My Study of Chinese at MHC

Learning Chinese was one of the most enjoyable and exciting experiences that I had in college. In my first year, I chose to take First-Year Chinese because I had always wanted to learn this beautiful and useful language. At that time, however, I had no idea that I would become so engaged in studying the language, the culture, and the country that I would go on to study in Beijing twice and complete my senior-year independent study paper in Chinese on business in China.

After my first year of Chinese at MHC, with Professor Ying Wang (Wang-laoshi), Chinese was one of my favorite courses, and that feeling did not change throughout my four years in college. My enthusiasm for studying Chinese at MHC arose not only from my finding the language to be so interesting, but also because my Chinese classes at MHC were so special: my professors, my classmates, and the whole atmosphere of the classes were always welcoming and encouraging to me.

In addition to the wonderful professors and courses, the Asian Studies Department provided me with many opportunities to enrich my learning experiences. Participating in the Five-College Chinese-Speech Contest made me realize how much fun it could be to make a speech in a foreign language. My study in Beijing made it possible for me to improve greatly my language skills and to gain a deeper understanding of the country. My independent study project on business in China expanded my interest into a whole new field.

Taking First-Year Chinese gave birth to my passion for the Chinese language and culture. Thanks to all the professors in the Chinese Department, I was able to discover what has become my life-long interest and to gain the confidence that I can achieve anything that I set my mind to as long as I try hard and keep myself open to new experiences.