Chinese Fulbright Scholar

In fall 2008 and spring 2009, Flathead Valley Community College will provide area high school, home school and college students and community members a rare opportunity to complete the first year of college-level Chinese while learning from a Fulbright Scholar from Shenyang, China.
 
Through a Fulbright Foundation grant FVCC has been awarded, the college will welcome Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Ruicheng Pei, associate professor at Liaoning University, to instruct Elementary Chinese I and II on its campus.  Pei will bring excellent English skills and years of experience in teaching, interpreting and translating to the classes.  He holds a master’s degree in English language and literature, and his research includes a study that contrasts the English and Chinese languages.
 
The classes will introduce the basics of the Chinese language, culture, geography, social humanity, cuisines and modern development of the country.  The goal of the first year of study is to teach students how to develop beginning-level proficiency in speaking, understanding, reading and writing the Chinese language.  By the end of the first semester, students should be able to converse on a variety of simple topics related to daily life and know how to read and write approximately 300 characters.  
 
According to Pei, the world is now in a time of globalization, and China is a key player.  Being educated in one or two additional languages can put people ahead of the curve.
 
“There is a huge market in China,” said Pei. “With more business opportunities than ever before, I am sure there will be more Americans living and working in China in near future.”   
 
According to Asia Society’s Web site, Chinese is the most widely spoken first language in the world.  
 
“The rise of China presents new economic, political and social realities that demand greater U.S. engagement at every level,” says the Society.  “As the foundation of that engagement, we urgently need to raise the number of Americans who can demonstrate a functional proficiency in Chinese.”
 
The six college-credit classes are designed for students with no prior knowledge of the language and will not be open to individuals from Chinese-speaking countries.  As Chinese is one of the more challenging languages to learn, the classes will require substantial commitment and dedication and strong consistent daily study habits and are not recommended for students with heavy course loads or other time-consuming commitments.
 
As for Pei, he is looking forward to fulfilling his curiosity and seeking adventure in a strange place he knows of from American Literature in addition to celebrating a “real Christmas Eve with snow.”  He feels fortunate to have been given the opportunity to enrich American students’ studies with the Chinese language and the country’s ancient culture and modern development and is excited to take back his American experiences to his students in China.
 
“I treasure this opportunity I have been given,” said Pei. “I will bring Chinese culture to FVCC and, in turn, will bring your culture back to China.”
 
Area high school and home school students interested in enrolling must complete the FVCC Running Start program admissions process to be eligible and are responsible for the costs involved with the classes.  For more information about the class schedules and enrollment costs, contact your high school counselor.  
 
For more information or to register, call 756-3852.