TCU’s Chinese Language Center hosted a Cambodian Mandarin Language Camp for a period of two weeks starting August 9. A total of 28 attended, including 15 members of Oudong Khmer Chinese Association, 10 teachers of Qi Hua Chinese School and 3 teachers of Lian Hua Chinese School. Mr. Seng Ouy, who is 79 years old, and also is the former President of Oudong Khmer Chinese Association, attended this camp with his grandson.
Mr. Seng said that, in the past, only Chinese-Cambodians were interested in learning Chinese, but due to various business needs, learning Chinese has become very popular in Cambodia. Most Cambodian teachers were educated in Cambodia, so their teaching materials and approaches are quite different from what they experienced in Taiwan. As a result, they felt very excited in learning new ways of teaching Chinese, and wished to take them back to Cambodia.
This is the first time TCU’s Chinese Language Center has held a Mandarin camp for Cambodian friends. TCU’s President Pen-Jung Wang welcomed everyone at the opening ceremony. He pointed out that Chinese culture is around 5,000 years old, and each Chinese word has a deep cultural significance. The best way to experience Chinese culture is to stay in a Chinese-speaking community. TCU’s Chinese Language Center has excellent teachers and provides a learning environment filled with humanistic culture. President Wang wished everyone would learn heartily and take what they learned back to Cambodia.
The Taiwanese government encourages every institution to collaborate with Southeast Asian countries, so TCU’s Chinese Language Center has planned this camp since the beginning of the year. Center Director Xiao-Ci Li shared that participants, besides learning Chinese, also experienced Chinese culture and Tzu Chi’s humanistic culture. Participants were assigned to the teachers’ group or beginners’ group. To assist beginners, the Center invited Tzu Chi volunteers to provide oral interpretations, and for enhancing the Cambodian teachers’ skills and dispositions, we offered a class on teaching Jing Si Aphorisms.
Mr. Heng Mengtong is the Principal of Qi Hua Chinese School of Cambodia. He invited ten teachers to take part in the camp. His school has associated with Tzu Chi Foundation since 1996, when Tzu Chi helped rebuild their school buildings. Principal Heng felt grateful to Tzu Chi, and thought about expressing his gratitude in actions. In March of this year, Tzu Chi had a medical outreach in Kampong Chhnang Province, and he invited his teachers to assist Chinese-speaking medical professionals to communicate with local needy persons. Principal Heng wished his teachers to learn more about Tzu Chi through various courses and activities.
Miss Phoeun Sophorn is their team leader. She is a Cambodian, and speaks fluent Chinese. Miss Phoeun works for a company in Cambodia, and her boss is a Taiwanese. Her boss, Mr. Hsieh Ming-Hsuan, often invited clients to his office and entertained them with alcoholic drinks, which bothered her. After becoming a Tzu Chi volunteer, he decided to quit drinking and smoking, and accompanied his employees regularly to visit the underprivileged. Miss Phoeun was impressed by his big change, and bears witness to how good Tzu Chi is. So, she decided to follow in her boss’ footsteps and became a Tzu Chi volunteer.
With the exception of Miss Phoeun, all the other participants were never in Taiwan before. Through taking Chinese courses, experiencing Chinese culture and Tzu Chi’s humanistic culture, volunteering to serve the needy, and appreciating beautiful scenes, they have come to know more about Taiwan and Chinese culture. We wish they’ll keep the beautiful memories in their hearts, and share them with friends in Cambodia.