Jiao brings culture, experience to Chinese class
Campus Times
October 23, 1998
For the first time on campus, Mandarin Chinese is being offered at the
University of La Verne by an instructor who has more on her academic agenda
than just teaching the language.
Jill Jiao is integrating Chinese history and culture with customs and
literature, while teaching the fundamentals of the language.
"A lot of people think Chinese is a hard language to learn, but
it isn't," said Jiao. "Anyone can take this class because we start
from the beginning. We are not just learning to speak the language, but
we are learning about all the diverse customs within the Chinese culture."
Jiao could not be better suited to teach Chinese culture and language,
having spent her entire life in China until she came to the United States
in 1990. She originally settled in Madison, Wis., with her husband, who
was studying political science. They moved to California four years later.
She studied Chinese literature at Hurbin University in her hometown
of Hurbin City, China. As a young girl, Jiao was influenced by her father,
an "exceptional writer."
Her love for Chinese story books eventually led her to a passion for
Chinese literature. Fascinated with the diverse dialects, customs, clothing
and traditions that make up China, Jiao decided that her course would involve
more than the fundamentals of language, but also an eclectic compilation
of exposure to the diverse Chinese experience.
Thus far, the premiere course in beginning Mandarin seems to be successful,
but still relatively unknown to most of the student population. Jiao anticipates
increased participation by next semester as more people learn of the classes
existence.
She teaches the same course at Riverside Community College and spends
the rest of her time raising her 10-year-old daughter and getting things
in order at her new home in Moreno Valley.
"This country is much different from China,"said Jiao, who
returned to China for vacation last year.
"There are more people there, and customs are much different. I
like it here very much, but I do miss my family," she said.
But whenever Jiao feels a little homesick, she gets her own family together
and goes fishing. Since childhood, fishing has been her favorite pastime
because of the relaxing effect it has on her. Keeping up the busy schedule
of teaching on two campuses, raising a child and fixing up a new home can
be stressful at times, so spending time fishing provides a peaceful escape
for Jiao.
Because Mandarin Chinese is not a popular language in American culture,
it is not a commonly offered subject at many universities. Therefore, Jiao
has the challenge of creating her own unique curriculum since there are
not many texts to aid in the teaching process. Most of her time as an instructor
is spent researching in libraries for teaching tools and methods.
La Verne students have a unique opportunity to gain an understanding
of the Chinese culture through language in this beginning course. Jiao hopes
to increase the number of classes to two by next semester, offering a beginning
course for new students who are interested and an advanced course for students
who are currently enrolled and wish to learn more.
The University is currently offering one beginning Mandarin Chinese
class in the morning. The beginning course is in two parts, beginning in
the fall and concluding in the spring semester. It is designed to give students
a working knowledge of conversational Mandarin.
For students who wish to learn a new language and get a feel for the
culture behind it, this is an ideal course. Jiao teaches the language through
her own personal and cultural experience, giving the class a more than just
speaking fundamentals, but a cultural history as well.
