Spring registration underway for low-cost Chinese culture courses

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The Confucius Institute at Western Michigan University is accepting registrations for spring Chinese culture courses that begin the week of January 26.

The 12-week, low-cost courses are taught in English and are open to adults age 18 or older for personal enrichment rather than academic credit.

A half-price tuition discount is offered to those age 55 and older, WMU part-time faculty and staff members, and WMU students. Full-time faculty and staff members at the University pay no tuition. Some courses charge all participants a fee for materials, and those with low enrollment may be canceled.

Spring 2015 course offerings

• Basic Chinese Gongbi Painting—6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays, Jan. 26 to April 20, 4017 Brown Hall. Tuition: $120. Materials fee: $40.
• Basic Chinese Language—6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 27 to April 21, 4017 Brown Hall. Tuition: $120.
• Intermediate Chinese Language—6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, Jan. 27 to April 21, 4025 Brown Hall. Tuition: $120.
• Basic Tai Chi—6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 28 to April 22, 4017 Brown Hall. Tuition: $120.
• Basic Chinese Calligraphy—6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Jan. 28 to April 22, 4025 Brown Hall. Tuition: $120. Materials fee: $40.
• Intermediate Chinese Gongbi Painting—6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 29 to April 23, 4017 Brown Hall. Tuition: $120. Materials fee: $40.

Course instructors

• Xu Zhou is the instructor for basic tai chi classes. She received her master’s degree from Beijing Language and Culture University in 2013 in linguistics and applied linguistics.
• Baoqing Qian, instructor of Chinese calligraphy, was born and raised in Beijing. Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, she learned to appreciate Chinese culture early on. Teaching Chinese language and culture at the WMU Confucius Institute is a great opportunity for her to further the ongoing cultural exchanges between China and the United States.
• Yun Zhou teaches basic Chinese language. During her six years of study at Beijing Language and Culture University, she majored in teaching Chinese to speakers of other languages and participated in prestigious Chinese teaching programs, such as the Harvard Beijing Academy.
• Mingchen Zhao teaches intermediate Chinese language. She earned a master’s degree in linguistics and applied linguistics from Beijing Language and Culture University, where she gained extensive knowledge on teaching Chinese as a foreign language.
• Xiaoying Li, instructor for basic and intermediate Chinese Gongbi painting, holds a bachelor’s degree of art education and has served as an art instructor for more than 20 years. She also has two published books: "Traditional Chinese Realistic Painting of Flowers and Birds," and "Chinese Painting Tutorial."

Registration

For more information or to register for Chinese culture classes, visit the Confucius Institute at wmuconfucius.org or contact the institute at wmu-confucius-cc@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3784.

Direct questions to Ruyuan Yang at ruyuan.yang@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3784.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.