Thank you everyone who came to our presentation, “Effective Strategies for Non-native Instructors,” at the 2016 National Chinese Language Conference, held April 28-30 in Chicago! We were honored to present to such a large and energetic crowd of native and non-native instructors and administrators.

During the presentation, CSC President Chris Stellato and VP Donny Newman, alongside  Director of the Confucius Institute at East Central Ohio ESC, Michele Carlisle, detailed how the strengths of native and non-native instructors could be utilized to provide the best student outcomes.

In terms of classroom management, we discussed how use of a strategic set of classroom expressions could help instructors and students remain in the target language as much as possible.

Here is a list of 20 of the most useful classroom expressions that are sure to help any Chinese class remain in the target language:

1. shàng kè le / Class has begun.
2. lǎoshī hǎo / Hello teacher.
3. xià kè le / Class is over.
4. qǐng tīng wǒ shuō / Please listen to me.
5. qǐng gēnzhe wǒ shuō / Please say it with me.
6. qǐng nǐ zài shuō yíbiàn / Please say it again.
7. dǒng le ma? / Do you understand?
8. wǒ bù zhīdào / I don’t know.
9. qǐng ānjìng / Please quiet down.
10. duì bú duì / Correct or incorrect?
11. yǒu méiyǒu wèntí? / Are there any questions?
12. qǐng nǐ wèn wèntí / Please ask the question.
13. qǐng huídá / Please answer.
14. qǐng jǔshǒu / Please raise your hand.
15. “x” yīngwén zěnme shuō? / How do you say [it] in English?
16. “x” zhōngwén zěnme shuō / How do you say [it] in Chinese?
17. zhèshì shénme zì? / What character is this?
18. zěnme pīn? / How is it spelled?
19. dì jǐ shēng? / What tone does it have?
20. wǒ kěyǐ shàng xǐshǒujiān ma? / May I go to the bathroom?

The Columbus School of Chinese (CSC), in partnership with the Confucius Institute at East Central Ohio ESC, is pleased to announce Summer 2016 dates for our Flushing Chinese Immersion Weekend programs: June 3-5, 2016 (Adults); June 10-12, 2016 (Youth ages 12+). This three-day program is an immersive Chinese language and culture experience for students who have completed Beginner I and above.

The Flushing area of Queens, New York, boasts one of the largest Chinese communities outside of China. Flushing provides learners with authentic opportunities to apply language skills and cultural knowledge outside of the classroom and become comfortable with life in a Chinese environment.

Over the course of this program, CSC China experts will guide students through real-life scenarios and cultural experiences that will increase learners’ confidence in their language ability and deepen their practical understanding of Chinese culture and society.

Participants will interact with native Chinese speakers in a variety of settings:
Hotel check-in;
Interact with cab drivers;
Purchase items through bartering;
Ask for directions;
Order food, interact with restaurant staff;
Experience a Chinese banquet;
Participate in authentic Chinese recreational activities, and more.

Dates: June 3-5, 2016 (Adults); June 10-12, 2016 (Youth ages 12+)

Cost: Approximately $1,000 per student, depending on student number and other factors. Program cost includes airfare, lodging, ground transportation and instructional fees. Past programs have cost between $800-1,200.

Past Student Testimonials:
“I enjoyed our immersion trip to Flushing, NY. I was forced to use Chinese in order to communicate. This trip has strengthened my excitement for learning Chinese.”—Raju, Flushing Trip Participant 2012

“Take it from someone who’s been there. You don’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity to improve your Chinese!” —Brian, Flushing Trip Participant 2013

CSC staff and students recently returned from a very successful summer study abroad program. Over the course of the two-week program, CSC President Chris Stellato, VP Donny Newman and instructors Wei You and Jianfen Wang led local students through a tour of Shanghai, Nanjing and Columbus Sister City, Hefei.

The program was specifically focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Participants visited and interacted with various businesses, government organizations and educational institutions, including global market research company Ipsos, international gaming company Reality Squared Games, and cutting edge educational software company iFlytek.

During our time in Hefei, CSC was hosted by our partner Hefei University. While at Hefei University, students attended Chinese language and culture classes, worked with university peer mentors and lived on campus in Hefei University’s international student dormitories.

Below are highlights from the itinerary:

1. Visited with the CEO and VP of R2 Games
2. Visited with Ipsos
3. Banquet hosted by R2 Games
4. Bullet train to Nanjing
5. Visited Confucian Temple
6. Toured Sun Yat-sen’s Mausoleum
7. Visited a traditional tea house
8. Toured the Presidential Palace
9. Shopping in Xinjiekou District
10. Bullet train to Hefei
11. Hefei University Welcome Banquet
12. Chinese Language and Culture Classes
13. Visited Li Hongzhang’s former residence
14. Visited Hefei Foreign Affairs Office
15. Banquet hosted by Hefei FOA
16. Visited Anhui Provincial History Museum
17. Visited iFlytek
18. Day trip to Sanhe, ancient town outside Hefei city
19. Farewell Banquet hosted by Hefei University.
20. Visited Shanghai OSU Gateway
21. Toured the Bund and Nanjing Road

Student Testimonials:

“As an adult learner, the CSC educational trip exceeded my expectations. It was far richer than traveling alone or traditional tours could provide. The language and cultural training was excellent and the in-country mentors were warm and helpful. Combining education with tourism and company visits along with banquets with officials (not just training, but actual banquets) created a deeply balanced experience that will last a lifetime and propel my language abilities to a new level. ” – Rich Timpone, adult participant

Teen Participants:

“This was the trip of a lifetime. I got to make connections with native Chinese speakers, and I got to use my new acquired skills. I would say that my language ability has doubled at least. I would recommend this program to anybody because it changed my outlook on both the Chinese language and the world around me. This experience showed that you can never truly know how much of a bubble you live in until it is popped.”

“This trip was a one-of-a-kind experience. These past two weeks will forever change how I perceive the world I live in. This experience is one that everyone studying Chinese should take part in.”

“The amount of knowledge I gained on this trip is immeasurable. It was a great way to experience a different culture. To students who plan to learn partake in this trip in the future, you will have lots of opportunities opened up to you.”  

“This trip was an amazing experience that went further in depth than just a tourist trip. We learned about the development of China, and the technological and economic growth there, specifically in Hefei, our sister city. I made life-long friends in Hefei, and I learned a lot about the Chinese education system. I had a lot of fun.”

We can’t wait to head back to China for our 2016 program!

Hefei, China

The Columbus School of Chinese is excited to begin our China Study Abroad Program to Hefei, China, June 3-16, 2015, in partnership with the Confucius Institute at the East Central Ohio Educational Services Center.

Over the course of this two-week program, CSC President Chris Stellato, VP Donny Newman and instructor Jianfen Wang will lead local high school students through a tour of Shanghai, Nanjing and Columbus Sister City, Hefei.

The program is specifically focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In China, each student will conduct research on a STEM-related research question they have developed according to their own personal interests in preparation for the trip. Participants will visit and interact with various businesses, government bodies and educational institutions, including global market research company Ipsos, international gaming company Reality Squared Games, and cutting edge educational software company iFlytek.

We are also proud to be collaborating closely with our partner Hefei University. While in Hefei, program participants will attend Chinese language and culture classes, work with local university peer mentors and live on campus in Hefei University’s international student dormitories.

We are greatly looking forward to the trip and to many more CSC study abroad programs to come!

We are offering a month long Adult Beginner Class in May. The class will meet each Monday evening in May from 7:30-9:00pm. The course cost is $115 which includes tuition, course book and audio for the class. For more information please call 614.397.2020.

The Columbus School of Chinese is honored to be representing Columbus on a “Friendship Mission” to our Chinese Sister City, Hefei!

The Columbus-Hefei Sister City partnership was established in 1988, after an American delegation visited China to negotiate a panda for the Columbus Zoo. A delegation from Hefei then came to Columbus to formalize a sister city agreement. The Hefei-Columbus Sister City relationship is Columbus’ strongest.

From November 23 to 30, Chris Stellato and Donny Newman will be in Hefei meeting with government officials, local businesses and schools to discuss new economic, cultural and educational exchange initiatives between Columbus and Hefei. These initiatives will benefit our students by providing study abroad opportunities, establishing “Sister School” relationships and other opportunities for educational and cultural exchange.

We are extremely proud and excited to help strengthen this relationship, and to provide new opportunities for our students and the City of Columbus!

The Columbus School of Chinese is excited to announce a 3-day Chinese Language and Cultural Immersion Trip to Flushing, New York on September 26-28, 2014!

The Flushing Program is a unique learning opportunity for students to experience the most authentic Chinese environment outside of China.

Flushing, New York, provides learners with authentic opportunities to practice newly acquired language and cultural skills, apply their knowledge outside of the classroom and become more comfortable with life in a Chinese environment. CSC language and culture experts will guide students through real-life scenarios and knowledge-expanding cultural experiences that will ultimately leave learners with greater confidence in their language ability and deeper understanding of Chinese culture and society.

To reserve your spot for the trip or for more details, contact CSC at 614-397-2020 today!

As we prepare to celebrate the release of Dr. Pat McAloon’s book Studying In China: A Practical Handbook for Students with a book signing and discussion on August 24, 2014, we reflect on the many reasons why study abroad in China is a great choice to begin with. Here are some of the biggest:

-Sustained authentic immersion. An authentic language environment is the single most important factor dictating how quickly one learns a foreign language. In China, such an environment is constant and everywhere. Every experience, no matter how extraordinary or mundane, is a learning opportunity. Class is just the beginning—the real learning happens once you’re outside of the classroom.

-Widely available support. Many schools, private companies, governments and non-profits in both the United States and China are seeing the importance of increasing the number of Americans with first-hand knowledge of Chinese language and culture. In 2009, President Obama launched the 100,000 Strong Initiative, which aims to send 100,000 American students to China. Other organizations, such as the Confucius Institute and many more, remain dedicated to supporting American students interested in making the trip to China.

-The time to go for maximum authenticity is now. With each passing day, globalization makes China’s big cities a little more international and a little less traditional. For more immersive experiences, skip Beijing and Shanghai for a regional city like Columbus’ Chinese sister city Hefei in Anhui Province.

-Perspective and Introspection. You will gain first-hand knowledge of China, but arguably learn more about yourself. Find out how fascinatingly similar and different Americans are to a people from the other side of the world. Living in a new culture puts fundamental truths about our shared humanity in fresh contrast.