In China, Yale team wins CCTV debate competition
Favored to prevail, Yale’s team beats Oxford in final round contest for non-native Chinese speakers
The victory proves that Yale has the best Chinese program in the world. Period.
Sedlet, Woerner, Scharfman, Kennedy have become models for the Chinese department, the Light Fellowship, and anyone involved in strengthening Yale-China relations.
Yale beat out the rest of the world, and each member of the debate team started Chinese 115 at Yale in 2004!
Let us not let the "simplified/traditional character debate" take away from this joyous news. Go Yale!!!
I agree, Yale's CCTV debate victory should not be used as ammunition in the simplified-traditional character debate!
GO YALE (and go Branford!!!) - this is a really great moment for the University and Im glad to see some exciting AND good news in the YDN this week!
from someone outside of the Yale community - you can all be proud of the scholarship and hard work that this victory entailed...may the skills be used to promote cultural understanding and wisdom between the diverse cultures. This language skill is so important for peaceful bridge building. This is potentially bigger than which university won and raises the big questions about how to make the best use of these skills and gifts. thank you.
"The victory proves that Yale has the best Chinese program in the world. Period."
'Best' in what respect? No quotes from 'hongloumeng' please ^^
Why didn't any of the national news media pick this up in the U.S.? Since Yale competed to represent the United States, this should be seen as a victory for the "national team" in some ways.
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The victory proves that Yale's model of Chinese language instruction is better than peer universities' in the world. Yale emphasizes on listening and speaking and teaching only simplified characters in 1st and 2nd year Chinese courses. Because we do not have to spend time learning both simplified and traditional/complex characters in these courses, we are able to practice spoken Chinese more. What we can learn from this victory is that we should not blindly follow other universities' models. We should continue to learn only simplified characters in the first and second year courses and learn complex characters in third and fourth year Chinese. The victory of the debate team showcases our exemplary model of instruction to other universities.