Authors: Xi Zou, Shijing Zhu
Dear Parents and Volunteer Teachers,
We hope this autumn finds you well. We wanted to share a letter with you about our ongoing work.
Looking back at history and observing the present, we reflect on what Durham Chinese School aims to convey to us.
From the dialectic schools thriving in ancient Greece, the Confucian academies disseminating knowledge during China’s Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, to today’s comprehensive universities—every educational institution holds a commitment to transmitting knowledge and fostering aspirations in its students. From our first acquaintance, we’ve pondered what this school seeks to impart and how we should engage with our students.
As we delve into Durham Chinese School, we discover that ancient Eastern civilization can indeed take root and flourish here. Innovative teaching content and localized implementation strategies ensure that this fascinating language no longer poses a barrier to communication. The school offers various Chinese courses, including GCSE levels, to cater to the needs of students across all age groups. Simultaneously, Durham Chinese School also provides diverse interest classes featuring Chinese cultural characteristics, such as calligraphy, fine arts, and dance. To enrich the extracurricular lives of its teachers and students, facilitate communication with parents, and enhance the cohesion of the Chinese school community, Durham Chinese School frequently organizes and conducts a wide array of extracurricular activities, including excursions to British heritage sites, annual sports days, and Lunar New Year galas. Furthermore, the school maintains long-term close cooperation with other Chinese community organizations, repeatedly collaborating to host various Chinese cultural events.
Durham Chinese School is a dynamic force for cultural dissemination, dedicated to promoting Chinese culture to a wider global audience.
So, as volunteers for Chinese language classes, what drives us?
This was the very first question in the Durham Chinese School interview. Reflecting on our own journeys, we realized that our passion for Chinese language is deeply rooted. Hence, our answer was:
Our shared love for Chinese characters brought us together; the charm of the Chinese language deserves to be appreciated by more people. When we reflect on the formation of our personalities, we find that language learning has shaped a significant part of our lives. Elegant words foster clarity, and simple words cultivate sincerity.
Furthermore, Chinese characters are a crucial component of Chinese culture. The wisdom and unique characteristics of the nation are fully expressed through its script. If we wish for more individuals to understand Chinese culture, helping them grasp the origins, structure, and evolution of Chinese characters is undoubtedly a vital first step.
Finally, what has Durham Chinese School brought to us?
From our first encounter with Durham Chinese School, to jointly learning the first Chinese lesson with the children, and then witnessing the school’s efforts for the community during challenging times, we have increasingly identified with Durham Chinese School’s philosophy. The school has also enriched our lives with profound meaning. Whenever we hear students praise the fun of Chinese characters, we feel immense pride; whenever we see Chinese characters being acquired by students one by one, we are filled with delightful surprise. This unique sense of appreciation is what Durham Chinese School has given us, and it is also the generous gift bestowed by the experience of learning Chinese.
We sincerely wish everyone good health, well-being, and peace.
2020秋，来自杜伦中文学校的一封信
作者：邹曦 朱施静
各位家长朋友，志愿者老师，
大家秋天好。想写一封信，和大家聊聊我们在做着什么。
站在历史的今天回望过去和观察当下，我们在思考，杜伦中文学校在向我们传达着什么？
不管是古希腊逻辑思想盛行的辩论学校，春秋战国兴起传播儒家知识的孔孟书院，还是的现在的综合类大学……每一所学校的课程都包含着对传递知识的坚持，与对学生的期盼。当我们初次结识，我们便思考着，这所学校想要传达什么，而我们又该如何与学生相处呢？
走近杜伦中文学校，我们会发现，原来古老的东方文明也能在这里发芽，扎根。创新的教学内容和因地制宜的实施方案，让神秘的语言不再有沟通的阻碍。学校不仅开设包括GCSE在内的各类中文课程以满足各个年龄阶层学生的需求。与此同时，杜伦中文学校还开设了多种具有中国文化特色的兴趣班，如书法、美术、舞蹈等等。为了丰富学校师生业余生活，促进和家长间的沟通，提高中文学校的凝聚力，杜伦学校还经常组织并开展丰富多彩的课余活动，例如，组织参观英国保护遗址的郊游活动、组织年度运动会及春节联欢会等等。除此之外，学校与其他华人社团保持长期密切合作，并多次联手共同举办各式各样的具有中国特色的文化活动。
杜伦中文学校是文化传播的积极力量，致力于推动中华文化走向更广阔的世界。
那么，作为中文课的志愿者，我们思考着什么？
这是杜伦中文学校面试中的第一个问题。回望我们的成长历程，我们发现，我们对中文的热爱已根深蒂固。因此，我们给出了这样的回答：
因为对汉字的热爱，我们相聚在此。中文的魅力值得更多人去欣赏。当我们反思个人品格的形成时，发现语言学习塑造了我们人生的很大一部分。灵巧的文字让人更具洞察力，朴实的文字使人真诚。
此外，汉字是中华文化的重要载体之一。民族的智慧和特质在文字中得以充分体现。如果希望让更多人了解中华文化，帮助大家了解汉字的起源、构造和发展，无疑是关键的第一步。
最后，杜伦中文学校带给我们什么？
从初次接触杜伦中文学校，到与孩子们一同学习第一堂汉语课，再到见证学校在特殊时期为社区做出的努力，我们越发认同杜伦中文学校的理念，学校也为我们的生活赋予了深远的意义。每当听到学生赞扬汉字有趣，我们都心生自豪；每当看到学生逐个习得汉字，我们都惊喜不已。这是杜伦中文学校带给我们独一无二的感动，也是学习中文这份经历给予我们的慷慨馈赠。
我们衷心祝愿大家身体康健，一切顺遂平安。