Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - From breakfasting on noodles and vegetables (for 75 cents), accepting seats on the bus as young people move to accommodate the older, understanding little of the language everyone else speaks, Pat and Tom Jonas, long-time residents of Platteville, have found new experiences during their two-year stay in China. They represent two University of Wisconsin-Platteville programs: English education graduate studies and the Ethnic Minority Cultures Program. UWP works in collaboration with the South Central University for Nationalities (SCUN), located in Wuhan, China, to provide these programs.

"My commitment to UWP and my hope and belief that we are offering a creditable program is why I am here. More and more of our master's students are people already teaching and wanting advancement in their jobs, much like teachers in the U.S. who pursue summer coursework and workshops toward a master's degree," said Pat.

As on-site coordinator of UW-Platteville's SCUN master's program in teaching English as a second language (TESL), Pat represents the UWP English education program, whereby graduate students in China receive instruction from UWP English and education faculty. Instruction takes place at SCUN and UWP.

Pat explains, "These Chinese students are interested in American techniques for teaching language, and they are interested in American culture and how it impacts language. This experience is clarifying for me what my own culture is by comparing it to one that is much different. I think we have as much to learn from the Chinese as they seem to think they have to learn from us."

In her words, Pat's job has been "to teach in the master's program and to facilitate students getting their travel papers (visas) in Beijing that would allow them to come to the U.S. for their semester on the UWP campus, make certain students are notified of information they need for the program, and make certain professors coming have the materials they need and appropriate living arrangements while in China."

Tom represents the UWP Institute for Study Abroad's Ethnic Minority Cultures Program, which started in spring 2006 with three students traveling to China. He "shepherds" the students from UWP to China through this program. Participating American students complete 15 credits of classroom coursework in China while visiting Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Qiling Gorge on the Yangtze River, Xi'an and Beijing. Tom accompanies the students and ensures they get around safely with everything they need.

"The three students who pioneered the program really became intrigued with how little they knew about China and even more with how little they knew about the history of relations between the U.S. and China. They really were amazed at what they had learned in class and outside," Tom shared.

The Jonases report visiting a "dumpling restaurant" that has a menu written in English as well as Chinese, shopping for groceries with Western products like cheddar cheese, butter and Dove candy bars among their choices and "the people are very kind to us and older people are treated very well." They rely on Chinese friends and co-workers who aid them in communicating with other Chinese people.

Pat and Tom reflected, "At times we feel a bit isolated in that we cannot make conversation in Chinese, nor understand most of what is said at more formal functions and dinners. By being there together, we sustain each other through some of these situations where we have no idea what is being discussed. More than likely it is the mundane things that everyone talks about in such social situations, but not being able to understand the jokes is the hardest part because so much simple connection between people occurs around humor (and you know what it is like to 'explain' a joke to someone - it loses its humor, when retold in English)."

Besides their brief trip home recently to see their children and grandchildren, they keep abreast of national, regional and local happenings on a regular basis.

"We read the State Journal, Washington Post, and New York Times on the web while in China and also listen faithfully to the Prairie Home Companion using our computer access," said Tom Jonas.

Patricia Jonas was a long-time English teacher at Platteville High School, now an instructor for UWP. Tom Jonas was a long-time lawyer in Platteville, now a professor in the criminal justice program at UWP. Both Tom and Pat are at early retirement age and chose this China sojourn as a capstone experience to their professional lives.

Anyone interested in information about the Ethnic Minority Cultures program may obtain it from the Institute for Study Abroad at (608) 342-1726 or studyabroad@uwplatt.edu.

Anyone interested in information about the master's in TESOL program may obtain it from the School of Graduate Studies at (608) 342-1262.

Contact: Barb Daus, special assistant to the chancellor, (608) 342-1282,daus@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: April Schmidt, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,schmidap@uwplatt.edu