Phillip Nguyen (‘28), an East Asian Languages and Civilizations major, studied Mandarin Chinese through the Princeton in Beijing (PiB) program. His language training experience was supported by the University Scholars program and mentored by Professor Chih-jen Lee (Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations).
Last spring, while taking Professor Christopher Atwood’s Penn Global Seminar on Mongolian history, I learned how the Chinese government uses policies to pressure the Mongol minority group in northern China to use “Putonghua” (Standard Mandarin Chinese) instead of Mongolian. From this course, I became interested in the history of Chinese language policy. However, to analyze primary source documents and conduct research in this area, I needed to be able to fluently read Chinese.
With the support of University Scholars, I studied Mandarin Chinese through the Princeton in Beijing (PiB) program, held at Beijing Normal University. Known for its rigor, the program enabled me to complete two semesters of Chinese (equivalent to Penn’s CHIN 0500–0600) in just eight weeks. Under the PiB Language Pledge, I spoke only in Chinese for the duration of the program.
On an average day, I spent two hours in small-group lectures, an hour completing grammar and pronunciation drills, an hour doing debate or oral presentations, and another couple of hours being tutored one-on-one by a teacher. We were frequently assessed through vocabulary quizzes, typed essays, oral reports, and written exams. Teachers consistently offered feedback and corrections within and outside classrooms, including on the sidewalk at midnight once!
My language training culminated with Tsinghua University’s Chinese speech competition for U.S. college students. We were prompted to share our most unforgettable experience in China. I worked with my teachers over several weeks to craft and rehearse my speech, and I took an unconventional approach to the prompt. Instead of speaking on a single moment, I used multiple instances of being mistaken by locals for someone from southern China because of my accent. In taking this approach, I showed how language standardization likely encouraged the creation of stereotypes about different regional dialect speakers and was awarded first place.
By relating my speech to my intellectual interests, I learned vocabulary specific to language policy but also heard the perspectives of my teachers and other native Chinese people. Before travelling to China, I believed that the emphasis on speaking Putonghua was solely reflected in government-imposed legislation. However, after discussing with my teachers what it means to speak standard Chinese, I wondered how pedagogical methods – for example, constant pronunciation corrections – might promote standardization to the detriment of regional dialects.
This led me to question how language pedagogy might fit into a broader inquiry into Chinese language reform during the early 20th century. I’ve discussed the relationship between language pedagogy and early 20th-century language reform with Professor Chloe Estep, my Intro to East Asia: China instructor, and am currently conducting a comprehensive literature review in preparation for independent study. Currently, I’m seeking to close the knowledge gap in language reform and explore potential research questions by reviewing relevant literature that Professor Estep suggested, including a book on the intersection between politics and pedagogy.
Left: Phillip participating in the 2025 Tsinghua University Chinese speech competition for U.S. college students in Beijing.
Right: An instructor’s feedback on pronunciation and grammar following a weekly oral exam.
While improving my Chinese language proficiency was my primary goal, I also became more confident and willing to take risks. Arriving in Beijing with limitations in my Chinese language skills and knowing no one in my program, I was outside of my comfort zone. I was afraid to make mistakes; I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my classmates.
My classmates from Princeton, Yale, and Harvard were in the same boat. Since we were only allowed to speak Chinese, many of us were anxious about misspeaking. We all took a giant leap of faith together; we did our best to converse only in Chinese, navigate cultural differences, and transcend language barriers to understand each other. The speech competition in which I participated is a testament to this effort; by leaving my comfort zone and competing, I became a more confident and determined individual.
Throughout my language training experience, I befriended and discussed my research interests with many of my classmates and teachers, many of whom are studying East Asian area studies, history, or linguistics. They are my future colleagues to whom I can turn for advice and support as I continue on my own research journey. In addition, by overcoming the language barrier to communicate with people and share my ideas, I found that scholarly exchange can bridge global differences even amid political tensions.
Interested in learning more about University Scholars? View other UScholars research experiences on our Student News page!
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