"Bridging Cultures: Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages Organises Spectacular Spring Camp in China", written by Dr. Yan Yang (Tui Tuia | Learning Circle, Project Lead - CLEC)
"The Ghost Rhythm", written by Christina Howard-Shi (HoD Language: Hillcrest High School)
"Trips for Chinese language students in New Zealand embark from April 2024", written by the New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers' Association (NZCLTA)
Bridging Cultures: Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages Organises Spectacular Spring Camp in China
Written by Dr. Yan Yang, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle, Project Lead - CLEC
Photo 1: Meeting at CLEC
Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages recently organised an incredible Chinese Bridge Spring Camp for 30 students and three teachers from Saint Kentigern College, New Zealand. The camp, fully funded by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), offered participants a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese language and culture.
The journey began in Beijing, where the group visited CLEC 语合中心, the Great Wall 长城, and the awe-inspiring Palace Museum 故宫. These initial days were filled with enriching cultural experiences and historical insights. The adventure continued in Xi'an, a city renowned for its rich history and cultural heritage. Over the next 12 days, students engaged in Chinese language and culture studies at Xi'an International Studies University (XISU). They attended lectures on Shaanxi history and participated in Chinese language lessons and various cultural activities, including paper cutting, Tai Chi, calligraphy, traditional Chinese costumes, tie-dye, and Chinese food making. The group also explored numerous tourist attractions such as the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum 秦始皇兵马俑, Xi'an Museum 西安博物馆, City Wall 城墙, Datang Everbright City 大唐不夜城, and Bell Tower 钟楼.
Stephanie Mortimore, Programme Manager, and Dr. Yan Yang, CLEC Project Lead, accompanied the group throughout the trip. They also met with senior leaders from CLEC and XISU to discuss future collaborations, paving the way for exciting new opportunities.
This spring camp was more than just an educational trip; it was a celebration of cultural exchange and mutual learning. Students returned with a deeper understanding of Chinese language and culture, along with unforgettable memories of their journey through China’s historic sites. Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages is proud to have been part of this extraordinary experience and looks forward to future collaborations that will continue to bridge cultures and foster global understanding.
The Ghost Rhythm
written by Christina Howard-Shi (HoD Language: Hillcrest High School)
When it comes to language teaching, often we think about vocabulary, grammar, communication and so on, however, there is an overlooked element, which is the Ghost Rhythm.
What is the Ghost Rhythm one might ask? To put it simply, Ghost Rhythm is the grouping and pausing of language which is not indicated by punctuations. For example, in English we say, “it is such a lovely day!” If we group the words differently “it is such a lovely day” then it would sound odd, and could cause difficulties in understanding, especially if one’s pronunciation is not clean. Those groups and pauses are well known for native speakers or people who have learnt and utlised a language well, but for new learners, teachers need to help our them to spot these patterns and to handle them.
So, in our Chinese classroom, we could simply underline the characters which usually group together. Traditional Chinese poems are a good start. The five character and the seven-character poems are very easy rhythmic exercises for students to do. The five-character poems usually follow the rhythm of 12, 345. The seven-character ones usually follow the rhythm of 1234, 567. Once students get a taste for the beats, then we can show them these patterns in some commonly used Chinese sentences. In this way, teachers can bring the rhythmical element in Chinese (or any other languages for that matter) to our learners.
Sometimes, as experienced language users, we forget the small things that can cause a lot of problems for beginners. I believe we must always be aware that the learners’ perspectives are an invaluable asset for teachers. We can only teach well if we know what our learners are struggling with.
Chinese language students trips to China and Malaysia
Written by the New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers' Association (NZCLTA)
The start of 2024 school year has witnessed a wave of overseas trips organized by a number of secondary schools and their Chinese language teachers in New Zealand to Chinese language speaking countries and regions.
In the Term One school holidays, students from Saint Kentigern College and St Peter’s College (Auckland), Wellington East Girls’ College (Wellington) and Fairfield College (Hamilton), went to China and Malaysia to experience studying Chinese language and culture in an immersion situation.
These students not only had the opportunity to enjoy sightseeing, but also taste authentic food, as well as improving their Chinese by using the language to communicate with local people. Some schools even participated in the local celebrations and activities on 20 April, the 15th United Union Chinese Language Day.
All students from these trips have shown stronger interest in different cultures and have been inspired to continue learning Chinese language. These students have shown their confidence to become cultural ambassadors between China and New Zealand. Some have even seen the benefit of Chinese language to their future career pathway and have started planning to attend a university in China.
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2024 - Chinese - Term 2 Newsletter Articles
Bridging Cultures: Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages Organises Spectacular Spring Camp in China
Written by Dr. Yan Yang, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle, Project Lead - CLEC
Photo 1: Meeting at CLEC
Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages recently organised an incredible Chinese Bridge Spring Camp for 30 students and three teachers from Saint Kentigern College, New Zealand. The camp, fully funded by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), offered participants a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese language and culture.
The journey began in Beijing, where the group visited CLEC 语合中心, the Great Wall 长城, and the awe-inspiring Palace Museum 故宫. These initial days were filled with enriching cultural experiences and historical insights. The adventure continued in Xi'an, a city renowned for its rich history and cultural heritage. Over the next 12 days, students engaged in Chinese language and culture studies at Xi'an International Studies University (XISU). They attended lectures on Shaanxi history and participated in Chinese language lessons and various cultural activities, including paper cutting, Tai Chi, calligraphy, traditional Chinese costumes, tie-dye, and Chinese food making. The group also explored numerous tourist attractions such as the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum 秦始皇兵马俑, Xi'an Museum 西安博物馆, City Wall 城墙, Datang Everbright City 大唐不夜城, and Bell Tower 钟楼.
Stephanie Mortimore, Programme Manager, and Dr. Yan Yang, CLEC Project Lead, accompanied the group throughout the trip. They also met with senior leaders from CLEC and XISU to discuss future collaborations, paving the way for exciting new opportunities.
This spring camp was more than just an educational trip; it was a celebration of cultural exchange and mutual learning. Students returned with a deeper understanding of Chinese language and culture, along with unforgettable memories of their journey through China’s historic sites. Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Languages is proud to have been part of this extraordinary experience and looks forward to future collaborations that will continue to bridge cultures and foster global understanding.
The Ghost Rhythm
written by Christina Howard-Shi (HoD Language: Hillcrest High School)
When it comes to language teaching, often we think about vocabulary, grammar, communication and so on, however, there is an overlooked element, which is the Ghost Rhythm.
What is the Ghost Rhythm one might ask? To put it simply, Ghost Rhythm is the grouping and pausing of language which is not indicated by punctuations. For example, in English we say, “it is such a lovely day!” If we group the words differently “it is such a lovely day” then it would sound odd, and could cause difficulties in understanding, especially if one’s pronunciation is not clean. Those groups and pauses are well known for native speakers or people who have learnt and utlised a language well, but for new learners, teachers need to help our them to spot these patterns and to handle them.
So, in our Chinese classroom, we could simply underline the characters which usually group together. Traditional Chinese poems are a good start. The five character and the seven-character poems are very easy rhythmic exercises for students to do. The five-character poems usually follow the rhythm of 12, 345. The seven-character ones usually follow the rhythm of 1234, 567. Once students get a taste for the beats, then we can show them these patterns in some commonly used Chinese sentences. In this way, teachers can bring the rhythmical element in Chinese (or any other languages for that matter) to our learners.
Sometimes, as experienced language users, we forget the small things that can cause a lot of problems for beginners. I believe we must always be aware that the learners’ perspectives are an invaluable asset for teachers. We can only teach well if we know what our learners are struggling with.
Chinese language students trips to China and Malaysia
Written by the New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers' Association (NZCLTA)
The start of 2024 school year has witnessed a wave of overseas trips organized by a number of secondary schools and their Chinese language teachers in New Zealand to Chinese language speaking countries and regions.
In the Term One school holidays, students from Saint Kentigern College and St Peter’s College (Auckland), Wellington East Girls’ College (Wellington) and Fairfield College (Hamilton), went to China and Malaysia to experience studying Chinese language and culture in an immersion situation.
These students not only had the opportunity to enjoy sightseeing, but also taste authentic food, as well as improving their Chinese by using the language to communicate with local people. Some schools even participated in the local celebrations and activities on 20 April, the 15th United Union Chinese Language Day.
All students from these trips have shown stronger interest in different cultures and have been inspired to continue learning Chinese language. These students have shown their confidence to become cultural ambassadors between China and New Zealand. Some have even seen the benefit of Chinese language to their future career pathway and have started planning to attend a university in China.
