Changes I have experienced in China

By Patrick Seifer

I graduated from university in America in 1988 and finished my student teaching in 1989. After a year of teaching in America, I arrived in China in the fall of 1990 and began teaching English at Zhengzhou University. Altogether, I lived in Zhengzhou off and on from 1990 to 2007 for 10 years. I also spent one year teaching in Jiaozuo, Henan. Today, my family and I have been living in Ningxia since 2008, and we have been living in Yinchuan,Ningxia since 2009; I have been teaching at Ningxia University since 2013. The number of changes in China that I have seen and experienced over the last 28 years has been amazing.

In 1990, my students were first and second year English majors.For most of the first-year students, it was their first time to ever see a foreigner and experience a foreign teacher’s classroom. I am tall (192 cm), and have blonde hair. I quickly became known as the tall foreigner with “golden” hair. I remember many students were curious to talk with me yet at the same time afraid to get near me. I was so different from them! Today, it is not uncommon for primary or middle school students to boldly approach me to practice their spoken English or to simply ask me questions out of curiosity.

No more red dictionary

When I first came to China, I did not speak Chinese. I quickly learned my numbers from 0 to 10, and some basic phrases. However, I was completely unprepared for the many different accents represented in the Chinese language. I was told by other foreigners that I should have an English-Chinese dictionary, and the most commonly used dictionary of that time for foreigners was a little red dictionary. After my first year, that dictionary was well used and continued to be used over the next ten years.

For the foreigner who comes to China today, they no longer need to buy that small red dictionary, or any book dictionary for that matter. If they have a smart phone, which most do, they can download any number of English-Chinese dictionaries. Today,most of these electronic dictionaries are enabled with sound so people can listen to standard Mandarin pronunciation. Also, for those foreigners who have studied Chinese, there are functions that allow people to write characters they see but don’t know how to pronounce. In just a few moments, it is possible to learn a new Chinese character without having to page through a traditional dictionary.

New Challenges and opportunities in the classroom

In 1990, the classrooms I taught in were simple, yet adequate. I had a blackboard and 2 students sat at one desk. Each desk had the students’ textbooks and each student had a large Chinese-English dictionary. Most of the time the dictionary was an Oxford English dictionary that students lugged to class every day.If we fast forward to 2018, there is still a blackboard in Chinese classrooms, but it is now sometimes accompanied by a smart board, and it is common for classrooms to be equipped with LCD projectors and computer systems that can be used to project PowerPoint presentations that allow students to follow the teacher’s lecture. These computer systems can also be used to play video or audio clips to give students real-life exposure to languages and cultures. Also, the large Oxford dictionary has been replaced by the smart phone which can be used to access online dictionaries or surf the internet to find information that supplements their professors’ teaching.

Today, as I mentioned earlier, multi-media classrooms are much more common. Creating a PowerPoint presentation for classroom use is now customary and a normal part of lesson planning.PowerPoint had just become available in 1990. Yet, these changes in technology have brought some challenges. For example, teachers now need to consider how to keep classes interesting and informative while keeping their students’ attention. If students get bored, they can quickly access the internet or check their We Chat or QQ account. Some students have even been known to watch TV shows or NBA basketball games during class.However, the positive side of the new technology allows students to access more information with much less effort. As I mentioned earlier, dictionaries are now available at a click of a button and they have the same amount of information the older Oxford dictionaries had. In addition, these downloadable dictionaries are equipped with sound so students can listen to new vocabulary and learn most forms of standard English pronunciation. In the past, when I taught writing, students had to write all their papers by hand.Today, students can use their computers, smart phones or tablets to write their papers and then email them to me. I can use my computer and Microsoft Word software to correct students’ papers and email the papers back to the students. As a result, students no longer have to work so hard to read my handwriting because they can see my typed comments and suggestions on their devices.All of this also protects the environment. Most importantly, used correctly, this new technology can be used to help students learn much more in a more efficient manner.

Traveling conveniences

In 1990, traveling around China was a real challenge. Not only was my lack of Chinese language a real problem, but also buying plane or train tickets was even a bigger challenge. For many years after I came to China, people could only buy train tickets 3 days before travel. Therefore, three days before people wanted to travel somewhere, they had to line up very early in the morning before the train ticket office would open. Often, once the ticket office opened, the tickets were already sold out. It was frustrating as well as an obstacle to travel. Currently, buying train tickets online up to 30 days in advance is commonplace. If people live near a train ticket office, going in person to buy tickets 28 days in advance is also a reliable option.

Air travel at that time was quite new and most people preferred to travel by train. Obviously, that has changed greatly. Today,China’s airline industry is one the world’s fastest growing industries, and there are multitudes of websites where one can buy airline tickets. In a word, traveling in and around China has become infinitely easier and more convenient.

Finally, it is now not uncommon at all for me to hear Chinese spoken wherever I go. I grew up in Oregon, and my wife is from Winter Garden, Florida which is just west of Orlando. Whether we fly into Seattle or Orlando, we can hear Chinese spoken. This convenience in traveling has not only benefitted foreigners in China but the Chinese people themselves.

Ease of communication

Smart phones and the internet have, perhaps, presented the biggest change to all of our lives. When I first arrived in China in 1990, few people had phones of any kind. If I wanted to contact my foreign friends who lived on the other side of the city, I had to ride my bike to see them. I had to leave my home and enter the culture. I was forced to learn to speak Chinese and learned how to recognize the most basic Chinese characters. It would have been impossible to get around the city if I did not know at least some common Chinese characters. Just imagine not being able to recognize an exit from an entryway, which public restroom was for women or men or the name of the university my friends worked at.

Today with smart phones, when a new foreign teacher from the company I work with comes to China, I can send them text messages with Chinese for any address they may want to go to. If I want, I can even send links to online maps that they can open to see where they need to go. With the internet, they also can access websites in English for travel information and buy the tickets they need. If something goes wrong, they can receive customer service help in English. In addition, they can send an email to their family and friends instantly to let them know how they are doing. Skype, We Chat, QQ and Face Time are just a few examples of technology that allow people from completely different ends of the earth to communicate. In 1990, when I wanted to communicate with my mother, I wrote her a letter that she would get two to three weeks later. Then, she would write me a letter that I would receive two to three weeks after that. In terms of communication, to say that the change from 1990 to 2018 is dramatic is an understatement.

Online banking and shopping

One last change that I have experienced in China is online banking and shopping. Again when I first arrived in China, it was assumed that I left western products and western food behind.With Taobao, TMall, and many other online shopping sites, most western conveniences are simply a click away. Once I order what I want from one of these websites, one of the many new courier services will deliver the items to my door or the “Xiao Qu” delivery lockers where I live. Also, many Chinese supermarkets have small import sections available. There are now even larger wholesale supermarkets like Metro and Wal-Mart in China. China has certainly become connected to the world today in a way that I could never have imagined in 1990.

China has certainly changed since 1990. I am excited for China and for my Chinese friends and students at this time. The chances for learning, traveling and experiencing new cultures and ideas are truly great. It is my sincere hope that as China continues to grow, it will have a positive influence in the world.

About Author:

Patrick Seifer and his wife met in China in 1993 and adopted their daughter from Shaanxi province in 2001. Patrick received his MA in TESOL in 2002 from Azusa Pacific University. Patrick, Amy and their daughter have tremendously enjoyed their time in China teaching Chinese students and interacting with Chinese culture.