Earth and wind: teaching Spanish in China. (Language Teaching & Learning).

Abstract

This paper focuses on research conducted while I was in Beijing. In particular, I investigate perspectives on cultural acquisition by analyzing how Chinese university students learn about Spanish language and culture in the classroom. I explore how Chinese values and moral attitudes embodied in a historical context have had a social impact on how people view and interact with one another. In my research I interviewed students and faculty in the Spanish department to gain a deeper understanding of their personal perspectives on cultural acquisition. Learning styles typical to Chinese philosophy and ideas lead to definite conclusions. The Chinese consider learning as a mechanism to benefit the State as well as the entire community. The combination of teacher and student attitudes leads to a surprisingly effective Spanish language program in Chinese classrooms. The results, as seen in the knowledge of the students, are a clear reflection of this effectiveness.

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I vividly remember my arrival in Beijing. I was on a long flight from Chicago, thinking about the last time I traveled for so many hours and anticipating my arrival at the capital. I had made arrangements for the University van to pick me up. I was confident about my skills and my ability to deal with my Chinese counterparts. As the plane descended over Beijing in the mid-afternoon, I could sense the excitement running through my blood. I could not believe that I was going to see my old friends again and that a wonderful opportunity was opening in front of me for the second time. I was elated. Once I went through immigration and got my luggage, I quickly directed myself towards the exit. I could already feel the hot and humid weather (unusual for being just May). The lobby of the airport was vibrant with people, just as I remembered it. The sounds of the musical language were floating in the air. That was my first realization that I was back in Beijing. I looked for my ride to the dorm but I couldn't see anyone holding a flyer with my name. Yet, I did not want to worry too much. In the back of my mind I was recalling my previous experiences and what I had learned about China a year ago. Processing those images and thoughts from the past helped me to remember that besides the idea that "everything is possible", patience is truly a virtue.

As the minutes were passing, my level of anxiety was increasing. Despite my anxiety, however, I wanted to wait and see how the situation would be resolved without acting on my own. I don't remember exactly how long I became absorbed in my thoughts when, suddenly, I glimpsed the back of a familiar figure. I could not believe my eyes! There was Stan, standing with some other people and obviously awaiting the arrival of someone. I had met Stan a year ago in my Chinese class, and we had become friends. We never exchanged addresses or emails at the end of that month, so I thought I never was going to see him again. With all of these thoughts dancing in my mind, I ran towards him, excited to see a familiar face again. He indeed was very surprised to see me there, a year later, again in Beijing. After a brief and enthusiastic exchange of greetings, I described for him my situation at the airport. He explained to me that he was waiting for some professors and students from his college that were arriving that same afternoon from the States. With his calmness and laid back attitude he told me that he and the University representatives that were with him would help me to get to my final destination. I was relieved and thankful for my luck. I was experiencing fate or fortune and thinking one more time that, certainly, everything is possible. And, once more the saying that I learned from my Chinese friends was proven to be true: "expecting the best, preparing for the worse".

I was back in Beijing as a result of my past experience in China. After my scholastic work last summer, I was offered an invitation to return to Beijing to teach and give conferences as a language expert. I was quite honored to have this invitation extended to me. I also had the joy of working again with my main collaborators from last summer: Dean Chang Fuliang from Capital Normal University, College of Foreign Languages, and Professor Nicolas Arriaga, both teachers in the Spanish department. We worked very closely on our studies of the methods of Spanish language acquisition and teaching employed by Chinese students and faculty. After last summer's wonderful experiences, I was very happy to have further opportunities to enrich my teaching at Berry as well as to expand the contacts for future educational cooperation between Berry and the Capital Normal University.

While in Capital Normal University, my specific activities were similar to those of last summer. Working with members of the Spanish faculty, I attended Spanish classes and lectures at the University to witness the learning process first-hand. I also gave lectures on Spanish language and film, which allowed direct participation in the teaching process. Additionally, I interviewed students and faculty in the department to gain a body of personal perspectives on cultural and language acquisition.

One of my primary areas of interest is the applicability of teaching materials in cross-cultural contexts. As a teacher at Berry, my goal is to help students to develop proficiency in the four essential language skills essential for truly communicative language teaching (the skills being speaking, listening, writing, and reading). To accomplish this task, I provide students with an abundance of practice material, ranging from form-focused exercises to communicative activities. I had brought to my classes in Capital Normal University some of this material to be used in class, with the purpose of observing how effective this method will be for language learning in the framework of a different culture. The outcome of this implementation provided me with a key realization: the traditions of classroom interaction in China were unaccustomed to exercises of this kind. Coming from an educational experience that centers on lecturing, the Chinese students responded with puzzlement and blank stares when I suggested more creative, dialogue-based activities. I learned from this experience that all educators necessarily tailor their teaching methods for a culture-specific framework; therefore, teaching is the reflection of social tradition and the history of a nation.

Obviously, the socio-political system in China is under the control of the Communist Party, and the party directs much of the higher educational system. Yet I did not realize until this summer to what degree this direction reached. Capital Normal University is well known in Beijing for its commitment to mainly prepare excellent teachers. Most of the students there will be teaching at high schools upon graduating. The Communist party officials place graduate students in different institutions as soon as they complete their degree. The student does not play a role in this process. It is also mandatory for them to remain in these assigned jobs for an extended period of time. Changing jobs or quitting the one that has been assigned will result in serious problems for the person's future employment. I learned this aspect of the Chinese bureaucracy firsthand through my friend June, who has experienced much difficulty in finding a new position after deciding to quit her assigned job at a high school where she was teaching English.

Through my many interviews with students, however, I learned that the majority of them do in fact have a strong desire to study and teach Spanish. I asked students of Spanish at the University to complete a survey about why they chose Spanish as an area of study. The answers ranged between job-oriented reasons and cultural explanations. An advanced student says: "I like the Spanish language because many people in the world speak this language. It is a language extended in many continents in the contemporary world, and currently 425 million people speak Spanish. It is the third most-spoken language in the world after Chinese and English. Spanish language can be used in at least 20 different countries. It is a very practical language." In addition to their knowledge of the practical role of Spanish in the world, I found that students were also very familiar with Spanish culture, music, film, history, and art.

In my experience, the faculty of the Spanish department at the University share this strong interest in the study and effective transmission of the Spanish language. The department consists of eight professors: Li Hong Jin, Wu Tong Kang, Chang Fu Liang, Qu Hong Yu, Zha Si Ha, Lu Jia and Lin Xue Mei, and Nicolas Arriaga (sent by the Spanish authorities). Their teaching philosophy can be summarized in a very concrete statement: it is fundamental to prepare excellent classes where the problems can be resolved at the same time that the teacher facilitates the learning environment for the students. It is essential that the students can feel freedom in the classroom, without pressures or shyness. Teachers thrive to create a place to learn where students can talk freely in Spanish, in the same way they would do it in Chinese. Additionally, in the words of one professor, "teachers learn in collaboration with students."

In short, regarding my professional reflections, my time in China helped me once again to understand the intricate nature of teaching and the external factors that intervene in providing an excellent instruction in the classroom. More so than last year, this summer in China was an even greater opportunity for my own personal growth. During my previous stay, I had been fascinated by the stoic way in which Chinese people accepted daily life under a rigorous existence. This time I had the opportunity, so to speak, to understand the "why" of this acceptance, in a way that I never expected. Upon my arrival in Beijing, I suffered a seizure of my sciatic nerve and could not walk or move my body for several days. As soon as my old friends learned about my condition, they came over to my apartment, preparing food, doing shopping, helping me moving around, in short, taking good care of me. What surprised me was that this friendship was never questioned; they were not doing it out of pity because I was in a foreign country, but simply because there was a great deal of solidarity with my situation.

I cannot describe my appreciation of this sense of commitment to a friend during hard times. Experiencing this unconditional support and love from my Chinese friends during a time in which, due to my immobility, I was active only in my mind led me to a real reexamination of my life. As fantastic as it may sound, during this time I truly regained a sense of purpose and strength in my life. Ultimately, this may be the biggest benefit of my second stay in China, one that overshadows even the greatest professional growth.

Monica Cantero, Berry College, GA

Monica has Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics from University of Barcelona, Spain.