Oriental languages at Hogeschool Zuyd: Keeping up with change
As globalisation increases, so does the need for people to express themselves in foreign languages.
Today, for example, China’s borders are more open than ever before, and more and more Westerners conduct business in Japan.
The evolution of the Hogeschool Zuyd of Maastricht is a reflection of this ever-changing landscape. The school consists of two departments: the first is a program of translation and interpretation, which includes the study of French, German, English and Spanish. (It also offered Italian, Portuguese and Russian, but due to lack of students, these languages will no longer be offered as of this year).
The second is the department of Oriental Languages and Communication, which offers Chinese, Japanese and Arabic. According to Jos Hu, the director of the department of Oriental Languages, in order to remain competitive, the department had to adapt to the market’s ever-changing needs.
In the beginning, the languages were taught in a more academic way. Students had to be able to translate medical and law texts from, say, Chinese to English and vice-versa. “Now, we recognise that students have a greater need for a more practical or colloquial use of the language.”
Therefore, the program has shifted its emphasis and now trains its students to becoming intermediaries for business circles.
Valuable exchange
Although his father is Chinese, Hu was born and reared in the Netherlands, and did not begin to learn the Chinese language until he was 18. He studied at the Sinology Institute in Leiden, and in 1985 came to Maastricht to start the Chinese section at the Hogeschool Zuyd.
Hu now recognises the importance of cultivating relations with China. Professors from the Beijing Polytechnic University are often invited to lecture in Maastricht.
And third year students of the Hogeschool are sent to Beijing for a semester. “Those exchanges are invaluable,” says Hu. “The Chinese language evolves constantly, and if you cannot stay in touch with colleagues over there, your knowledge of the language will quickly become obsolete.”
Moreover, at least as important as learning the language, is learning the social codes of conduct of Chinese society. Hu laughs: “When our Dutch students come to China, they have to learn how to avoid certain faux-pas when dealing with their Chinese counterparts. For example, being direct and abrupt is considered rude in China. So if they must contradict someone, they should learn to do it without offending them.”
Therefore, in the future, the department will also teach courses in Chinese culture and behaviour, and will try to increase exchanges between China and the Netherlands.
Source: Crossroads print issue, December 2001
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