In the latest issue of the newspaper For Science, Sofia Bobrovskaya shares her experience of visiting the Celestial Empire. Having won the Chinese song contest Voice of Friendship, Sofia was awarded a trip to China by the Confucius Institute of NSTU. She is currently studying "Foreign Regional Studies" with a focus on China and the Chinese language.
— How were your studies organized?
— It’s fantastic that while studying at Altai State University, you have the opportunity to undertake an internship abroad. My internship took place in China, specifically in Zhejiang Province, in the city of Hangzhou, at the Polytechnic University. The program included language courses and exams. We also had an opportunity to explore the city. I should mention that Chinese and foreign students attended separate classes. There were about 23 to 25 students in my group, of whom 10 to 12 were Russian. Other students came from Indonesia, Tanzania, Malaysia, Vietnam, and South Korea. Initially, we studied Chinese using textbooks, but later we practiced the language in real-life situations. We spoke with market vendors, even bargaining with them, as well as with ordinary locals. Many Chinese find Europeans unusual, so they are often not shy about approaching and taking photos. For instance, at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, 15 people asked to take pictures with me in just one day.
— Tell us more about China.
— The Chinese are very friendly and open to conversation. You can start a dialogue even during a simple walk. They often compliment your Chinese skills, and you don’t have to speak perfectly for them, they still smile warmly. Moreover, with such a large population, it’s almost impossible to be in a place without native Chinese speakers nearby.