By Jowell Ling (19S07B)
To most JC students, Secondary 4 will be the last year that they come into contact with anything related to Chinese while in school. But for the 25 or so participants of the Bicultural Programme (China), the Chinese Language is not only a tool for communication, but also a key to unlock greater understandings of what goes on in another part of Asia.
About the Programme
Bicultural Programme (China), as its name suggests, aims to increase the understanding of China among students, and broaden their perspectives such that they will be able to look at the world from different angles.
The not-so-official meaning of this? It allows us to write more actual content in our GP essays, rather than trying to smoke our way through with the same old “Confucius once said…”
What we do on Monday mornings
To allow us to understand China in depth, external speakers who specialize in various fields are invited to share what they know with participants of this programme. The topics covered each year varies based on what each batch of students is more interested in. Past topics in 2018 include the development of pop culture and the “Belt and Road” Initiative in China.
For a number of sessions, time will be provided for students to go to the computer lab to research and work on a group task which provides an opportunity for students to present about a topic that they themselves take interest in.
Overseas Trip!
A key highlight of this programme is the immersion programme to China at the end of the year. Cities that previous batches of students have visited include Xiamen (2017) and Shanghai (2018). During the trip, there are opportunities to attend lessons in prestigious schools in the country, as well as site visits to work spaces and factory galleries to gain a better understanding of how industries operate in China.
In addition to that, students will also get to visit cultural sites and local landmarks, allowing us to experience first-hand both the rich history and the current strong economic development of China all in a single trip.
Who we are looking for
Anyone who is interested in learning more about China or broadening their perspective of the world is welcome to apply for the programme! While sessions will be fully conducted in Chinese, students are not required to have a strong command in the language. This program can even serve as a platform for students to use and speak Chinese without having to fear not performing well.
In essence, Monday Enrichment Programmes are all interest-based and seek to allow students to learn in a low-pressure environment. Hence, do not hesitate to apply and join us if you find what we do at Bicultural Programme (China) fun and exciting!!