School of Modern Languages

Newcastle University

Chinese @NEWCASTLE

EDITED BY Linda Cheng Spring 2014

Mandarin Beyond Newcastle

Rupert Gerald – Newcastle University graduate 2008 - 2012

I work for a large multi-national financial services provider in

which customer service and international connectivity are paramount.

The first time I spoke to a Chinese customer in Mandarin, I thought

that they were going to faint in either shock or relief. When I have been

able to use my language skills to help a customer, the benefit has been

immeasurable. I work for HSBC – the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation – whose Asian

roots have been pivotal in its success.

Leaving university with a degree in Modern Languages can be a

little daunting. Although it may provide geographic direction for the ear-

ly stages of a career, it can leave students with little idea about how to

translate this into that highly coveted first job.

Having graduated from Newcastle in 2012 in Chinese and Eco-

nomics, I am mid-way through my third of four 6-month rotations on

HSBC’s Executive Management Trainee graduate scheme. I have com-

pleted customer facing and management trainee roles in personal bank-

ing and commercial banking, and am currently working in the Global

Head Office of the Commercial and Corporate Bank. Here, international

connectivity is the cornerstone of the job. Approximately 10 different nationalities are represented by the

25-odd members of the team. Almost everybody is multilingual, and my colleagues have, almost without

exception, worked for the Bank across the world in a multitude of locations. I am determined to find a

path back to China and, if I succeed, it will certainly be because I am able to convert my international ex-

perience and language skills.

Even in an organization where global business is conducted large-

ly in English, I believe that the benefits of languages are three-fold.

Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, communication with colleagues

and customers. When I am able to use Chinese to communicate, the

results are invaluable. Secondly, experiences during my year abroad

have provided me with a priceless appreciation of cultural diversity and

an enhanced understanding of how to interact with individuals from a

variety of backgrounds. I use this every single day. Finally, and possibly most crucially, the ability to

speak Chinese has proved to be a differentiator, a conversation starter and a door opener. In just 18

months working for HSBC, my most valuable opportunities and experiences have in some way arisen

from my Mandarin skills or time in China. And for that, I am hugely grateful to 4 fantastic years at

Newcastle with the School of Modern Languages.

I came to Newcastle with little to no knowledge of Chinese language and culture, but dedicated

teaching staff soon had me on my way to becoming a confident Chinese linguist. After starting from

scratch at Level A in my first year, I studied Chinese for two years before my third year abroad, which I

spent in Chengdu, Sichuan. The preparation my teachers had given me helped me to feel confident before

the move there, and the opportunity to live in an environment so different to my own was invaluable,

both for my own personal development, but also in the eyes of future employers. I also had the chance to

travel a lot during my time in China, which really opened my eyes and widened my horizons.

After returning to Newcastle for my fourth and final year of study, I was able to skip Level C in order to

jump ahead to Level D language classes, an equivalent level to that of the other languages I study. This

has been a challenge, but the teachers are very approachable and always happy to help whenever they can.

They are extremely open to constructive feedback, meaning that the course is fairly flexible and very

much tailored to our own learning experience.

As well as the University's excellent teaching standards, Newcastle University Anglo-Chinese

Society offers an invaluable way to familiarise yourself with the Chinese culture and practise your lan-

guage skills with native speakers. You can also make friends with Chinese students from

the city where you'll spend your year

abroad to help make the transition

smoother when you arrive. All in all,

my experience learning Chinese at

Newcastle couldn't have been better.

Amy Wright

Modern Languages Stage 4

I've really enjoyed studying Chinese as part of my degree. It's such a different language to learn.

Learning to express myself in Chinese has sometimes been a challenge but also been so much fun!

Newcastle appealed to me most because of the course. It was the most flexible and exactly what I

wanted to do! Also the attraction of the city itself; Newcastle is such a vibrant cosmopolitan city, with so

much to do and see!

The thing that surprised me was that I didn't realise the amount of things that are

on offer through the University. With clubs and societies you can go skiing in Tignes

or hitchhike to Morocco. There are also all sorts of sports teams from Cheerleading to

Table Tennis, and the weekly socials that go with them. Newcastle University also has

an award winning Careers Service with a wealth of information at your fingertips,

with advisers on hand to help write the perfect CV or find an internship or placement.

Newcastle is a vibrant city with so much to do. A great place for culture with both

the Sage Gateshead concert venue and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, which

this year is hosting the Turner prize. The nightlife is so varied, with a place for every

genre of music and suited to all budgets. There's so many different parts to the city -

the city centre is full of shops, with the big Eldon Square shopping mall and coffee

shops on Northumberland street. There are also the residential areas of Jesmond,

Sandyford and Gosforth with their lively student populations and pavement-lining

bars and restaurants.

I spend my spare time taking part in the intra-mural hockey league, it's mixed hockey for fun on

Sunday afternoons with a slight hint of competitiveness! Hannah Lincoln Stage 4 student

Contact us For course information please contact Dr Joanne Smith Finley Tel: 0191 208 7485, or J.SmithFinley@ncl.ac.uk For information about admissions please contact Lesley Sherrin Tel: 0191 2085082, or sml@ncl.ac.uk

or visit www.ncl.ac.uk/sml/

The New Confucius Institute and

Chair of Chinese Studies at Newcastle University

It is our great pleasure to report that Chinese Studies will be greatly

strengthened at the School of Modern Languages here at Newcastle

University with two major developments: the setting up of the Confu-

cius Institute at Newcastle University and the establishment of the new

position of Chair of Chinese Studies in the School of Modern Lan-

guages.

The Confucius Institute (CI) at Newcastle University is a partnership between Newcastle University,

Xiamen University in China, and the Office of Chinese Language Learning Council (or Hanban) of the

People’s Republic of China. There are currently 440 Confucius Institutes around the world, set up in uni-

versities outside China in partnerships with Hanban and a Chinese university. The Confucius Institute at

Newcastle University is the only CI in the Northeast region of the UK and it will serve the whole region

in providing Chinese language teaching in primary (first), middle and high schools in the region, as well

as intercultural exchange activities, such as summer camps in China. The CI will also sponsor a number

of academic activities, such as distinguished Chinese lectures and research seminars in Chinese Studies.

Our goals are: to promote greater understanding of Chinese culture and contemporary China in the North-

east of England; to forge links with local schools and facilitate the study of the Chinese language; and to

promote links between China and the communities of the City of Newcastle and the Northeast region.

Professor Qian Jun 錢俊 (Qian Suoqiao 錢鎖橋) has assumed the new position as Chair of Chinese

Studies at the School of Modern Languages, and he will also serve as Director of the

Confucius Institute. He received his PhD in Comparative Literature from University of

California, Berkeley in 1996. Before joining Newcastle University in 2013, Professor

Qian had taught in a number of universities around the world including UC Berkeley,

Santa Clara University, Barnard College, Hamilton College, Shenzhen University, Nan-

jing Normal University and City University of Hong Kong, and was also a Fulbright

scholar at Harvard University. He has published widely in Chinese studies in both Eng-

lish and Chinese, particularly on Chinese modernity studies and cross-cultural studies

between China and the world.

For enquiries or further information, please visit our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/sml/confucius or contact Andrea

Freeman, email: ConfuciusInstitute@ncl.ac.uk

Jack Deverson as Chinese Speaking Champion

Jack Deverson, who studies Chinese and German at the School of Modern

Languages at Newcastle University and is currently on his Year Abroad, reports

back on how he got involved with the Hainan Provicial Chinese Speaking Com-

petition - and how he won it. Congratulations! Jack!

"I was having fun with a few friends in the garden of our dormitory when, suddenly, the office’s Zhou

Laoshi came out and asked if I wanted to take part in a Chinese speaking competition. At the time, I was

busy and a little nervous to accept, but she persuaded me! I had ten days to prepare for the four rounds of

the competition.

The competition was held in the school’s theatre, and it was only at that time I realised that all the oth-

er participants were in a higher Chinese class than me. Now I know, though, it isn’t the class level which

counts, but how hard-working you are. Outside of class, do you make an effort to meet Chinese friends?

Put simply, I won this preliminary round and was invited to take part in the whole of Hainan Province’s

final.

This time round was three weeks later, and it was clear that it was more important to the university. A

few times I was interviewed for TV or news (a very odd experience), and the school gave us a guidance

teacher and a student mentor to help prepare well for the competition. Out of the total 21 participants, 5

were from our university. This time, the pressure was greater. I had to make sure each performance was

more impressive, because everyone wanted to beat me. Other universities had brought supporters, but the

best and loudest were my 20 or so friends. The “Jack Fan Club” was born!

After one performance I was in seventh place, though the scores were close. I knew my second and

third rounds were pretty entertaining; I just had to deliver them without mistake. It turns out, I did! Going

into the last round, I was 2.8 points in the lead, so when I got 8.9 out of 10 in the final round, I knew I had

won.

The prizes and prize money, although not important, were really nice. Moreover, from then on (also

thanks to my running in the University “Olympic Games”) people recognised me on campus. Of course

this has its negative consequences, but it means my Chinese has improved drastically. I have met many

new Chinese friends, and my relationships with the teachers are now excellent! Wang Hua Laoshi even

invited me and my girlfriend to his house, to meet his family and eat dinner!

Now, I don’t want June to arrive. This year has been the most fun of my life, and I’ve done things I

never saw myself doing. Of course there are bad days too. But (provided you make the most of the oppor-

tunities handed to you and meet the local people) these days are few and far between. We only have one

exchange year, so I’d definitely recommend not allowing yourself to have any regrets!"

Studying at Newcastle University is

very exciting.

The atmosphere

is really friendly,

the campus is

convenient and

the staff are very

helpful. We have

different socie-

ties, The Student Union organises many

events and there is always something to do.

Anna Borkowicz

Business and Chinese Stage 4

The past 4 years have been a great experience studying

Chinese at Newcastle University. Being able to understand

such a complicated language is a mas-

sive achievement and extremely re-

warding.

The teachers are really fun and helpful

and always get us involved in activi-

ties. The opportunity to go to East

China Normal University in Shanghai

to study for 1 year is a once in a life-

time opportunity and I enjoyed it so

much! Fern Couchman

Business and Chinese Stage 4