Daily Pioneer News

Pictured left to right Jin-ju Ruan and Yan Luo

PLATTEVILLE - Two professors from the South Central University for Nationalities (SCUN) in Wuhan China are spending the spring 2007 semester in residence at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The visit is part of an ongoing program with SCUN to provide Chinese students with educational opportunities in English and U.S. culture, and to provide their Platteville counterparts the opportunities to learn in China.

The faculty members are Yan Luo and Jin-ju Ruan, both English instructors at SCUN. Luo is the director of the linguistic teaching and research office in the College of Foreign Languages who specializes in comprehensive English, English pronunciation practice, English public speaking and debate, English listening and business English listening. She is a member of the Hubei Association of Foreign Literature Studies and a national Mandarin level examiner.

Ruan is an associate professor at SCUN who specializes in college English, which focuses on intensive reading, listening skills, writing and speaking skills. She holds a Master of Arts in English linguistics and literature from the Central China Normal University and attended the College English Teacher Training Program jointly sponsored by the Nanjing University Teacher's College and Columbia University in Nanjing.

While here, Luo and Ruan are immersing themselves in English and cultural studies, including courses in English literature, speech, intercultural communication, film and American government. Luo said it is the best way for them to learn and be able to share that information with their students back in China.

"We have some sense of life here from textbooks and films, but it doesn't really prepare students for what to expect. For example, it's very common here to have people say 'good morning' and 'hi' as they pass each other on the street or campus, whether they know each other or not. That's not very common in China. Now, we have some first-hand experiences to share with our students, so they will prepared for some of the differences when they come here," Luo explained, referring to the students from SCUN who attend UWP every spring to complete their master's degree in English Education.

Ruan added that they are optimistic about the relationships growing between American and Chinese students and faculty and that these types of exchanges are becoming more common.

"Many Americans are going to China and seeing how we are developing and the changes that have recently taken place. These experiences will help us with our English education efforts and many Americans are starting to learn Chinese also. These are all positive developments," she said.

The visitors' first impression of Platteville was a pretty frigid one - not the people, just the weather. The women took a walk from campus to Main Street in the middle of the below zero temperatures and encountered very few people out and about. The townspeople they did meet on the street told the women they were "very brave."

Mittie Nimocks, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education, said the college is pleased to host the visiting faculty members.

"We hope their semester here is productive, and we know our faculty and students will do everything they can to welcome them and assist in their goals of learning more about American culture. We also believe this is a good opportunity for us to learn more about Chinese culture and enhance our own understanding of educational methods and opportunities there," Nimocks said.

With a history that dates back more than 3,500 years, Wuhan is one of the "Chinese Famous Cities of History and Culture." Since 1927, Wuhan has been comprised of three cities, Hankou, Hanyang, and Wuchang, which are located where the Han and Xunshi rivers join the Yangtze (Chan Jiang). Situated on a plain, it is the capital city of Hubei Province, and it is the biggest hub city in Central China. Divided by the Yangtze, Wuhan has come to be known as the Three Towns of Wuhan with Hankou and Hanyang on the west bank, and Wuchang on the east. SCUN has a student population of 16,000 and 48 ethnic minority groups are represented on campus.

For more information about the exchange program with SCUN, contact Barb Daus, special assistant to the chancellor, at (608) 342-1282.

Contact: Wally Iselin, professor, School of Education, (608) 342-1271,Iselin@uwplatt.edu Prepared by; Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu