SCI Update
The Confucius Institute at the University of Sheffield has continued to hold language courses, activities, exams, seminars and cultural events during June and July 2021.
Read on for more details!
Autumn Language Courses: Registration NOW OPEN
The SCI recently announced its schedule for the upcoming Autumn semester and officially opened registration for all language courses starting in September 2021! Courses on offer include, Survival Chinese, 12-week Chinese for Everyone and our HSK preparation courses.
Survival Chinese: A 5-day "crash course" covering all the basics and perfect for those with little or no prior knowledge of Chinese.
12-week Chinese for Everyone: A 12-week course available in a variety of levels, from Beginners all the way up to Advanced. This course aims to provide a solid foundation in all four language skills; reading, writing, listening & speaking.
Farewell to SCI Director: Dr Lucy Zhao
On Monday 5 July 2021, staff and teachers from the SCI hosted a farewell event for SCI Director, Dr Lucy Zhao, who will shortly be leaving the University of Sheffield to take up an academic post at the University of Cambridge.
In preparation for the event, farewell messages from all staff, full-time and part-time teachers at the Sheffield Confucius Institute, were shared in a farewell video with Lucy during the event. The teachers, staff and Lucy shared their joint memories and achievements over the past eleven years and sent their best wishes to Lucy in her future endeavours.
During her time as SCI Director from 2010-2021, Dr Lucy Zhao has achieved a great many things for and on behalf of the SCI:
- During her tenure, the SCI has been awarded "Global Confucius Institute of the Year" three times; in 2010, 2015 and most recently in 2018.
- The SCI was named a "Model Confucius Institute" at the 9th Annual Global Confucius Institute Conference in December 2014.
- The Chinese Language Acquisition Research Centre was opened in 2017, which carries out projects on acquisition, teaching and learning of Mandarin Chinese by school-age heritage children and adult L2 learners.
- In 2017, the SCI was chosen to host the prestigious ‘Applied Linguistics and Language Policy Studies Training Programme’ funded by the Ministry of Education of China.
- In November 2017, the SCI was honoured for its commitment to strengthening links between Sheffield and China at the inaugural Sheffield City Region Horasis China Business Awards.
Beyond these achievements, Lucy has supported local Sheffield businesses in introducing them to potential Chinese partner companies and supported the Vice-Chancellor during visits to China. By building relationships with Chinese University partners as well as the Chinese Embassy & Consulate, Lucy has contributed to the wider university objectives in building local and international collaborations.
The staff, teachers and students at the Sheffield Confucius Institute would like to thank Lucy for all her hard work and we wish her the best in her future endeavours.
JUNE HSK Exam: Home-edition
On Saturday 5 June, the SCI held the third home-edition HSK exam of 2021. As a reputable test centre, a total of 59 students sat exams, including 12 students from the SCI's Young Learners' Department.
In collaboration with the SCI, 8 students from Bishop Vessey's Grammar School also sat their online HSK Level 2 exams.
Dragon Boat Festival Activities 2021
On Monday 14 June, the day of Dragon Boat Festival 2021, two local Chinese teachers from the SCI visited Nurtur Student Living to deliver a special food event, teaching participants how to make a food traditionally eaten during Dragon Boat Festival; rice dumplings, which are known as Zongzi in Chinese.
The SCI’s evening class students were invited to join the activity and mingled with the Chinese students living at the accommodation, to celebrate the festival together.
Heidi Hawkins, the Marketing manager of Nurtur Student Living was extremely pleased with the event; ”It was a great event. I really enjoyed working together, and thank you all who helped make it a success.”
Meanwhile, in addition to this activity the festival was also celebrated by the SCI’s Young Learners’ Department. Teachers at the Star Mandarin School organised various activities to mark the occasion, including story-telling, arts & crafts, quizzes, games, discussions as well as poem and essay writing.
Chinese Bridge Competition: UK Regional Finals 2021
On Saturday 26 June 2021, both contestants submitted by Sheffield Confucius Institute, Brogan Somer Mathieson 苏墨怡 and Juliette Eileen Odolant 欧明云 were awarded Third Place prize and Most Knowledgeable prize, respectively, in the UK Regional Finals.
Brogan demonstrated her strong Mandarin language skills during her 3-minute speech entitled 语汇故事 天下一家 “Vocabulary Story, One World” and her wonderful singing voice with a cover of 多远都要在一起 “Long Distance” by Chinese singer G.E.M.
During her 3-minute speech entitled 天涯若比邻 - 一语言将我们联系在一起, “Close in spirit although far away: One language connects us”, Juliette spoke calmly yet confidently and impressed the judges with her fluency in the language and in her Artistic performance, Juliette revealed her drawing skills in a traditional Chinese painting performance.
Thank you to our teachers for their hard work helping the contestants prepare and the contestants for their winning performances!
Chinese Calligraphy course concludes
The SCI's new Traditional Chinese Calligraphy Course recently concluded and we are happy to announce it was an overwhelming success. The 12-week course introduced students to traditional Chinese Calligraphy, the tools used in calligraphy, its applications, history and meaning in day-to-day life.
It really was an enjoyable course. It encourages me to learn more on Chinese calligraphy.
Chinese Calligraphy course feedback
Calligraphy student
I think the course was truly wonderful and interesting!
Chinese Calligraphy course feedback
Calligraphy student
All students who took the course thoroughly enjoyed it and the course received a 100% satisfaction rating. All students who provided feedback confirmed they would join future Calligraphy courses organised by the SCI.
I enjoyed this course a lot! The teacher was very supportive and encouraging! Classes were well planned and structured!
Chinese Calligraphy course feedback
Calligraphy student
This was a brilliant course with an excellent tutor.
Chinese Calligraphy course feedback
Calligraphy student
Duan is really fantastic. He's incredibly familiar with the subject and offers excellent feedback regarding technique and composition almost instantaneously.
Chinese Calligraphy course feedback
Calligraphy student
I thought the class was really well-structured for an absolute beginner like myself.
Chinese Calligraphy course feedback
Calligraphy student
Farewell to our full-time teachers
Just a few weeks ago, the SCI organised a second farewell event. This time, for a number of its full-time teachers who will shortly be returning to China, having all spent a number of years working at the SCI. Of five current full-time teachers the SCI employs, four will be returning to China.
During the teachers farewell event, individual E-cards full of messages from all staff and teachers which had been prepared in advance were shown and read out. The staff and teachers shared their thoughts on the memories, achievements and experiences over previous years.
Many were moved to tears listening to the others messages and reading their own messages to other teachers, which showcased the special relationship SCI staff and teachers have cultivated over the past few years. We wish all of our departing teachers the very best for the future and hope to see you again soon!
