Mandarin Language Class is a project that is annually handled by BSSC Culture Division. This year, we have successfully held the class in 5 meetings with 17 participants which were BINUS Square boarders. The aim of this project itself is to encourage boarders in learning about foreign language, especially Mandarin Language. In addition, we held this class also to share the new insights of Chinese culture for those who are interested to learn about it furthermore. Mandarin Language is known for its complex rules of writings and sayings. If we say the word in different tones, it might has different meanings too.

Mandarin Language Class was conducted by Wei Lishu from China together with Loy Chanreaksmey from Cambodia as the teachers. They were both excited and eager to share their knowledge in Mandarin Language and Chinese culture to the boarders. Wei Lishu is an exchange student so she only has a year period of study in Indonesia. Whereas Loy Chanreaksmey is going to have full terms of study here until 2023, according to the scholarship she got from BINUS University. So in the on-class meetings, the students were taught by the teachers about basic concepts of Mandarin Language such as shēngmǔ (consonant), yùnmǔ (vocal), and shēngdiào (tone). Beside those basic things, the students also learned about daily conversations, for example about how to introduce themselves, how to interact with locals when they travel to China, and many more. They also found out some vocabularies such as greetings, days and months, body parts, big days or festivals, wind directions, and so on. In the end of classes, there were games and also songs to close the teaching and learning session. The teachers sometime gave the students an exercise or homework to be discussed in the next meeting.

In conclusion, the class has left a beneficial and memorable experience since the interaction of the teachers, staffs, and students were good and there are many things we have learned. However, due to the busy schedule for some students, they could not join all of the meetings. But there were also some loyal students who always come and have built a good bonding with the teachers. Finally, we as the staffs in charge hope that the next Mandarin Language Class will bring new excitement and experience. We are looking forward for a greater enthusiasm from the boarders to learn Mandarin Language and culture in another opportunity.