The University of Rhode Island is known nationally for its Chinese Flagship Program, a program whose primary goal is for students to develop a superior level in the Chinese language to be applied in the professional world. Students across the country come to take part in this unique program and develop skills that will make them more desirable job candidates.
Professor Wayne Wenchao He is the director of the Chinese Flagship Program at URI. He took on the role in 2010, two years after the program was created. Since then, the program has grown to be one of the largest Chinese Flagship Programs with half of the students being from out-of-state, as well as ranked in the top three of these programs, according to He. Additionally, this program is open to students from all majors.
According to He, all students in this program are double majors. This way upon completion of the program they will be able to use their superior Chinese skills in a profession that relates to their other major whether it be business, engineering, political science, or any other major.
Since this program brings so many unique opportunities to its students, there is an expectation that students are committed to mastering the program. This commitment starts on day one of the program. The program is fully immersive and students are expected to only speak Chinese in class and with one another all four years of school, according to Eric Pohl, a student in the program.
Additionally, all homework and communication with the professors are done in Chinese. Students have a Chinese class every day and complete tutoring for these classes four to five days a week, according to Pohl. By having such a rigorous curriculum, the program can help students reach that superior level of knowledge and application of the Chinese language by the time they leave the program.
The program has many unique opportunities for students to take part in. During their first summer in the program, students stay on campus for eight weeks to continue taking their Chinese language classes. During this time, however, He said that students are barred from speaking any English and even wear badges that say “Please speak to me in Chinese.” Furthermore, during their fourth year in the program, students spend the entire year abroad in Taiwan where they spend the first half of the year taking classes that are related to their other major. Then in the second half of the year, the students enter an internship where they can use their professional and Chinese skills in the workplace setting.
“Upon completion of the capstone year, students then complete a standardized test to become certified as global professionals,” He said.
The sense of immersion into the language and culture is the best way to learn the language, according to Pohl. Students are constantly learning and becoming acquainted not only with the textbook version of the language but with the conversational nuances of the language as well. Pohl also shares that the community among students in the program is particularly strong. Students in this program have the opportunity to live in the Chinese language LLC on campus which resides in Hillside Hall. Students in this program engage with one another at cultural events such as the Moon Festival Celebration which, according to Professor He, is taking place this Friday and is open to all students.
URI’s nationally recognized Chinese Flagship Program provides students from across the country with the unique opportunity to be fully immersed in the Chinese language and culture. From Pohl’s personal experience, he says that through this program, students interact and grow as problem solvers with other students who are taking part in the program. Moreover, students are provided with the opportunity to study abroad where they will learn how to act as a global professional. He believes that through an intensive curriculum and a desire to create global professionals in a variety of career fields, URI’s Chinese Flagship Program creates a diverse and collaborative atmosphere for students to better learn and understand Chinese.