Ran Zhao
Professor of Chinese
As a Chinese language teacher for over 25 years, I love taking my students on treasure hunts. I tell my students that the Chinese language and culture is a giant field with beautiful sceneries as well as obstacle courses. There'll be a lot of fun and joy, but there'll be thrills and tears as well. To find the treasures of beauty, love, and wisdom embedded in it, we can't go above it; we can't go under it; we have to go through it. I emphasize on experience a lot in my classrooms. In addition to learning the fundamental knowledge, we move quickly to apply what we have learned to engage in authentic meaningful conversations about who we are and what we do, feel, and think. For this engagement course, I plan to do the same by bringing my students on a trip to discover and unlock the treasure box of Chinese calligraphy.