Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - Though they are leaving the University of Wisconsin-Platteville to return home at the end of April, 27 visiting Chinese students said they'll be leaving with great memories. The students are enrolled at the South Central University for Nationalities in Wuhan and have been at UWP since the beginning of the spring semester.

The students are part of a group which began working on their Master of Science in Education degrees in 2004 in Wuhan, where they were taught the nine required courses by UWP education and humanities faculty. Most of the students are working professionals (average age is 25), and many, in fact, are English teachers. In addition to completing their writing and research this semester, the students immersed themselves in American culture, attended elective classes and practiced their English speaking skills. Students lived in the residence halls on campus, but each was paired with up to three host families, who helped students get acclimated and tour the region and the state. Jianying Liu said the experience was both educational and fun. "We learned a lot about learner-centered teaching strategies, which is a subject I'm most interested in. This was an excellent educational experience, and I think we all will be able to bring new strategies and techniques back to our classrooms," Liu said. Liu also made several presentations about China to classes and departments around campus.

Another student, Ning Liu (no relation), wrote his paper on bringing artful teaching to his Chinese students and will attempt to get his work published in the United States. "We are facing many challenges in China with regard to teaching English, mainly having to do with class size. We also have adult students, at varying levels of fluency and varying motivations for wanting to learn English, in the same classroom, so it's difficult to reach everyone effectively. We hope that will start to change and that we can make the classroom more dynamic and interactive," he said. The students had many extracurricular activities planned during their off hours. International Night was a big hit with the visitors, in part because they provided some of the entertainment. In addition to a fashion show and singing duet, the Wuhan students performed a "Peacock Dance," a traditional Chinese dance in which dancers imitate the movements of a peacock.

The students were able to travel to nearby cities on the weekends and on spring and Easter break. Their road trip destinations included Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago, and a few went as far as Detroit. Many of the host families also took the students on day trip outings to nearby attractions, such as the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque and the House on the Rock. "Our host families were very nice and thoughtful. Many cooked and invited us to their homes and we sometimes cooked for them. It was a wonderful experience," said Ning Liu. William and Mary Lou Broske were hosts for three of the students, and they said it was a very worthwhile experience. "We learned a lot from them and I think they would say they learned from us. They are very nice people and it was a pleasure to be part of this. I would highly recommend the experience for people considering whether to be a host family in the future," said Mary Broske. The coordinator for the program, Wally Iselin, professor of education, said the students did very well on their seminar papers and had a positive impact on campus. "They really connected to the faculty and students, and to the townspeople as well. I think they will treasure this experience for a long time. I know we're all grateful to the faculty who generously opened their classes to them and to all the host families for their hospitality," he said. The students will receive their master's degrees in a ceremony led by UWP chancellor, David Markee, in Wuhan in June. The next cohort of Wuhan students is scheduled to arrive on the UWP campus in January 2008.

Contact: Barb Daus, special assistant ot the chancellor, (608) 342-1282, daus@uwplatt.edu

Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu