Once again, Startalk had a successful day! Students studied hard in class this morning and were treated to a tea ceremony in the afternoon.
To begin, level 1 students focused on their passports today. They learned how to write the date issued, the date it expires, their birthday, their place of birth, their address, and their identification number; each of these elements are crucial to include in a passport in China. The students are allowed to get creative on the second page including what places they have visited. One student said he plans to go to candy land ;) The class continued to practice their rhymes and closing ceremony performances.
Level 2's were introduced to business cards and business etiquette today. They compared an American business card to a Chinese business card and quickly noticed the differences. On Chinese business cards, they write some parts in English and other parts in Chinese in order to show that they know both languages, something we don't see Americans doing. Chinese business cards also include each of their phone numbers: home, cell phone, and office number; this way, others can reach them at any time. After observing these different cultural practices, students began to draft their own, but their's have to be completely in Chinese ;) Just one more way to WOW the Startalk team!
Students working together on WeChat
Today during lunch, our students heard a wonderful speech from North Central College professor, Nicole Rivera; she talked to students about how cultures are different from others in the way they conduct themselves throughout the day, in their values, and beliefs. However, these different practices are not weird, just different. We were very appreciative of her discussion with us. At the end, students were asked to discuss a time they encountered a cultural difference.
To conclude the day, the students participated in a tea ceremony, an ancient tradition in China. The students were first given the history and evolution of the ceremony, and then got to taste the teas themselves. They learned about three aspects of culture: product (in this case, the product was the tea), practice (the way they conduct themselves during the ceremony), and perspective, all of which they incorporated into the ceremony.
Today was a great day no doubt!
明天见！ ：）
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