a different building and all taught by native speakers. Although this is my most direct window into the Chinese education system, my teacher does not seem to fit within the descriptions provided by my UIBE friends. They say that their culture is very exam-oriented and stresses memorization--my teacher forgets that we have quizzes and favors comprehension over memorization. Chinese teachers are generally perceived as distant and authoritative--she is very approachable, and encourages participation. Perhaps this is because she does not hold class in a huge lecture hall and she is not a respected intellectual like the UIBE faculty.

Even though at TBC we study side by side UIBE students, it seems like our classrooms are miles apart. For Reform class we read a book written by an American who came to study at Nanjing University in the 1980s. I admire and envy his experience; but I don’t think I could deal with the Marxist discourse, the 11pm curfew, the excruciating exam period, or the authoritative lecture style. At the moment, the language and cultural barriers do not allow me to do so anyway. For now it is enough to see it through the eyes of my teachers, or the explanations of my Chinese tutor and his UIBE classmates. I recently met a Spanish girl who lives in my building and is planning on studying her entire undergraduate degree here. As China becomes a world power, if tuition and the cost of living remain cheap, I think this will be a trend in the rise. I can only wish these students luck. Even within the confinement and protection of my American bubble, I can tell that life as a Chinese daxuesheng is not easy.