Visiting Chinese Scholars Program Returns to TNCS!

With multilingualism a cornerstone of The New Century School‘s academic identity, exchange programs between TNCS and various schools/programs in China and several Spanish-speaking countries are a regular occurrence. TNCS sends teachers and students on international trips and opens its campus to group after group of students, interns, and teachers in a rich bidirectional flow of language and culture sharing. (See accounts of past visits at the end of this post.)

After a pandemic-related hiatus, TNCS was thrilled to welcome back its first group of Chinese elementary students (and their parents) on January 23rd for a 10-day English-language intensive. All hailing from Beijing and ages 10 to 12 years old, “the girls,” as they were known around campus—“Tiffany,” “Hannah,” Zhao Danqing, and Zhao Tongjia—left their mark on TNCS and will not soon be forgotten for their irrepressible good spirits!

TNCS Mandarin Language instructor Jia Liu (above, middle) sat down with the girls just prior to their departure back to China for a quick Q&A:

“Let’s start with some introductions:

1. My name is Tiffany. I’m from China and in the 6th grade. Okay, which part of China are you from? I’m from Beijing.

2. My English name is Hannah, and my Chinese name is Zhang Shuyao. I’m from the Haidian District in Beijing, and I’m in the fifth grade, attending the primary school affiliated with Beijing Institute of Technology.

3. my name is Zhao Danqing, I’m from the Dongcheng District in Beijing, 12 years old, and currently in the sixth grade. My primary school is Hepingli No. 4 Primary School.

4. My name is Zhao Tongjia, and for this year, I’m from Beijing, the same school as [her] in fourth grade.”

Q: What activities did you enjoy the most during your brief week here?
A: We enjoyed Spanish and math classes the most because Spanish was a new and exciting language for us, and the teaching methods were engaging. Math was interesting because it involved thinking and problem-solving, which we found enjoyable.

Q: Did you participate in any favorite daily activities or events organized by the school?
A: We taught Chinese to younger children; we also visited the zoo and the White House, which were both very interesting activities.

Q: What significance or impact does this trip to the United States have for you?
A: The trip enriched our language skills and allowed us to make many foreign friends, expanding our social circles.

Q: Did you try any American food that you liked?
A: We tried pizza and some sweets. The pizza here, in particular, was very delicious.

Q: What gifts did you give to your new friends?
A: We gave them scarves, small ornaments from Miniso, pens, and bookmarks. They really liked them.

Q: During your interactions, did you discover any unexpected commonalities?
A: We noticed that the classrooms in the United States are very clean and the teaching style is more open and free compared to the more rigid style in China.

What lovely, fresh perspectives! The group had several daily activities in addition to attending class at TNCS. Visits to Johns Hopkins University, for example, were very popular (they insisted on visiting more than once!). They also took a weekend jaunt to Washington, D.C. to visit the White House and the zoo, a highlight of their U.S. visit, as they mentioned.

Their trip culminated in an awards ceremony in which they received a certificate of program completion. TNCS students presented brief speeches about what the visit meant to them.