Student Review: Studying Chinese at JNU

 *This is an email interview conducted online with an Indian Chinese learner at JNU. For more details, please refer to the content below.

A. Background & Motivation

1. Could you please briefly introduce yourself?

I am Naman, from Madhya Pradesh. I completed my schooling from Kendriya Vidhyalaya. Now, I am pursuing my masters in Chinese language from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

2. What inspired you to pursue Chinese language studies for both your BA and MA at JNU?

After my 12th grade, as a science student, my first thought was going for JEE. But I always wanted to do something new. It was at that time that I got to know that studying foreign languages opens many opportunities in India.

So I started looking for collages where I could study it. JNU CCEAS is one of the best centres in India for learning in Chinese. Secondly, legacy and alumni network of JNU inspired me a lot. So I enrolled myself in JNU. Also, JNU’s campus life is very unique, everybody helps each other.

3. How would you describe your overall learning experience at JNU?

My experience of studying Chinese at JNU has been absolutely fantastic. Faculty here are really helpful and knowledgeable. They help each and every student in both academic and non-academic things.

My Journey to Mastering Chinese: An Indian Student’s Story

4. Do you have any cultural experiences too in your centre (any programmes, competitions, or festivals related to china)?

Yes, every year we celebrate Chinese festivals, also known as “Spring festivals”.

Students also get to visit the Chinese embassy. I myself went to Chinese embassy twice on international Chinese language day, and also when our centre celebrated 50 years anniversary last year.

5. Strengths and weaknesses of the degree program at the Centre for Chinese studies, JNU. And what kind of courses you usually have (for eg, linguistics, history, etc)?

If you are hard working, then after studying at our centre for 5 years you will surely become an expert Chinese language professional.

We have courses at our centre covering various aspects of Chinese language and culture. We have courses related to Chinese literature, linguistics and history. And we have translation and interpretation courses too.

Chinese Scholarships for International students (an expert’s complete guide)

6. Are there opportunities for monetary scholarships or exchange programmes for students of the centre? 

We do have opportunities for students like CSC scholarship for one year study programme in China but it is given by the embassy, not by our centre.

7. Did your department teach any specific skills (besides language study) that help students prepare for jobs? (translation, interpretation, localization, language teaching etc)

Yes, we have courses like

Top Career Paths After Learning Chinese in India (Supercharge Your Future)

8. Are there any campus placements for students in your department?

Yes, Oppo India once came to our centre for campus recruitment.

B. Learning & Resources

9. What challenges did you face while learning Chinese, and how did you overcome them? (optional)

10. Would you like to share with us any tools, books, websites, apps, other resources or methods you used for your fluency?

There are many but these are the top four:

1)Pleco Software (provides an English and Chinese Dictionary application)

2)Trainchinese

3) Elementary Chinese Readers (a series of textbooks designed for foreign students learning Chinese)

4) Chinese podcasts (ChinesePod, MandarinPod, ChineseClass101, and ChillChat etc)

11. Would you like to talk about the job market currently for Chinese language graduates? (optional)

There are many opportunities available in India job market for Chinese language experts.

C. Advice and Tips 

12. What advice would you give to Indian students who want to take up Chinese as a career option?

I would suggest if you are really interested in learning Chinese then only choose it. Otherwise you will loose interest in the middle of the journey as it requires considerable efforts to master it.

Top Career Paths After Learning Chinese in India (Supercharge Your Future)

13. What advice would you give to Indian students who want to enroll at JNU to study Chinese? 

* This is the end of the interview. If you have any questions for the guest, please leave them in the comments.

* If you wish to share your story with us, please reach out to us at campus.inb@gmail.com For more information, check our careers page.

For more such informative content and real life reviews about China please check out our ChinaPedia section. And make sure you subscribe to get updates on more such posts!