Thirty-five students from beginner’s class of Intensive Chinese Program took a very special Chinese Characters class on Oct.18th. Walking into the classroom, there are not only textbooks as usual but also writing brush and Xuan paper(rice paper) placed on the desks. The students just entered the Chinese studies and find difficulties on the characters. In order to let them discover more of the Chinese characters’ glamor, we arrange the class which is integrated with the lecture of “Culture behind Chinese characters” as well as the calligraphy instruction. Professors from the School of Languages and Arts are invited and all of the students are very excited.
Through a brief introduction, the students get to know the development history of Chinese characters, the important functions in daily life as well as the major difference between diverse fonts. When it comes to the practicing part, the students sit up straightly and hold the brush stably, feeling “Qi” and power floating through the hands. This well-designed class makes characters not just what it used to seem to be, but take on a new look for the students now. It increases the students’ confidence and motivation to learn the characters and arouse their interests in calligraphy. At the end of the class, the students bring their “works” back home happily.
