China to Coimbatore for the sake of English

Bharathiyar University vice chancellor G Thiruvasagam with students from China
COIMBATORE: "We want to s..spe..ak escallant English when we go back home," says 24-year-old Duan Xiao Li, seated in the all-Chinese classroom on the Bharathiyar University campus.

A dozen students have made the journey from central China to western Tamil Nadu, not to learn the local language, but to pick up "goo..dh English" and acquire undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English Literature.

But why choose Bharathiyar University over the other premier English teaching institutes in the country? Because the University has unveiled a tailor-made one-year programme exclusively for Chinese students at just $3,000 a year and at a time when the demand for learning English is surging in China.

Though it was the Alagappa University in Karaikudi which first started an exclusive English teaching programme for Chinese students, Bharathiyar University is now the favoured destination,

"We have to thank Dr Abdul Kalam (former President) for it," says vice chancellor G Thiruvasagam. At the varsity's silver jubilee last year, Kalam had called for a compulsory diploma programme for all undergraduate students in the country.

The Bharathiyar University, rated among the top 10 in the country, then became the first institution in Tamil Nadu to bring in a mandatory diploma course for all its degree students. For instance, an English Literature undergraduate student here must pass a diploma course in medical transcription and BPO services to get a degree. Not just that. The University allows undergraduate students to simultaneously pursue another degree programme through distance education.

Thus, for Chinese institutions which offer a one-year degree course only after the completion of a three-year diploma programme, Bharathiyar became an "attractive option". Now, the Yun Yang Teachers College has sent its first batch of nine students for undergraduate course and three for the two-year postgraduate degree.

This June, more Chinese students will arrive on this campus. The Huai Hua University is sending about 300 students to learn English and computer networking. Also Chinese teachers and students will be visiting to learn the native martial art, silambam.

"They are highly demanding," says the vice chancellor. With the temperature turning warmer here, the Chinese students have come up with a fresh demand: air-conditioned classrooms.

"When I asked them why they need ACs when the climate is not that hot, they promptly asked me, 'if the climate is good, why do you have AC in your chamber," reveals Dr Thiruvasagam.

A postgraduate student, Xu Yin says with a giggle: "The VC is like a father to us. So we ask him anything we want." On the campus, the Chinese students are treated as the "special children" and given a one-hour break for an "afternoon nap" besides 10 minutes of leisure time between every class. They are also taught English through games and escorted by the deputy registrar even when they go to their favourite eateries.

Says the Head of the English department, Dr R Palanivel: "They are slow learners, but very systematic. They are not merely happy with understanding the content, but also want to know why and for what purpose they are being taught the lessons."