Texans study Mandarin

 

From left to right: Katelyn, Rebekah, and Chelsea at the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery

Travelling over 15,000 km all the way from Texas, Americans Rebekah Lynn Ray, Chelsea Williams, and Katelyn Killian are currently pursuing the Mandarin Enhancement Programme at the Centre for Extension Education (CEE), UTAR Sungai Long Campus.

“The Dallas-Fort Worth area has a substantial Chinese population, so as a teacher, being able to teach using their heart language will bring me closer to them,” Chelsea said with smile.

Rebekah and Katelyn were both drawn to the course by their fascination with Chinese culture. “Being a student of culture, I love learning other people’s way of life — the beliefs, values, languages, and so on,” said Katelyn.

“Our classes have been really fun so far. We have a wonderful teacher, she’s very patient and comprehensive in teaching us, such as the meaning of a word and its different applications,” said Rebekah.

The trio are actively practising with their friends around campus to improve themselves and prepare for their upcoming examinations. “I’ve also been able to practise with my family back home, such as greeting each other wǎn ān (goodnight)”, Chelsea said. 

They also cited an advantage of studying in Malaysia which is being able to learn Malay and Indian cultures. “Malaysia is a melting pot. Despite being very different from each other, people are able to live in harmony,” they said.

The Texans have travelled around Kuala Lumpur, visited iconic sites such as Batu Caves, KLCC, Templer Park, and many more. They hope to visit cities such as Penang and Malacca in the coming months.

For more information on programmes, visit the Centre for Extension Education at www.utar.edu.my/cee.