High-quality education brought to Indonesia
Data show that Indonesia has become the six biggest source country of international students to China. More and more students in Indonesia choose to study in China. Currently, over 10,000 Indonesian students are studying in China with a year on year growth of 15%. Lina, who comes from Indonesia, is a first-year graduate school student in Yunnan University majoring in Chinese International Education.
According to Lina, she noticed the prosperity of China via 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. That's when the middle-school-aged girl sprouted the idea of studying in China. She then began to know more about China by watching Chinese TV shows and participating in Chinese New Year activities. Since then, studying in China has become her goal. A few years later, Lina entered Indonesia University, which located in Jakarta, capital of the country with excellent grades. Yearning for studying in China, She selected Chinese International Education as her major. Finally, she achieved the dream in her sophomore year.
She told us that at the time of choosing Chinese cities, the impression about Kunming came to her since the promotional video of the city hit her in 2008. That why she determined to go to Kunming as she believes Kunming is a livable place. Lina also made some inquiries about the city and found out Kunming dialect is similar to mandarin, comparing with those of in Shanghai City, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong Province. As dialects in those regions are completely different, she stated that a good language environment will help her to improve her Chinese. A more understandable dialect will also helpful for her to know about regional culture.
As a foreigner in China, she doesn’t feel lonely although she has no families or relatives around. Oral practicing is important to her major, therefore she often communicates with her Chinese classmates. She makes more friends so her Chinese is getting better and better. Apart from language learning, she also travels to various scenic spots in Kunming with her friends, enjoying a meaningful and happy life.
Lina is also keen to take part in campus activities. As a college student volunteer, she usually teaches pupils English in schools to improve their interest in English learning. Meanwhile, she works part-time jobs in educational institutions to strengthen her teaching skills. “I’ll go back to Jakarta to be a Chinese teacher after graduation. I hope to learn modes of high quality education here and bring them to Indonesia,” Lina said.
She told us that Indonesian government has listed Chinese language into national educational system as a foreign language optional course for middle school and high school students. Ministry of Education of Indonesia has issued three regulations to Chinese teachers. These teachers should have a college degree majoring in Chinese, pass the examination of HSK 6 and possess a professional training certificate for Chinese teaching from home and abroad. These regulations have brightened the future of Chinese education in Indonesia. Lina said: “Being a Chinese Teacher has always been my dream. Just like China, a job as a teacher in Indonesia is honorable too and my family will be proud of me.”
Lina said that she found in her volunteer work that informatization to primary and middle school in Yunnan has reached a high level. It shocked Lina that students can relearn something they don't understand during class at home through mobile phones. “Some native college graduates are not willing to teach in lonely islands in Indonesia, therefore it is difficult for those children to be well educated,” she said.
Chinese reporting by Guanxi Ruyi; trans-editing by John Li