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Linguistic Marco Polos study Chinese language and culture in Italy
By Gabriele Catania |
July 16, 2009, Thursday
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"SO, when did Mao Zedong proclaim the People's Republic of China?" asks the teacher in Mandarin Chinese. "On October 1, 1949!" replies a student, also in Mandarin.
This scene is not taking place in a primary school in Beijing, but at Antonio Pigafetta High School in Vicenza, an affluent town near Venice, Italy.
Here, a language revolution is taking place - around 50 students (aged 16-18) are studying Chinese as a third language, instead of the more traditional German or French (English, of course, is the mandatory second language).
Founded in 1807 by Napoleone Bonaparte, it's safe to say that Antonio Pigafetta is not your "typical" Italian high school. Among its more notable alumni are some of Italy's most prestigious writers, politicians and businessmen, including the former government minister Tiziano Treu and the current CEO of Italian oil company ENI Paolo Scaroni (to name but a few).
Sitting in his bright and cheerful office, Deputy Principal Luciano Chiodi enthusiastically describes the innovative language program:
"Teaching Chinese to our students was the idea of our principal, Giorgio Cora and also of Professor Chiara Simonato - two admirers of Chinese culture. We want to expand the linguistic horizons of our students. No longer should they simply have a eurocentric horizon, but they should also possess a genuinely global one."
Marco Polo
The pioneering nature of the school's language program may also have a historical thread in its closeness to Venice, the home of Italian explorer and trader, Marco Polo.
"It's no coincidence that the sinologist Federico Greselin, well-known professor at the Ca Foscari University in Venice, gave us an hand," explains Chiodi.
"Also, Vicenza's Chamber of Commerce helped us. If you want to make business in China, you need staff who are able to speak Chinese."
The school's Chinese teacher is Professor Marta Nori, who, after completing a degree in Italy, attended universities in Beijing and Yunnan Province.
"I don't just teach Chinese language, but also China's history and philosophy. My students have to plunge into the depths of millenary Chinese culture," she explains.
Behind her is a blackboard covered with Chinese characters that resemble pale, exotic flowers. Her students don't just study vocabulary, grammar and tones, but also Confucius and Mozi, and classics of modern Chinese literature like Lu Xun and Lao She.
"The study of Chinese requires a 24-four hour commitment, and a great use of memory. It's a training for the challenges of tomorrow," explains a diligent 18-year-old.
"However, Chinese is easier than German. And funnier," jokes her friend.
"Regarding myself, I study it because in a globalized world, Chinese is as important as English," says a male student. "My mother is a gemstone exporter who trades with China. Our partners in Hong Kong even know a bit of Italian, so we must learn Chinese."
Another student enjoyed studying Chinese so much that she chose to spend a year at Qinghua High School in Chongqing Municipality.
"I studied hard - Chinese students are more zealous than Italian ones. They begin in the morning and finish in the evening," she explains.
'Chinamania'
"Chinamania" doesn't just concern Italian teenagers, for Italian colleges that offer courses in Chinese language and culture are becoming increasingly popular.
For example, the Faculty of Law at the University of Trento, perhaps the best law faculty in Italy, offers a basic course in Chinese law, with a faculty made up of both Italian and Chinese teachers.
"I'm enrolling at the Faculty of Law here in Trento because I want to study Chinese contract law," says the son of a corporate lawyer in Milan. "After the degree, I will go to Beijing or Shanghai for my master's. My father went to Yale in the United States, but times have changed."
Perhaps it's time for Italians to begin exploring Marco Polo's wondrous discovery anew.
(The author is director of the "Comitato Per Gli Studi Geopolitici" - Committee on Geopolitical Studies - a network of young scholars and researchers based in Trient, Italy.)
This scene is not taking place in a primary school in Beijing, but at Antonio Pigafetta High School in Vicenza, an affluent town near Venice, Italy.
Here, a language revolution is taking place - around 50 students (aged 16-18) are studying Chinese as a third language, instead of the more traditional German or French (English, of course, is the mandatory second language).
Founded in 1807 by Napoleone Bonaparte, it's safe to say that Antonio Pigafetta is not your "typical" Italian high school. Among its more notable alumni are some of Italy's most prestigious writers, politicians and businessmen, including the former government minister Tiziano Treu and the current CEO of Italian oil company ENI Paolo Scaroni (to name but a few).
Sitting in his bright and cheerful office, Deputy Principal Luciano Chiodi enthusiastically describes the innovative language program:
"Teaching Chinese to our students was the idea of our principal, Giorgio Cora and also of Professor Chiara Simonato - two admirers of Chinese culture. We want to expand the linguistic horizons of our students. No longer should they simply have a eurocentric horizon, but they should also possess a genuinely global one."
Marco Polo
The pioneering nature of the school's language program may also have a historical thread in its closeness to Venice, the home of Italian explorer and trader, Marco Polo.
"It's no coincidence that the sinologist Federico Greselin, well-known professor at the Ca Foscari University in Venice, gave us an hand," explains Chiodi.
"Also, Vicenza's Chamber of Commerce helped us. If you want to make business in China, you need staff who are able to speak Chinese."
The school's Chinese teacher is Professor Marta Nori, who, after completing a degree in Italy, attended universities in Beijing and Yunnan Province.
"I don't just teach Chinese language, but also China's history and philosophy. My students have to plunge into the depths of millenary Chinese culture," she explains.
Behind her is a blackboard covered with Chinese characters that resemble pale, exotic flowers. Her students don't just study vocabulary, grammar and tones, but also Confucius and Mozi, and classics of modern Chinese literature like Lu Xun and Lao She.
"The study of Chinese requires a 24-four hour commitment, and a great use of memory. It's a training for the challenges of tomorrow," explains a diligent 18-year-old.
"However, Chinese is easier than German. And funnier," jokes her friend.
"Regarding myself, I study it because in a globalized world, Chinese is as important as English," says a male student. "My mother is a gemstone exporter who trades with China. Our partners in Hong Kong even know a bit of Italian, so we must learn Chinese."
Another student enjoyed studying Chinese so much that she chose to spend a year at Qinghua High School in Chongqing Municipality.
"I studied hard - Chinese students are more zealous than Italian ones. They begin in the morning and finish in the evening," she explains.
'Chinamania'
"Chinamania" doesn't just concern Italian teenagers, for Italian colleges that offer courses in Chinese language and culture are becoming increasingly popular.
For example, the Faculty of Law at the University of Trento, perhaps the best law faculty in Italy, offers a basic course in Chinese law, with a faculty made up of both Italian and Chinese teachers.
"I'm enrolling at the Faculty of Law here in Trento because I want to study Chinese contract law," says the son of a corporate lawyer in Milan. "After the degree, I will go to Beijing or Shanghai for my master's. My father went to Yale in the United States, but times have changed."
Perhaps it's time for Italians to begin exploring Marco Polo's wondrous discovery anew.
(The author is director of the "Comitato Per Gli Studi Geopolitici" - Committee on Geopolitical Studies - a network of young scholars and researchers based in Trient, Italy.)
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