IMPA Tech starts offering Chinese classes for students

Chinese classes have arrived at IMPA Tech. On Monday (18), the partnership with the Confucius Institute, of PUC-Rio, reached a new stage. In the Porto Maravalley classroom, Prof. Duan Shiguang began a beginner’s course in Mandarin, which brought together students from both undergraduate classes.

“It’s an honor to start another class, to get to know more about Brazil and to learn about you, especially here at IMPA Tech. Chinese seems like a difficult language, but I think learning Mandarin is easier than learning Portuguese. I’m sure it won’t be a problem for you. We’ll be exchanging a lot throughout this semester, about our languages and cultures. Don’t sit still, talk to me,” said the professor, who has been teaching Chinese in Rio for six years.

At the beginning of the meeting, Duan Shiguang answered some of the students’ questions about the language and the schedule of the extension course, which will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays after the undergraduate classes.

“China is very large and has many accents and dialects. Currently, we speak modern Chinese and use the simplified language, which is easier to type and learn. Some more distant regions use traditional Mandarin, which has more strokes and is more complex to write,” explained the teacher.

The aim of IMPA Tech’s agreement with the Confucius Institute is educational cooperation with an emphasis on spreading the Chinese language and culture. The idea is that learning the language will provide graduates with greater opportunities in the job market and exchange possibilities, for example.

“This partnership will add a lot to the students, contributing to our interdisciplinary education. I had never attended a language class taught by a native speaker and I thought it was a great experience to have classes with someone who, as well as mastering the language, also knows the culture of the country,” said student Letícia Aleixo.

The young woman had never had contact with the language before, but she rose to the challenge and is excited about the next steps. “Over the course of the semester, I hope to learn enough Chinese to be able to communicate in the language, even at a basic level. I also hope to get to know a bit about Chinese culture,” she said.

This is not the first activity carried out in collaboration with the PUC-Rio institute. In June, the “Dragon Boat Festival” began its partnership with the Confucius Institute, through an immersion in typical oriental culture. At the inaugural event, the students learned about the history, signs and symbols behind the Festival.

Read also: ‘It’s for people to have fun with mathematics’, argues Viana