USNA News Article
Naval Academy Mids Explore Chinese Language, Culture
Feb 16, 2012
From the USNA International Programs Office
Five Naval Academy midshipmen spent the fall semester in an intensive language program based in Beijing, China. After returning to the Naval Academy, here’s what they have to say about their experiences:
It’s one thing to visit a foreign country. It’s another to make a 24-hour a day pledge to exclusively use the native language and completely restrict all reliance on English. That’s what we did last semester in China.
The primary focus of the intensive Chinese language program was to increase our understanding of the Chinese culture by completely immersing ourselves in their language, culture and daily way of life, including making a 24-hour Chinese language pledge during our time there.
The many nuances of communicating exclusively in Chinese surrounded everything we did on a day-to-day basis. Eating meals, moving throughout Beijing, and interacting with other people all required a special type of learning not to be found in the classroom.
While critical study of the Chinese language had obvious benefits for our communication abilities, greater knowledge of Chinese common history, culture and practices helped us better understand our new-found Chinese friends and relate to them the characteristics of American life.
Such a pure immersion experience was somewhat overwhelming when first confronted with it, but as we became more comfortable, we found that learning new things came more naturally than we could have imagined. Since we often left the confines of the campus with a group including both American and Chinese students, we learned to rely on each other for knowledge and perspective. Every different mind and pair of eyes that joined our many acquaintances offered a viewpoint we may not have previously considered.
Reflecting on our progression of learning over the entire semester, many of us would agree that the people we lived with and met were best part of studying Chinese in its country of origin, as opposed to the limitation of studying in a classroom in the U.S.
Language is inseparable from the culture of the people and nation who identify with it so we did our utmost to individually immerse ourselves in Chinese society, according to our own interests.
In the sector of entertainment, Beijing, as the second largest city in China, has everything to offer . world-class symphony concerts, professional sports, a lively modern social scene, as well as more traditional displays of family and social interaction in the various communities that made up the city.
As interesting as Beijing is, China has a vast land size with much geographic variety among the unique regional populations. With this knowledge, travel outside of Beijing seemed an irresistible and essential part of experiencing China to the fullest. Use of China’s vast railway network and comparatively low prices on air travel allowed us to explore faraway regions such as Yunnan and Hainan, but also nearer areas such as Shanghai, Xian and Inner Mongolia.
Some areas we visited had an even longer history than Beijing and some showed greater business and technological developments, but all demonstrated uniquely Chinese aspects. Shanghai and Xian provided outstanding examples of this contrast, representing China’s drive for economic and technological development (Shanghai), but also its reverence for the rich history of the Chinese people (Xian).
The complex mix of old and new found in Beijing and throughout China draws the attention of prominent foreign scholars but can be difficult even for native Chinese to summarize. There is, however, agreement among most in the country that benefits of a new society cannot be gained without an evolution of China’s traditional identity.
For travelers such as us in the country, gaining a close connection with the people during these exciting times opened a window into a world we had not experienced and are unlikely to encounter again. China’s vast diversity and rapid development has made it into a land of all things to all people.
This article was edited by Midshipman 1st Class Benjamin Clark. Contributing writers are Midshipmen 1st Class Jessica Hafey, Robert Paul Inglis, and Pierce Torrence, and Midshipman 2nd Class Kirsten Asdal.
