Teaching Chinese in Göttingen: My Two-Year Journey

By Chen Hui

In the autumn of 2016, I left my family in Beijing and flew to Göttingen, Germany — a small town known worldwide for its prestigious university. For the next two years, I worked closely with students and colleagues at the Department of Sinology, Göttingen University. Looking back through my old teaching journals, I can still vividly recall the sound of church bells, the medieval streets, the cherry blossom avenue leading to the campus, and finally the grand Culture Center where our stories began.

Making the Most of a Workbook

At Göttingen, Chinese language teaching followed a very mature system. The main beginner’s textbook was Integrated Chinese, supported by a workbook. Local teachers introduced grammar and texts in German on Mondays, while Chinese instructors like me conducted small-group seminars in Chinese Tuesday to Thursday. By Thursday, however, students’ energy would run low. That’s when we used the workbook for lighter practice.

But I soon asked myself: could workbook practice be more interactive, fun, and valuable?

I redesigned the workbook use completely:

• Listening → Speaking & Translating: After regular listening tasks, students retold dialogues in narrative form, then translated orally.
• Reading → Listening & Discussion: I pre-recorded the texts, covered the written part, and turned comprehension into listening exercises. Afterward, students uncovered the text for reading aloud and group discussion.
• Writing → Collaboration: Instead of fearing writing, students first co-created paragraphs in class, then polished individual essays after.
• Translation & Characters → Self-study + Q&A: Students prepared at home, we used class time only for problem-solving.

This approach required more prep from me (like recording audio), but the results were amazing. Students said Thursday became their favorite class of the week. My “small reform” was later adopted widely in the department. Before leaving Göttingen, I even recorded audio versions of all workbook readings for future teachers.

Taking Over a “Difficult” Class

One day I was asked to replace a colleague mid-semester for a class infamous as “hard to handle.” When I entered, students were on their phones, chatting, even drinking coffee. No one looked up.

I had two choices: keep my distance and blame the students, or break the ice and try to win them over. I chose the second.

Instead of routine reading, I divided students into groups to read, translate, and explain sentences together. The room quickly filled with Chinese and German voices, laughter, and debates. Step by step, I redirected their energy into learning. By the end, even the most distracted students were engaged. Another teacher who had been observing later told me, “I can’t believe this is the same class. You completely turned them around.”

That day I truly learned: there are no “bad students,” only teachers who haven’t yet found the right approach.

Playing It Real: A Job Fair Role-Play

In oral classes, I often encouraged students to “play for real.” Once, our topic was job interviews. Instead of just reading the dialogues, we staged a real job fair. Four students acted as the HR team of a company, while others competed as candidates. Everyone had to prepare questions, résumés, and answers in Chinese.

During the “interview,” the atmosphere became surprisingly authentic. One girl with banking experience impressed the panel and got “hired.” The others sincerely congratulated her. Afterward, we reflected together on language strengths and weaknesses. The whole class flew by, and the students told me: “This is the most fun lesson we’ve ever had!”

When Simple Words Are Enough

Sometimes, students got stuck searching for advanced vocabulary. For example, Christoph wanted to explain the German Easter tradition of painting eggs and hiding them, but couldn’t find the right words. I reminded him: “You can just say draw on eggs and put them in a place for others to find.”

Everyone laughed — they realized even basic Chinese could express complex ideas. Later we repeated the sentences with the new words 彩蛋 (painted egg) and 藏 (to hide). It reinforced my teaching philosophy: oral Chinese doesn’t need endless new words. What matters is using limited vocabulary freely, accurately, and vividly.

The Turkish Student Who Wouldn’t Give Up

Among all my students, Y — a Turkish student — left the deepest impression. In his first year, he dropped out due to too much part-time work. In his second year, he restarted from beginner’s level, but often showed off, frustrating classmates.

I quietly adjusted the seating and speaking order so he couldn’t dominate. I also redirected his interruptions into group discussions, while giving him harder questions to challenge his ability. Slowly, classmates’ attitudes softened. Over time, I realized his “showing off” came from insecurity. Despite his struggles, he truly loved Chinese.

Before I left Göttingen, Y waited for me after class. With tears in his eyes, he said: “Teacher, you are the best Chinese teacher I’ve ever had. I don’t want you to leave for Beijing.” That moment touched me deeply. We hugged goodbye — teacher and student, but also friends.

Conclusion

My two years in Göttingen gave me far more than teaching experience. They shattered stereotypes about German students and let me experience the warmth of an international academic community. Together with colleagues from Germany, China, and Taiwan, we built not only classrooms but also bridges of friendship.

Chinese language education in Germany is vibrant and evolving, and Göttingen University stands at its forefront. Though I’ve returned to China, I believe the bells of the Jacobi Church still ring above students walking the cherry blossom path, carrying forward the mission of international Chinese education.