Trent Kalisch-Smith
I studied an Engineering/Arts dual degree at UQ in which I majored in Software and Chinese. I went overseas twice during my degree to further my Chinese study. My Chinese journey actually started in High School when I complained to my mum that German was boring and I wanted to change. Naturally since then I have found many better reasons to study Chinese.
After High School I continued studying Chinese partly because by then I had forgotten all of my German which I found quite embarrassing, but also because some of my friends also joined in. We thought that because we had done High School Chinese that we would easily settle into the accelerated Chinese program which quickly felt like a big mistake... but now I realise wasn't.
In my second year I missed out on a couple of scholarship opportunities and instead decided at the last minute to go on a self funded exchange to a university in Taiwan for three months (which one can actually afford on student wages). During that time, my language skills and confidence in speaking the language grew dramatically and I discovered an Asian side to me that must have been lying dormant because Chinese suddenly had become a pleasure to learn rather than a chore.
In 2010, the Confucius Institute was launched and that year I was awarded a scholarship from them to study in China at Tianjin University for one month. I went with a group of 15 other students where we were given classes on Chinese culture and language every day. We also had the chance to see many sites such as preserved traditional estates, museums and the Great Wall of China.
The most enjoyable experience that I had in China was getting to meet other students, learning about their culture and introducing them to Australian culture, all without using English. It has taken me almost 10 years for my Chinese ability to reach a level where I can comfortably hold a full conversation but looking back now, the journey has been worthwhile and a lot of fun. Having said that though, I still often feel that this journey is still only beginning...
Taking the level 4 and 5 HSK proficiency exam offered by the Confucius Institute provided an excellent way of determining where I am currently in this journey and has made me realise how far I have come since beginning in High School.
The Confucius Institute has been a great help to me during my degree and I hope that all Chinese students will benefit from it.
