Learning Chinese, Understanding China

Jabin T. Jacob, PhDAssistant Editor, China Report

Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhiwww.icsin.org

8 July 2011

1. Many Kinds of Chinese2. The Experience of Learning

Chinese3. Learning Chinese as a Foreign

Language4. China and its Provinces

5. Sino-Indian Border Areas

1. Many Kinds of Chinese学习中文 , 了解中国 - 學習中文 , 了解中國

郑嘉宾 - 鄭嘉賓there’s 2 kinds of

written Chinesethere’s several more

kinds of spoken Chinese

Diversity in Unity

2. The Experience of Learning Chinese

being an Indian in Taiwan or ChinaArab, Spanish, Marshall Islands?!Indian Englishhuǒguō - 火锅toilet papergirls, girlfriends, marriageuncles, aunts and neighbours

3. Learning Chinese as a Foreign Language

fántǐzì - 繁体字 longer history smaller classroomsother foreignersclasses in Chinese 2 hrs/day, 5

days/weeklistening, writing,

reading, comprehension

Practice makes Perfect

8-10 hours hw /day language exchangedormitoriesrestaurantsthe streetspublic transporttechnologynight marketslandlord

Important Resources(don’t forget to read the stuff in English!)

Global Times http://www.globaltimes.cn/China Digital Times

http://chinadigitaltimes.net/China Media Project http://cmp.hku.hk/China Brief

http://www.jamestown.org/programs/chinabrief/

China Leadership Monitor http://www.hoover.org/publications/china-leadership-monitor

4. China and its Provincesunitary, single-party systemBeijing vs. provinceshierarchy of provinces

1949-1978 location, size leaders in Politb, PLA

post-1978 world trade, FDI education provincial diaspora

influence exercised1949-1978

budgets tenure of leaders openness to the outside

post-1978 preferential policies location of major events

5. Sino-Indian Border Areas

Tibet, Xinjiang – Ladakh

Tibet, Xinjiang – Ladakh

Aksai Chintrade routespilgrimage

Problemseconomic concernsillegal tradeenvironmental

concerns

Tibet - SikkimNathu Lareopened in 2006halfway between Lhasa

and Kolkatta – Tibet’s shortest distance to the world.

connect to Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR)

bus service between Gangtok and Lhasa

Problems poor infrastructuredeliberate obstructionoutdated regulationsJelep La – better

alternative

Tibet Autonomous Region

several traditional routes Stilwell Road

Problemsdispute at its most

severeTawangpoor Indian

infrastructurepossible confrontation

over water resources

Tibet - Arunachal – Myanmar - Yunnan

Tibet - Arunachal

The Great Wall didn’t Work

谢谢 !

www.icsin.org