A Young American’s Chinese Dream

By staff reporter MA LI

JOHN Klump believes that learning Chinese has broadened his horizons， and now his perspective is no longer limited to what happens in his own country. The 23-year-old from the state of North Carolina in the U.S. speaks fluent Chinese， and was recently crowned the American champion of the “Chinese Bridge” Competition （Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students）. After studying Chinese for three years at the Confucius Institute at the University of South Florida， he applied for a Chinese government scholarship. In August 2018， he became a graduate student at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. “I have always been very interested in Chinese culture， especially in the history of China. The change of the Chinese dynasties was so unpredictable that learning Chinese history is like reading mystery novels.”

Klumped dreamed of studying Chinese in China. “It will be more than an opportunity to fulfill my dream of studying Chinese. It will help me achieve my lifes dream.” He said that in order to realize his dream， he will cherish the study opportunity in China， using the summer and winter vacations to travel around China and see more of the country.

Attracted to China

Klump was born in a small town in North Carolina. “Very few people studied foreign languages there. Everyone was content with the way our lives were. No one dreamed about the world outside.” Before the age of 10， he had never heard about China or the Chinese language. “At that time， I really didnt know that there was a country called China on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.”

In middle school， Klump began to learn about Chinese kung fu， giant pandas and the Spring Festival. “I saw a movie by chance starring Bruce Lee. Only then did I learn that his kung fu practice was from China. I began to dream about this mysterious country and pay attention to things related to China.” Later on， he participated with his schoolmates in the Spring Festival celebration at the Confucius Institute at North Carolina State University， which inspired him with the idea of learning Chinese and coming to China.

“The Chinese have a good sense of ritual during the Spring Festival， which is totally different from Christmas. This is what we often call the cultural difference. But the difference makes me fas-cinated by this oriental country.” Klump said that he liked going to the Confucius Institute to participate in activities， and searching for information related to China on the Internet.

During his sophomore year in high school， he officially started to learn Chinese. His Chinese teacher was born and raised in America. “My teacher started learning Chinese in the 1990s. At that time， his friends all thought he was crazy when they heard that he was learning Chinese. And when my teacher said that he wanted to go to China， his friends thought it was incredible.” Klump said that his teachers experience demonstrated the indifference people felt towards Chinese at the time. But todays Americans have strong enthusiasm for learning Chinese. Klump said their enthusiasm can be summarized into one word，“obsessed.”

“The Chinese language seems to possess some kind of magic. Many of my friends have decided to learn Chinese. And now we have Chinese courses in primary schools， middle schools and universities. This phenomenon has only occurred in the last 10 years.”He said that many American parents are telling their children， “Learn Chinese and you will have a very good job and a bright future.”

Winning in Chinese Language Competitions

Klump seems to have a natural flair for learning Chinese. Although many people think that the learning process is boring， he found it fun.

“Pinyin is the foundation of learning Chinese. To learn pinyin， naturally we must master the four tones in Chinese， which are the flat， rising， falling-rising and falling tones，” said Klump. In college， he participated in a variety of exchange activities organized by the Confucius Institute， and his Chinese proficiency took a substantial leap.

On April 22， 2018， Klump was victorious at the south U.S. qualifiers of the 2018 “Chinese Bridge”Competition held at the Confucius Institute at the University of Texas in Dallas， Texas.

As an international competition organized by the Confucius Institute Headquarters （Hanban）， the“Chinese Bridge” has become an important brand in international cultural exchanges after more than 10 years of development. It is known as the Olympic Games of the Chinese language. Through the“Chinese Bridge，” Chinese learners from all over the world get to know China.

From July to August 2018， Klump and 152 other college students from 141 regions in 118 countries gathered in Changsha， the capital of Hunan Province in central China， to participate in the “Chinese Bridge” knockouts， semi-finals and the final round. After fierce competition， Klump won the American championship and progressed to the finals.

“The final contestants were really masters. Although I didnt win in the finals， this process has greatly improved my Chinese proficiency. I also made a lot of friends in the competition.” During the competition， the audience was deeply impressed by Klumps wit and humor and his image of the boy next door. “I didnt expect that this competition would help me realize my dream of studying Chinese in China. Whats more， it won me a huge number of fans in China. They are my motivation to continue my studies.” Klumps excellent performance at the “Chinese Bridge” Competition enabled him to successfully apply for a Chinese government scholarship， and realize his dream of studying Chinese in China.

Ambassador for China-U.S. Cultural Exchanges

During the competition， the contestants had a chance to visit the Qingdao Rice Center， Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan Scenic Area， iFlytek， Dongting Lake Ecological Zone and other places. This helped them learn more about China and interact with local people， and left a deep impression on Klump.

“These experiences and interactions have enabled us to better feel the changes brought about by modern science and technology and ecological progress to this mysterious land. A country with a strong farming culture on the other side of the Pacific Ocean has been able to make such major changes in just a few decades. Such changes are reflected not only in material abundance but also in spiritual prosperity.” Klumps Chinese dream was strengthened.

After the “Chinese Bridge” Competition， Klump returned to his hometown. “My girlfriend and I went to the cinema. When I heard boys around me talk about the movie in Chinese， my girlfriend and I both responded. I didnt realize Chinese had become a fashionable language for young people in this seclusive town.” Klump said that this change made him happy to see that the Chinese language is not only changing his life， but will also affect more young Americans.

While staying in his hometown， Klump also visited his first Chinese teacher. “He was overjoyed when he learned that I had performed well in the ‘Chinese Bridge Competition and won a scholarship from the Chinese government. He said that when he learned Chinese more than 20 years ago， he predicted that Chinese would become a second language for many Americans. He also said that both China and the Chinese culture are incredibly profound， which is the source of their attraction.”

Klump said that studying at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing is the first step towards realizing his dream. After graduation， he hopes to stay in China， or work for Chinese enterprises in America， improve himself through work， and contribute to cultural exchanges between China and the United States.

“I will strive to become an ambassador for cultural exchanges between China and the United States. Although there is still a long way to go before reaching that goal， as an old saying in China goes， ‘A thousand miles starts with a single step. Young people should always have dreams， and I still have time to work hard for mine，” said Klump.