Our Newest Chinese Professor
Since 1986, Heidelberg College has been in a sister college relationship with universities in China. The first year Southwest Teachers University in a small city, BeiBei, was the sister university. Jiang Keli, a professor of English from that university, came to Heidelberg to teach Chinese and Chinese culture. Seven Heidelberg professors from various departments went to this sister university to teach English in the summer. Before their teaching schedules began, they and their spouses toured Beijing and Xian with guides from the University.
After that first year, the sister college relationship was changed to Tianjin Normal University in Tianjin which is located only thirty miles from Beijing. More than six Chinese professors from that university have been exchange professors to Heidelberg and many Heidelberg professors have taught English there.
This year Heidelberg is fortunate to have a charming, cultivated young woman, Jing Wang, from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, join the Heidelberg faculty for the school year, 1999 – 2000. Her major field of inquiry is Comparative Literature. She feels fortunate that an American professor who learned Chinese and translated some modern poets was her major professor for her masters degree. She teaches Chinese at Heidelberg and participates in many aspects of college life.
Jing’s mother taught Mandarin Chinese in a middle school in Tianjin. She and I compared notes on the effect of language-conscious mothers on their daughters. Her mother corrected her accent so that she had a Bejing accent instead of a Tianjin accent, even though the two cities are only thirty miles apart. My mother used to fine me pennies out of my meager allowance if she caught me using “ain’t”
When Jing Wang went to high school in the late eighties, only the top ten percent of her class were selected to attend college. Now she says 60 or 70 percent are selected because the need for educated workers is so great. She says that children are stressed, even at the age of six. Chinese parents give too much burden to their children. Many attend special classes in music, and mathematics during the week and have English classes on Saturday.
At the universities there are many changes since 1986. The Party leaders are chosen by local elections. Jing Wang feels they are friends of the faculty and students. Each year at the president of the university is judged on his performance by secret ballot. He is a former faculty member and lives plainly like other faculty.
Since China opened to the outside world in 1979, there have been many changes. Then the people were encouraged to lead a very simple life. This was reflected in the people’s dress. Jiang Qing, Mao’s wife, wore dark blue or gray clothes cut in a conservative way, high necked dresses and very little arms showing. All the women adopted this style.
Later, when the Red Guards were chosen, the female Red Guards wore clothes like the People’s Liberation Army. Jing Wang’s family was fortunate that they were never sent to the countryside to work.
Students who wanted to learn English then spent many hours listening to the Voice of America. Some of these broadcasts were in slower Special English. Slowly through VOA and television, Chinese people learned more and more about the outside world. Now, young women follow western fashions, wearing a lot of blue if that is the color that is popular that year. They use Maybelline eye makeup, Este Lauder and Avon cosmetics. Some even curl or dye their hair. Some of the students color part of their hair blond. Their parents can suggest, but they can’t make teenagers do what they want.
Red is considered a happy color and in times past it was the favored color for a woman’s wedding dress. Now young brides chose a long, white wedding gown in the western style. There are many stores which rent or sell white wedding gowns. The bride often has to change clothes several times. A red Qi Pao, the traditional slender dress with a high Chinese collar, is worn for the celebration in the evening.
Jing Wang is proud of China’s present government leaders. Jiang Ze Min, the president, is very open minded and pragmatic. He is from Shanghai, the city that has grown the fastest in China. Zhu Rong Ji, the prime minister, is also from Shanghai and has studied at Qing Hua University, the same kind of university as MIT in the U.S..
She expressed distress over the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. All Chinese feel very disappointed over this incident. They can’t understand how it could have happened.
This year will be a period of learning as well as teaching for Jing Wang. She is taking classes at Heidelberg to learn more about our system of education. This next summer five or six Heidelberg professors will teach at Tianjin Normal University.
– Mary