A look at Chinese college students

At the end of the second week of classes, I have officially met all my students. Or at least, I have looked down at them over the rows of 45 unfamiliar faces. I find it rather strange and amazing that they look at me like the “foreign expert” I am supposed to be. I, on the other hand, feel like I’m just pretending. I stand in front of a class of students who are just a few years younger than myself and think, “I have nooo idea what I’m doing.”

These first days of classes have been mainly introductions and beginning activities. I tell them about my family and some of the things I like (e.g. giraffes), and they giggle and ask if I have a boyfriend or a husband. When I tell them I have three sisters, I wait for the collective intake of breath that always follows. I guess that is a little uncommon in China!

The freshmen are particularly cute. They seem much younger than college students in the US, and in some ways they are. In Chinese society, children focus almost exclusively on school and studying, and their parents tend to do everything else for them. Most of them were not allowed to date before college, have never had jobs, and have not done much on their own. Their behavior is similar to what we might see in middle school (although perhaps without the cruel edge).

For example, the guy-girl relations are particularly amusing. The majority of my students are girls, so there is a clearly defined male section in each class. Obviously a boy and a girl would not sit next to each other! I can hardly get them to talk to each other in the speaking activities – even with a protective desk in between.

Most of the freshmen have never had a foreign teacher before, so they are both excited and nervous. A few are so painfully shy that they can hardly look at me. If I call on them, they lose all ability to speak and look like they might faint. Most of the students are just moderately shy. Then there are a few of the outgoing, “in-the-spotlight” kind who try to answer every question, spend the break time asking pronunciation questions, and casually “mention” that they are best friends with every foreigner who has set foot in Yangzhou.

And I have to say a word about the English names. Interesting – that is the word I would say. Among my favorites are Seven, Fly, Air, Opal (a boy), Leaf, Kiki, and Yoyo. How to call role without laughing… Some of the names that appear to be most popular right now are Sky, Vivien, Helen, Selena, and Vicky. I think I have at least one in every class. I felt very successful when at the end of my last class, I had persuaded everyone to take a “normal” English name... “Maybe Echo could be a nickname, and you could choose another name for class.” And she did.