participants chatting about their interests on Chinese Culture
participants during the tea lecture session
Ms. Ada demonstrating Tea Ceremony
participants paying attention to the tea lecture
Ms. Ada preparing tea
participants paying attention to the Tea Ceremony
participants trying the tea prepared
1. How did you know about the CI scholarship?
Trizha: I was introduced to it when I took a class in CI. I expressed to my teacher how interested I am in studying Mandarin in China, and she told me that the CI does offer scholarships.
2. Why did you choose to apply for the CI scholarship?
Trizha: My Mandarin teacher recommended me the CI scholarship.
3. What type of CI scholarship did you apply?
Trizha: I applied for the one-year language study together with my sister.
4. Was the process for CI scholarship easy? If not, what were some difficulties?
Trizha: The application process is only a little tedious, but can be easily done. It is a six-step process online in Chinese, wherein the most challenging part is you have to write a 300 character essay about your Chinese educational background and your purpose for wanting to study in China.
Trizha: P.S. you need to pass both HSK3 and HSKK basic in order to qualify for the one-year study program.
5. Which school did you apply to? Where is it specifically located? How long did you stay? From when until when? How was your stay in that school?
Trizha: At first, my choices were Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) and Fudan University, but I got assigned to Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan. I am currently still on the program since I started Sept 2015, and will end on April 2016.
Trizha: Actually, I like the school that I am in because the campus is nice and the environment is clean and fresh which is contrary to Wuhan’s smoggy atmosphere. The school also has a lot of flora and fauna which made it become known as the “Forest University”. Furthermore, the commute to and from the school is quite convenient as well.
6. Can you describe your learning experience from studying in China?
Trizha: If you’re lucky, you will be classmates with people who can’t speak English, which means you are forced to practice Chinese more. The teachers are excellent and they really speak in full Chinese. They seldom use English to explain something to us.
Trizha: To add to our learning, we were introduced to a tutoring program by a student organization, Students’ International Communication Association (SICA), where fellow students help you with Chinese for free. In fact, since many Chinese students here speak proficient English, they are able to communicate with us conveniently and teach us without any language barrier.
7. Apart from the studying, what other experiences can you share to us?
Trizha: Apart from the studying, I enjoy meeting people from different cultural backgrounds. In our class, we have Americans, Spanish, Ukranians, French, Koreans and Africans (Côte d’Ivoire & Madagascar), whom we became friends with as well.
8. Can you highlight your most unforgettable experience during your scholarship in China?
Trizha: Maybe the first day I arrived in China since there were some adjustments and problems with our dormitory. It was a bit rough at first.
9. What were your major challenges during your stay in China?
Trizha: The odd thing about China is that, when it comes to the language, tones are usually taught to be followed, but a lot of Chinese people actually don’t pronounce the right tones, depending on the region. So at the beginning, it was really a struggle to understand what the locals were saying. Though after listening to a lot of records and podcasts, I was able to pick up the common speech patterns, and then things eventually got easier. Furthermore, speaking is also something that I still need to work on, and I guess finding a language partner might be a good way to improve my speaking skills.
10. How did the CI scholarship affect you in your life?
Trizha: Despite the fact that I come from a traditional Filipino-Chinese background, a lot of Chinese traditions, attitudes, behaviors and social concepts are completely alien to me. Also, as a student from Manila, I have always been fed information from the Western perspective, and it feels as if this made my worldview somehow skewed and narrow. Perhaps this ironic circumstance is unique to our country–the most Westernized of all Asian countries.
Trizha: Right now, I find myself delighted that I am slowly able to read Chinese texts. I’m continuously seeking out for ways to broaden my understanding of things.
11. What advice will you give to those who are also interested in the CI scholarship?
Trizha: It is a life-changing experience so grab the opportunity, you have got nothing to lose.
(More pictures below)
Katrine: I found out about it when I was searching the internet for scholarships on studying in China. I read about CI offering scholarships to CI students. When I knew that, I decided to enroll in the Confucius Institute Loyola campus.
Katrine: I thought that the CI scholarship was more convenient for me because if you are enrolled in CI’s Mandarin classes, you have the privilege to apply for scholarship.
Katrine: I was thinking of whether to apply for one semester, one academic year, or even taking up the Master’s degree. Eventually I thought to myself, if I applied for the one semester program, it might be too short for me, plus I really want to improve my Mandarin. And for the Master’s degree, I would need to pass both HSK 5 and HSKK Intermediate Level in order to be qualified. So, I eventually applied for the one academic year scholarship.
Katrine: It was really easy because the school and the coordinator really provided me much assistance. Plus, you can ask them anytime about anything regarding the scholarship.
Katrine: My first choice was Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) where I thankfully got accepted. It is located in Haidian District, Beijing and it is one of the top universities in China which is also known for its foreign languages program. Furthermore, it is also known for producing the country’s Foreign Affairs officers. Currently, I just finished my first semester. I am really having a pleasant stay in BFSU because I study with my fellow foreign students, and the teachers are very good in their field. Also, just to share, I actually never imagined a university to be this big, and it has two campuses, the East and West campus. I live inside the East campus, and we have a beautiful garden in front of our dormitory. There is a football field and a running field, as well as basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, and also a park near the School of Language and Literature.
Katrine: At first, I had a hard time because of the “NO ENGLISH” policy inside the class, and in fact you can actually count with your hands how few English words that the teachers are using when they explain certain words. But eventually, I also got the hang of it. During class hours, I try my best to focus and not fall asleep because I feel that every lesson is important.
To supplement our learning, we also have different activities to help us improve our listening and speaking skills. Aside from the language classes, as part of the overall learning experience, we also have cultural activities such as calligraphy and also different elective classes which we can freely choose.
Katrine: I want to share my first experience of climbing the Great Wall in Mu Tian Yu. At that time, I thought that I could not reach the top because I felt that the steps were endless, steep, and a bit narrow. But after reaching the top, I just felt so proud of myself. But to be honest, I thought that climbing the Fragrant Hill (also in Beijing) was even more difficult than the former. But thankfully, I was also able to reach the top, and for me, it was a big accomplishment.
Another experience that I want to share is when I went to the Forbidden City, I felt so amazed for its vastness and beauty. It was as if I travelled back to ancient China.
Lastly, I also attended a fan meeting/birthday concert of a Chinese actor/singer/dancer whose name is 吴 亦 凡 (Wu YiFan). I really enjoyed it because I was already a fan even before I came to Beijing.
Katrine: I am still on the program as of now, but I can say that my most unforgettable experience would be being able to travel around China and meeting new friends along the way. And personally, experiencing the country’s rich culture is something that I will never forget. Also, I would not forget all the happy moments with my classmates, teachers, and roommate in the first semester. I am so happy that I met wonderful people during my stay in BFSU.
Katrine: My major challenge was when I arrived here in Beijing alone, I really had a hard time because my speaking and listening skills are not that good. All of the staff in the airport that I approached cannot understand and speak English, so I felt so unfortunate that time. Until now, I am still having a difficulty when speaking with the locals, especially the older people because they speak so fast and also their “R” (儿) accent makes it harder for me to understand them. Another challenge is with regard to the food, I find most of the food I eat here are quite oily, and I’m really not used to eating oily food. Lastly, experiencing the smog situation here is really a challenge. I experienced the very bad ones for two or three days, and it was not pleasant.
Katrine: For me, this scholarship is a privilege and the best shot of my life, so far. Because of this, I am able to study Mandarin in China, and travel as well without spending such a big amount of money. And I think I can be more confident when I go back home after I finish studying here.
Katrine: I advise all of you to not have second thoughts in applying for the CI scholarship. If you are interested, give it a shot! Good opportunity comes only once. Strike while the iron is hot! Studying here in China is all worth it. I can tell that you will not regret it.
Special thanks to Ms. Joanna Tecson and Mr. Cris Garcia for encouraging me to apply for the scholarship. 🙂
Alfred: I just finished a year of classes at the Confucius Institute here in Manila when they announced that they were giving away scholarship to China. That’s when I knew.
Alfred: I originally intended to apply for the Taiwanese scholarship, but it was canceled that year due to tensions between Manila and Taipei. My CI teacher suggested that I try the Confucius Institute Scholarship as well.
Alfred: I only had HSK 2 and HSKK Beginner during that time so I was only eligible for the one semester scholarship.
Alfred: It was easy in the sense that I was assisted by the Confucius Institute every step of the way, from accomplishing the form online, choosing the university I wanted, and providing backup in terms of the other documents needed.
Alfred: I wanted to apply in universities in Beijing and Shanghai but I thought competition would be quite stiff so I chose Xinjiang and Xiamen. I eventually ended up at Xiamen University. Despite my scholarship being only for one semester, I extended and stayed there for one whole year. Although I wanted to be in the main campus because I heard that it was a beautiful campus, I, together with my other classmates were transferred to the other campus of Xiamen University, which was quite far from the main campus. However, the good thing about it is that everything was cheap, so I was able to live comfortably with the monthly stipend provided.
Alfred: I think classroom learning is the same everywhere you go. It varies depending on the teacher and his or her teaching style. However, I think it is the experience of studying in China as a whole that matters. Being able to use Mandarin on a daily basis and not just in the classroom really helped me speak in a more natural manner instead of just relying on the classroom experience.
Alfred: Studying aside, my social life was also very active when I was in Xiamen. Meeting students from different parts of the world has helped improve my worldview. There were also lots of fun activities hosted by the university as well as those organized by ourselves such as weekly KTV.
Alfred: Aside from the improvement in my spoken Mandarin skills, I think the best experience would be meeting my group of friends from different countries, and the fact that we still communicate and meet when we can long after our China stint ended.
Alfred: What they say in textbooks about waking up and going to class really early is not a joke. I found this really difficult because I am not a morning person, but as they say, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. There are also challenges outside the classroom in terms of accent, given how Fujian has its own set of local Chinese languages not at all similar to Mandarin. Most of it were isolated cases, though, because almost everyone, especially the younger generation spoke good Mandarin.
Alfred: It was my first scholarship experience and I never really thought of studying in China before. Suffice it to say that it was a good opportunity to get to know China better and correct some misconceptions. It also encouraged me to do more in-country learning when it comes to languages because nothing beats the experience of living the language instead of just learning it.
Alfred: My advice would be, don’t be intimidated to apply for it. You may have some apprehensions, but believe me, as a language student, obtaining this scholarship is one of the best experiences you’ll ever have because you will be able to experience China firsthand, and no matter who you ask, there’s really nothing like China.
Jessica: My sister and I were studying at the Ateneo Confucius Institute when we asked our teacher if she knew of any scholarship programs for studying in China. She told us about the CI scholarship and encouraged us to apply though the school.
Jessica: Aside from the CI scholarship mentioned by my teacher, I did not know of any other scholarship program at the time. When I knew about it, I thought that it was a good opportunity and immediately applied for it without any hesitation.
Jessica: I applied for the 1 year language scholarship program (semester starting September).
Jessica: Completing the application was fairly easy. You just need to fill up the form, complete the requirements and write an essay about your purpose of studying in China. Aside from this, you also need to pass the corresponding HSK/HSKK exams (depending on which scholarship you want to apply for). The school was really helpful and provided assistance all throughout the application process so I did not really encounter any difficulty applying for the scholarship. However, it took quite a while before I was notified of the result/status of my application.
Jessica: I originally chose to go to a university in Beijing or Shanghai, but CI assigned for me to go to Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) located in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Wuhan is one of the fastest developing cities in China and is considered the “Chicago of China” because of its vast and accessible transportation system. I’ve only been here for a few months, but overall, I feel that HUST is a great university to study in as it is one of the top universities in China. The environment of the university is good too—the streets are lined with trees and the area is less polluted compared to other cities like Beijing. Transportation is very convenient, and the cost of living is lower than that of other developed cities. There are also several supermarkets, banks, restaurants, hospitals, and shopping areas inside and near our university. Our teachers are all competent and excellent, and the classrooms are well-equipped. Our school’s International Student Office and a lot of English-speaking student volunteers offer assistance whenever needed and they regularly organize activities to make student life more interesting.
Jessica: For me, coming to China to study is a really great way to quickly and effectively learn Chinese. In class, all of our teachers teach us in Chinese; they rarely speak in English. Apart from the usual classroom setup, we also have cultural activities where we learn Chinese calligraphy, how to make dumplings, Chinese knots, etc. Since everyone here speaks Chinese, I am able to get more practice compared to when I was studying the language back home. I literally learn something new every day.
Jessica: Apart from studying, my friends and I go around the city or to other provinces to visit tourist spots. Traveling in China is really convenient, you can easily go to places or other provinces just by taking the bus, subway or the train. When we have free time, we also explore the city in search of good Chinese food.
Jessica: My first week in China was quite memorable. My sister and I arrived during registration week and it was chaotic. Going through the registration process, getting our dorm rooms, figuring out which way to go and not getting lost, having to talk to people who can only speak Chinese—everything was a struggle. Adapting to the environment took quite a while because of a lot of things that I am not used to, for example, Wuhan’s extremely spicy food or being in an unfamiliar place. But coming here and being able to learn a lot is definitely worth the initial hardship. Now, I really enjoy being in China.
Jessica: So far, the biggest challenge for me is conversing with Chinese people. I have a hard time understanding what people are saying, not only because they speak really fast, but because a lot of them have different ways of pronouncing words. I feel that even if they are speaking the same language, some people sound different from others. Talking to them and making them understand me is another challenge. However, comparing my level now from when I first got here, I think I have improved a lot.
Jessica: If not for the scholarship, I don’t think I would be here in China right now. CI provided a good opportunity for me to learn Chinese and at the same time enjoy life in China. My tuition and accommodation expenses were all shouldered by CI. I even get a monthly living allowance and they also provide medical insurance in case you get sick and need to go to the hospital.
Jessica: My advice is to go for it. Coming to China to study allowed me to greatly and quickly improve my Chinese and at the same time, learn about Chinese culture. Apart from that, I also got to meet a lot of people from different cultural backgrounds, make new friends, experience living in a foreign country and learn to do things on my own. It’s a really valuable experience.
On September 26, 2015, the Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University celebrated Confucius Day alongside the end of Mid-Autumn Festival. The institute organized numerous activities at its Experience Center which include cultural workshops and games namely Chinese Tongue Twister, Chinese Traditional Costume Photobooth, Soybeans and Chopsticks, Diabolo, Chinese Shuttlecock, Chinese Lantern Making, Chinese Karaoke, Chinese Trivia, Shoot the Ring game, and Wheel of Luck.
Participants of the event were given vouchers in which, after every activity they joined, they accumulated stamps on the voucher, which in turn, they used to exchange it for some Chinese delights.
Guests writing on the Freedom Wall
Exhibit of Chinese instruments
Calligraphy on Fans
Chopsticks and Soybeans
Traditional Chinese Costumes
The students from different universities such as the University of Caloocan, University of the Philippines, and De La Salle University as well as students from our own Confucius Institute attended the event. There was an estimate of over 150 participants who joined the activities that the institute has prepared. Among the 150 participants, 87 students came from the University of Caloocan. These students were the first to take the newly established degree program “BS in Education Major in English Language, Minor in Chinese Language”, which formed through the partnership of the Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Caloocan. These students have zero background in the Chinese language, and had only three months of Basic Chinese prior the event. Towards the end of the event, the students from the University of Caloocan showed their sing and dance performance. Furthermore, after their performance, the famous Chinese song from the Taiwanese Series Meteor Garden entitled “Qing Fei De Yi” was played, which really made everyone excited. Not to mention, everybody sang along with the song. It was definitely the climax of the event.
Participants learning how to make mini Chinese Lantern art
Dance performance by University of Caloocan students
Wushu performance by a student
Ms. Liu Xiaofang, the Chinese Director of Ateneo CI
Students being interviewed on how they love the Chinese culture
The reporter interviewed two students in the event, and they said “We love everything that’s Chinese. We want to share our knowledge in Chinese to other people.”
Participants from the University of Caloocan
On August 15, 2015, the Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University organized a free Chinese Art Workshop for its students. The workshop comprised of three very interesting and fun activities which were Chinese Papercutting, Chinese Knotting, and Chinese Lantern Making. The Chinese volunteers of the event discussed a brief history of the crafts and then taught the students how to make one for their own.
Everyone learned how to cut a flower and also the Chinese character 羊 (yáng) which means goat.
Students try out to make the Lucky Knots. It was quite difficult but challenging as well!
Students show off their very own Chinese Lantern. Everyone did a very good job!
Looking at their faces, everyone seems to have enjoyed the workshop! They were pretty amazed at how beautiful Chinese art can be. The students said that they were able to appreciate Chinese Art, and would love to know more of it next time the Institute offers another workshop.
The Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University in collaboration with the leading fastfood chain in the Philippines, Jollibee, took part in Brigada Eswela 2015. Brigada Eskwela, also known as the National Schools Maintenance Week, is a project by the Philippine Department of Education, which aims to prepare the classrooms and other facilities in time for first day of class for the public school students.
Aside from repainting the walls, sweeping the floors and cleaning the tables and chairs of Aurora A. Quezon Elementary School, the volunteers from Jollibee and from the Ateneo Confucius Institute also established an Ateneo Confucius Institute Chinese Corner (ACICC). The ACICC aims to introduce both the teachers and the students to Chinese language and culture. Books, talking dictionaries and flash cards, are among the materials which can be found in the ACICC. Cultural workshops such as Chinese Paper Cutting, Beijing Opera Mask Painting and Chinese knots are set to be conducted around September 2015.
Ateneo Confucius Institute Coordinator Ms. Diana Joanne Dee with Aurora Elementary School Principal Dr. Jesusa Caraig and Jollibee Group Manager Ms. Angie Santos
Teachers of Aurora Elementary School with the Volunteers from Jollibee and the Ateneo Confucius Institute
On July 4, 2015, Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University organized a faculty meeting at its Makati campus, where a total of 34 teachers attended. The first section was allocated for the Teachers’ Training which was comprised of Teaching Principles, Teaching Grammar Demonstration, Teaching Vocabulary Demonstration and Class Activities Demonstration, which were conducted by Ms. Liu Xiaofang (ADMU CI Chinese Director), Ms. Yang Wenxia (Volunteer Teacher), and Ms. Guo Jin (Volunteer Teacher).
There were numerous interactions between the teachers, which created a pleasant and lively atmosphere. During the interaction, the teachers shared their experiences and difficulties in teaching. Ms. Liu Xiaofang (ADMU CI Chinese Director) raised the idea of Confucius Institute having its own WeChat public account for teachers to share their teaching experiences and answer some of the frequently asked questions.
Many teachers said that the training was very useful and practical, as well as very easy to comprehend.
The last section of the Teachers’ Training was allocated for the institute’s annual report as well as the basic rules and regulations which were headed by Mr. Cris Garcia (Coordinator) and Ms. Diana Dee (Coordinator).
At the end of the meeting, Dr. Ellen Palanca (ADMU CI Philippine Director) made a brief speech and summary of the training. She said that she is looking forward to the increase of high quality teachers with high-level professionalism as well as enhanced level of teaching.
The Confucius Institute at the Ateneo de Manila University recently finished Batch 1 of Summer with Confucius 2015. Summer with Confucius is a four week program organized by the institute for kids ages 5 up to 12 to learn more about Chinese Language and Culture through experiencing fun activities such as playing games, singing Chinese songs, and making arts and crafts.
As they end the program, the students attended their graduation and closing ceremony on May 27, 2015. On that special day, the institute organized various activities such as “Guess the Fruit” contest for the kids and also some parents-children interactive games where the kids were able to show their parents what they have learned during the program.
On the same day, the institute invited Ms. Winnie Wong, an illustrator for children’s books, to tell a story using a picture book entitled “Jamie’s Bestfriend”.
After the storytelling, the kids enjoyed a Yo-yo performance by Mr. Cristian, which made the atmosphere much more exciting.
At the end of the graduation program, Dr. Ellen Palanca (Philippine Director of Ateneo Confucius) along with Ms. Christina Liu (Chinese Director of Ateneo Confucius), presented the certificates to the students for successfully completing the program.
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