The Ming Chuan University on SVSU’s campus is offering free Chinese culture and language classes, available to all students and staff. The classes will be called Chinese Corner, and the faculty of Ming Chuan are very excited about beginning of this unique opportunity.
“The main goal of Chinese Corner is to give the community in SVSU some idea of the language and the culture, a kind of feast to the university of Chinese culture,” Ellen Chen, an associate professor said.
The classes will be every Thursday, starting Oct. 20 up until Nov. 17, from 2:30 p.m. until 3:50 p.m. in Gilbertson North 107. The topics of the class include Chinese paper-cutting art, which is used to celebrate birthdays and weddings, conversational Mandarin, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese dining etiquette, such as how to use chopsticks, seating arrangements and how to pay the bill and Chinese opera appreciation, which will include listening to Chinese opera music and learning about the elaborate face painting the opera performers wear.
All of the activities are hands on, and many will appeal to art, music and linguistic students.
Anyone who attends is welcome to bring guests from off campus, as long as they contact the university so the coordinators can make sure there are enough supplies, Chen said.
