Students of 'Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication in Business' Programme Completed Language Courses in China
During a month in Tianjin, students from HSE Perm studied Chinese language, culture and traditions. They shared their discoveries and impressions with us.
The language course programme included not only classes with native speakers, but also cultural events. The students lived in a dormitory at Tianjin University, where they met foreign students from other countries. Theory, supported by practice, helped the students understand the traditions and customs of China better and improve their level of Chinese language proficiency. The participants of the trip visited local attractions — Haihe Street, the Italian Quarter, 5th Avenue, the ancient shopping street of Old Tianjin, and also tried dishes of the unique cuisine of the region.
One of the highlights of the visit to China was the trip to Beijing by high-speed railway. The students saw such iconic places as the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China, the old streets of the center and majestic temples. These impressions will remain in the memory of the participants forever and inspire them to study the language further .
Arina Pivovarova, student of the educational programme "Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication in Business", 3rd year
Last summer, I have already been to China on a short-term course in Xuzhou with a group of HSE students. In 2024, I decided that this should become a tradition — to improve my language skills in another country, immersing myself in the life and culture of local residents. This summer I spent a month in Tianjin in a familiar company, which was replenished with new interested people. Time flew by: we studied Chinese, enjoyed the city's architecture, absorbed cultural customs and traditions, admired the local cuisine and communication with new acquaintances and also traveled around the country.
Constant communication with native speakers allowed me to look at the grammar and sound of Chinese from a different perspective. We also often communicated in English with some teachers and other foreigners — this is also an important practice. The university in China that hosted us organized trips to sights, which allowed us to learn more about the city and the country than is written about them in textbooks. I didn't have to worry about culinary preferences either, since the range of dishes in Tianjin pleasantly surprised me with a large number of familiar or mild dishes.
But most of all I remember the adventures with friends — both in Tianjin itself and in Beijing. We managed to cool off in the water park, enjoy the beauty of the pagodas, lakes, lotuses, swans under the evening rain and scarlet sunset. Memories of this trip will stay with me for life, and Chinese language classes are already pleasing me with the results.
Ivan Tyutikov, student of the educational programme "Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication in Business", 3rd year
When we first arrived in China, everything seemed very similar to Russia to me. But as soon as we approached the airport exit, the Chinese immediately started taking pictures of us, for them we were like curiosities. While we were getting to the university where we were being hosted, I noticed how many residential houses they were building. The Chinese turned out to be quite nice. The city (Tianjin) where we lived was not big, but it still impressed me, because Perm is about two to three times smaller.
They have a very well-developed gastronomic business: there were many places where you can eat tasty and inexpensively. The main place we went to on a regular basis, regardless of what part of the city we were in, was 蜜雪冰城 (方庄店) 北京市丰台区, which we called "the snowman". They sold a variety of drinks there, and the prices were two to three times cheaper than in Russia. But the most important find on this trip for me was the city's nightlife, or rather, its almost complete absence. At night, there are almost no cars that are so eager to knock you down during the day, you can ride a bike and not suffer from the heat. The Great Wall of China also amazed me with its scale and the crowds of people, almost as endless as its length. Overall, the trip was one hundred percent justified, and I would definitely like to return to China.