JOURNEY TO THE EAST

     Veda Vaidyanathan, Reasearch Scholar Mumbai University

  Harvard Yanqing Scholarship winner for China-African economic studies

Learning Chinese is complex as it is graceful, the language is not bound by strict grammar that smothers, but instead with structures that are logical and comprehensible. Sentences are bound together by words from a vast vocabulary, where tones determine the meaning. The oft used example is of the word ‘ma’, which has an array of meanings such as ‘mother’, ‘to bother’, ‘horse’ or ‘to scold’, depending on whether it is pronounced in the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th tones respectively. The written forms of the words themselves have evolved from pictograms of ancient China. These elaborate characters are made up of several strokes which have to be written in the correct stroke order.

The language has incredible depth and history that it can only be learnt in layers, uncovering one before heading to the next and the whole process can be perceived as a linguistic adventure. The romanticism associated to the language, however, does not in any measure discount the sheer hours that need to be put in, to memorize the hanzi (characters) and learn the extensive vocabulary and of course, training the ears to catch the tones. 

In the last two decades, there has been a surge in the number of people wanting to learn Chinese across the world. Considering China’s geopolitical standing, its economic powers and its sheer population, it naturally becomes one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. To cater to this increasing demand and to create the demand in places it did not previously exist, the Chinese Government as a part of its soft power projection has set up over 480 Confucius institutes worldwide as of 2014.

In India although universities have had schools for Chinese language Studies, it is no longer exclusive to a particular domain. With Sino-Indian trade reaching 100 billion US dollars in 2015, the Mandarin-learning frenzy has caught on among Indian corporates, entrepreneurs and students as well. There are several private institutes across the country catering to this. One among these is the Yeh China Institute in Mumbai, run by Mrs. Usha Sahoo and her team. It is one of the first institutes in the city that recognized this demand and created a network of teachers and language trainers that not only helped students learn the language, but also encouraged them to give examinations such as HSK and YCT that provide internationally recognized certificates. For students who approach Mrs. Sahoo with a very specific syllabus and a precise time table, she goes out of her way to ensure that they have access to the best language teachers and constantly check in on their progress. Having been a student of this institute, the dedication of its staff and the learning environment it creates is something I can vouch for. As Federico Fellini famously said ‘A different language is a different vision of life’- Yeh China helps you build that vision.

http://www.yehchina.com/

       

Namaste to Nihao, India Mastering Mandarin

Namaste to Nihao, India mastering Mandarin
By Archita Arun

When I lived in Mumbai, I remember attending various language sessions, where many startup founders were working on traversing boundaries and bringing countries closer. They were either funded organizations or had previous work experience or both. It struck me that, for a new startup founder to enter such a competitive arena would not be an easy task.

However, a year down the line, I was proved wrong. An explorer and dreamer lived in the block right next to mine and she was a woman of vision. Of the many talks I remember having with her, this was an endeavor she walked before talking about. And, she knew exactly what she was doing, be it while setting up or heading the project. She says, “I, along with 4 team members, took almost 4 months to conceptualize, illustrate and edit the books to be print ready. I realized that working with the young generation is fun and they have many great ideas.”

When I came to learn about this venture, I found it seemingly unique. Yes, bringing Mandarin to India had been done before, but on a scale where the learning process was taken to a whole new level? Not really. The passion was admirable, and it was justified: the woman leading knew exactly what she was doing. I was highly intrigued by this thought and vision, and took to interviewing Ms. Usha Sahoo herself, asking her what this venture means to her and how it came to be from a simple idea to a platform for thirty  Chinese teachers  to use their skill and impart knowledge. Below are a few tips and excerpts from the conversation she most enthusiastically agreed to have.

How the startup came to be….

The objective of an entrepreneur is to create opportunities for people . With this motto in mind, I decided to create something of my own, involving people I wished to help out. As we all know " with the growth in bilateral trade between India and China in last few years ,both the countries identify the business opportunity in the small and medium enterprises(SMEs) segment across wide range of sectors from agricultural products to textiles and machinery. The prime objective of Yeh China to eliminate the language barrier and making the new entrepreneurs speak basic level of Mandarin Chinese after enrolling  for our courses.

 The tale of two countries- India and China…

When I am asked, “Why Chinese?” I often respond with a global viewpoint. The world is developing, and so are the people inhabiting it. Today, we all are learners, and anything new fascinates and grabs our attention. Whether you are a student or an executive, a homemaker or a workingwoman, Chinese is a language that opens doors. To a new culture and skill set, both of which are immensely important for survival in this ever-developing global community.

Any language has the power to connect, and Chinese has been a modern language for decades now. Look at these two economies, India and China. They have been doing business for years with us, and yet, we fail to learn a language that could potentially remove any barriers in between. The importance and necessity of Chinese for these executives and businessmen today and global leaders tomorrow is indisputable.

To educate young minds of our country, we must not only teach them how to find the speed of an object projected horizontally or the derivative of a function, but also develop certain motor and cognitive skills among them. To know a language is to think and speak in that language, and this is one skill that always comes handy. Moreover, with the increased interest among youngsters to study abroad today, a language like Mandarin Chinese could highly benefit them for years to come.

working with the young generation is fun and they have many great
ideas. This was how kids became our target audience and we 
devoted our time and effort to making products and lesson plans
that would benefit them highly.

JOY OF TEACHING MANDARIN

Highlighting the journey involved in bring these two countries closer…

When PM of India, Mr. Narendra Modi came up with ‘Make in India’ and Skill India. Such initiatives motivated me to bring about a difference to empower individuals with Mandarin Chinese skill and Yeh China gave me a wonderful opportunity to do so. It gave me the sense of being a part of a bigger change, and we have certainly come a long way from day one. We did face a lot of challenges, namely setting up the content and books for our exclusive kids’ Chinese courses, training our teachers to follow  strict academic curriculum , But  once we had tied up with a couple of organizations and schools, we received validation to our mission and set forth to achieve more.

“I realized working with young generation is fun and they have many great ideas.”

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Taking risks and following passion…

Any endeavor comes with positive and negative aspects, and this one did too. Being one of its kind, Yeh China started off with specific targets, but taking bold steps forward has always proved beneficial for us. Today, our consumer base is varied, from young children to school goers to corporate and management executives. Anybody who develops an interest in the subject is highly encouraged to take it up and our certification has only made us more sought after. With 13 centers all across Mumbai that have specific consumers, we have tried our best to make the experience more personalized and user-friendly. Thus, any risk that we may have taken, in terms of content or uniqueness has always proved to be for the best and never let us down. Our customers’ testimony proves this fact, and the whole learning process has enhanced thanks to this mutual understanding.

Some memorable moments…

One of our greatest achievements has been our pre-school and kids Chinese courses which have been implemented by the schools of Mumbai. The books which we have written and published have also been instrumental in engaging students and providing immersive learning material. To develop a team which believes in learning and growing together. 

“Anybody who develops an interest in the subject is highly encouraged to take it up and our certification has only made us more sought after.”

Saying Ni Hao to change…

When we first launched Yeh China, it was just another idea in the market. But, today we are associated to various organizations and have a brand of our own. Despite all the highs and lows (it has been a crazy roller coaster ride!), we have managed to establish a company that is reckon with. As we grew, we were acknowledged by various high-end organizations and businesses that endorsed our classes. Through word-of-mouth, people became more aware and started looking up our courses. Soon, we had a reliable customer base and began experimenting with our courses and study material. To create material that suited the learning process we had drawn up, we created our own books that complemented our teaching methods.

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Our books are divided into levels according to the Common European Framework and Youth Chinese Test levels. We designed these books after researching various educational systems and boards like IB, IGCSE, CBSE and others.

We recently launched a book named, “Lets say Ni Hao with Gauri & Bao” and the characters in this book are suitably designed for a child to understand and enjoy the learning experience that he/she has signed up for. Ultimately, our goal has been to create a wonderful learning environment for this language and help anyone interested say Ni Hao  confidently.

As I always believe, "

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" 千里之行，始於足下,

·         We believe

•     Focus on quality and customer care to reach out to more people
•      Set up an accessible product for every consumer
•      Contribute to education and think globally. Your work must reflect your vision for the world.        Finances and money management skills must be top notch and should not be compromised upon
•       Any venture requires strong leadership and choosing the right partners is pivotal.
•        Always follow your gut instinct, do what you feel best. There is no single road to success; it is how you map it out. 
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