Effectively combining studying with Chinese culture has always posed a challenge, especially for foreign students. This is in no part due to the students fear of a new language. The problem is that the teaching of culture itself never ventures below the surface. To overcome this, in last year’s Year 5 class, for instance, I spent an entire class covering ‘Borrowing arrows with straw boats,’ a story from the Chinese classic novel ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms.’ We began with some background information on the three states in that period of China, the relationship between the characters as well as character analysis. After getting familiar with these, the class began analysing the text. This approach allowed students to better understand the context, giving them the opportunity to make a variety of informed assumptions and providing direction to their imaginations and thought process. This method made the text more interesting and less difficult for students. Based on this experience, I began to contemplate: What should second language learners be studying at Pao School? How do we effectively incorporate the element of culture in our teaching? The process must be logical and well thought-out, allowing students to gain deeper understanding of the stories they study.
Then, I remembered. This is the Year of the Monkey. Our students knew that the monkey king Sun Wukong had great abilities and defeated many monsters, but why did this story become one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels? What can students learn from this story? Perhaps I could use these interesting stories to enrich my students’ learning and cultural experience.
To facilitate understanding, I divided the study of ‘Journey to the West’ into different sections, beginning with picture books, and then moving on to the text. Students then had a chance to familiarise themselves with some of the ideas introduced the four classics. I also used animated cartoons, which helped to reinforce key elements discussed in the texts.
Over the course of this process, I truly felt a sense of enthusiasm among the students. They raised their own questions, and the exploration style of learning allowed them to seek their own answers to these questions. For instance, after studying the picture book and animated film ‘Havoc in Heaven’ (an adaptation of the earlier episodes in ‘Journey to the West’), students learned about the lord of the universe Laojun’s alchemical remedies, the Queen Mother of the West’s Peach festival and the spells taught by grandmaster Puti Laozu teachings. I asked students: What is the greatest desire of all living beings in China from kings to the heavens and finally to ordinary people? Students knew the answer right away: immortality. Thanks to these stories, students now understand the cultural context of Chinese society at that time.
Through these series of studies, students are now familiar with the context behind ‘Journey to the West’ as well as the main characters and their personality traits. They also gained a preliminary understanding of the author’s intentions and ideas.
I believe that as Chinese teachers, our continuous exploration and awareness of our students’ interests will allow them to gain an in-depth understanding of Chinese literature. I felt deeply fulfilled as I watched students ‘sparring’ after class with the golden cudgel in hand (a weapon used by the Monkey King). They said to me: ‘Ms Jin, we feel as though you’re the Tang Monk, and I’m the Monk Sha, he’s the monkey king, and...’ To this, I replied: ‘I actually feel I’m more like Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong is in each of us –carefree, skilful, and able to overcome life’s challenges. Life is a winding road. We need to be just as resilient as he is!’
Lily Jin, CAL Coordinator
