On the evening of May 26th, 2023, the ninth stage of the UPC Foreign Language Corner including the “UPC English Corner” and the “UPC German Corner” was successfully held at the U-shaped plaza and Room 346 of the Arts and Sciences Building, respectively. The event was organized by the Department of English Language and Literature, the Department of Russian Language and Literature, the SFS General Office, and the Youth League Committee of SFS, and hosted by Class 2102 of the English major. And the theme of the “UPC English Corner” was “Why do we need empathy?” and “Let’s read poems in May.” was the theme for the “UPC German Corner”. Teachers from the Department of English Language and Literature, Mrs. Sun Jin from the Department of Russian Language and Literature, and English foreign teachers Neville Edwards and Steven Pope served as tutors. Students from diverse majors attended.
The first half of the “UPC English Corner” continued with the group discussion model of student-teacher interaction. Under the guidance of the teachers, the students engaged in in-depth exchanges on the theme of “Why do we need empathy?”, and shared their views on the importance of empathy in practical issues such as dealing with interpersonal relationships, easing tensions between doctors and patients, building a harmonious society, and so on.
Teacher-Student Interaction at the English Corner
After defeating other contestants, Xiao Mei from class 2102 of English major won the championship in the final. She shared her feelings and experiences gained from the English Corner with us. “I learned a lot of communication skills and different views from the exchange of ideas. It also strengthened my ability to respond and think logically by preparing impromptu speeches,” said Xiao Mei.
The Contestants and Teachers at the English Corner
At the German Corner, the host introduced the importance of poetry in both Chinese literature and German literature, and everyone present recited the German versions of some famous Tang poems, such as A Spring Morning, Gazing at Mount Tai, Deer-Park Hermitage, and so on. Sun Jin, a teacher of German language, taught the students a German poem called Elfchen. In the final competition, all the students tried to write a German poem on the bookmark by themselves and shared it with each other. Finally, Pan Ruiyang, a student majoring in material science, won the championship with his poem Youngster, which reflects the courage of young people to move forward. Everyone has enriched their own understanding of German by learning more about its language and culture in such a relaxing atmosphere.
Teacher-student Interaction at the German Corner
The Contestants and Teachers at the German Corner
Adhering to the principle of “Practice Together, Progress Together”, the UPC Foreign Language Corner with its varying themes provides a platform for participants to communicate in foreign languages. Participants can also improve their speaking and thinking. The UPC Foreign Language Corner is a key step in promoting foreign cultures among students and helping them to appreciate the diversity of cultures.
