Hawken Junior Spends Semester in China

Stephen Hopkins `11 at Hawken School, left for China on February 25th, 2010 to participate in the National Security Language Institute`s (NSLI) program designed to identify high schoolers who had an interest in learning languages considered key to the United States` future. Stephen is one of seven students nationwide who was selected to go to China for the Spring semester, which began right after the Chinese New Year and runs through the end of July. He is attending Middle School No. 42 (the Chinese equivalent of high school) in an industrial city, Shijiazhuang, which is about an hour outside of Beijing. Stephen`s interest in Mandarin began a couple of years ago, under Hawken teacher Mr. Chen. Stephen first visited China last summer, when he attended a program sponsored by the Confucius Institute and the Hanban organization. He and 200 other students from around the US visited Beijing and several other sites in a cultural experience program designed to assist US and British students in their understanding of China, its people and its culture. Stephen return from that visit enthusiastic about his Chinese studies and was encouraged to apply the for NSLI program (which is sponsored by the US State Department). After several interviews, he was excited to learn that he accepted into the program and was headed to China to study Mandarin and live with a host family. While being away from friends and family for over five months was a daunting challenge, he was eager to live and study in China. After a three day orientation in Los Angeles and Beijing, an 18 hour flight, and a two hour train ride, Stephen met his host family-a mother, father, younger brother and two grandparents who all reside in an apartment in Shijiazhuang. The family opened their home to Stephen, providing him with a room, meals, a bicycle and the opportunity to practice his Mandarin and help his host brother with English. Although the language barriers do present a difficulty in such basic issues as what and how much he wants to eat, he desribes his host family as very kind and caring. Stephen is thoroughly enjoying his experience in China, despite some disappointments. First, the school curriculum is conducted completely in Mandarin, so there is little to learn except for the four-hour Mandarin class he has each day. Second, Stephen, who is on the Hawken soccer team, had hoped to find a soccer team to play on. That has not happened, so he joined a gym and spends a lot of time running and lifting weights in preparation for the upcoming Hawken soccer season. Stephen was also the victim of a mugging while returning home one evening, but fortunately his quick thinking and his willingness to give up the money in his wallet averted any additional problems. Stephen`s language skills are improving very nicely according to a recent language evaluation he underwent in Beijing. Last weekend, he and the other NSLI student took a "sleeper" train on a twenty hour journey to Shanghai to participate in the World Expo and to tour the famous sites in Shanghai, including the very modern "Bund" with its outstanding architecture and the Jade Temple, a famous Buddhist site. Currently about half through the program, Stephen is enjoying the Chinese people and the interaction with them on a day to day basis, but he is looking forward to coming home to eat Mexican food, play soccer and link into Facebook, which is banned by the Chinese government. If you would like to know more about Stephen`s experiences, you can follow him at www.steveinchina.weebly.com.