austraLasia #1302
Chinese - a language of choice
Two very different and unrelated experiences
ROME/BANGKOK: 24th October 2005 -- From two very different parts of the world comes information regarding a growing interest in Chinese language amongst Salesian educational efforts, and for two very different reasons. In Italy, there are several hundred thousand Chinese immigrants, many of them young, not all of them legal. For Thailand, China is a near neighbour and there are understandably a dozen reasons why knowing Chinese is an advantage - and there are many native Chinese speakers in the country. In both these nations, Salesians have taken some initiative to respond to the issue.
This week the academic year opened for the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome (UPS), and along with it a course in Chinese language and culture provided by the Faculty of Christian and classical arts (Lettere cristiane e classiche). The course offers two hours per week over first and second semetsers and is taught by a visiting lecturer, Li Guangli, who has a Masters from Beijing University and is attached to the University for outlanders (or foreigners) in Perugia where he teaches Chinese. The course aims to provide basics in phonology, morphology and syntax, as well as to offer an introduction to Chinese culture, civilisation and history.
Meanwhile in Thailand, the Thai Provincial, Fr Dheparat, has recently visited China, where he found a warm welcome from the University of Kuming. Salesian schools in Thailand are hoping to add the teaching of Chinese to their curriculum, and the aim is to find Chinese graduates who would be prepared to be involved in teaching their language. The University has offered its support to this initiative, also offering the possibility that Thai students may take summer courses at Kuming. Fr Dheparat also passed by a Church where he noted a statue of Mary Help of Christians, and was informed that there used be a Salesian school behind the Church. In fact he found that there was still a school there, one of the middle schools for the city.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml. If you subscribe, email this information and your name will come off the regular email list. RSS eliminates problems such as multiple mailings, viruses, email bloat. Think about it!
Chinese - a language of choice
Two very different and unrelated experiences
ROME/BANGKOK: 24th October 2005 -- From two very different parts of the world comes information regarding a growing interest in Chinese language amongst Salesian educational efforts, and for two very different reasons. In Italy, there are several hundred thousand Chinese immigrants, many of them young, not all of them legal. For Thailand, China is a near neighbour and there are understandably a dozen reasons why knowing Chinese is an advantage - and there are many native Chinese speakers in the country. In both these nations, Salesians have taken some initiative to respond to the issue.
This week the academic year opened for the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome (UPS), and along with it a course in Chinese language and culture provided by the Faculty of Christian and classical arts (Lettere cristiane e classiche). The course offers two hours per week over first and second semetsers and is taught by a visiting lecturer, Li Guangli, who has a Masters from Beijing University and is attached to the University for outlanders (or foreigners) in Perugia where he teaches Chinese. The course aims to provide basics in phonology, morphology and syntax, as well as to offer an introduction to Chinese culture, civilisation and history.
Meanwhile in Thailand, the Thai Provincial, Fr Dheparat, has recently visited China, where he found a warm welcome from the University of Kuming. Salesian schools in Thailand are hoping to add the teaching of Chinese to their curriculum, and the aim is to find Chinese graduates who would be prepared to be involved in teaching their language. The University has offered its support to this initiative, also offering the possibility that Thai students may take summer courses at Kuming. Fr Dheparat also passed by a Church where he noted a statue of Mary Help of Christians, and was informed that there used be a Salesian school behind the Church. In fact he found that there was still a school there, one of the middle schools for the city.
______________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml. If you subscribe, email this information and your name will come off the regular email list. RSS eliminates problems such as multiple mailings, viruses, email bloat. Think about it!
