Zhang Zhifan: The Silk Road is long and the knowledge is profound

Reporters Zhu Yuxin Liang Bingjian

The Greek Department of the w88 casino started recruiting students in 2016. Today, the first batch of students are about to graduate, and Zhang Zhifan is one of the leaders. She got excellent grades in all subjects and obtained a B2 Greek language certificate in her junior year. She received a scholarship from the China Scholarship Council and went to Greece as an exchange student. She was named an outstanding student in 2019 by the University of International w88 and Economics. Even during the epidemic, she was not "at a loss" at all. She tried her best to use her time at home to enrich her studies according to the planned plan.In addition to preparing for graduation and the future, I am also studying online for minor courses. She said, "Plan well,Do what is most beneficial to you now, look forward, think and practice together.”

Search high and low, and become better at learning through diligence

At the 2019 Outstanding Student Award Ceremony, Zhang Zhifan shared his experience when he first entered w88 casino in his speech. In order to learn the iconic Greek tongue sound, she would hold a mouthful of water and tilt her head to feel it. It took her two months to finally master it. The coursework in the Greek department is heavy, and mastering more than fifty conjugations of verbs is a time-consuming task. The improvement of language proficiency also depends on slowly polishing it with texts and vocabulary every day. She also shed tears during the first foreign teacher class, "I didn't expect it would be so difficult."

Zhang Zhifan realized that she had underestimated the difficulty of Greek shortly after enrolling in w88 casino. Although she was determined to learn a language, she still faced many difficulties. In addition to the complex vocabulary and exquisite grammar of Greek itself, she believes that the biggest challenge comes from thinking and habits. Zhang Zhifan said that the first challenge she encountered when she was a freshman was to abandon the test-oriented mentality and look at language learning again. The ultimate goal of language learning is to use it, not to blindly focus on the grammar and vocabulary required for exams. She gradually realized that aspects such as listening and speaking that are relatively less valued in exam-oriented education are equally important. “If you study for the sake of application, you will be less tired, more interested and work harder,” she concluded. Study habits are also one of the challenges for freshman Zhang Zhifan. For the texts in the book, she created her own learning method of "reading, memorizing, listening and translating", and carefully considered each text over and over again. She believes that autonomous learning at university not only means self-monitoring, but also means focusing on choosing a learning method that suits you.

“It depends on the law, and it depends on it.” Zhang Zhifan chose to use these eight words to describe language learning. On the one hand, she believes that the goal of "for use" is higher than "for exams", and high goals can bring high levels. On the other hand, language learning requires day-to-day hard work and self-discipline standards. Zhang Zhifan also chose to "follow the law."

A foreign country with clear aspirations, coming and going is no longer what it was yesterday

In his junior year, Zhang Zhifan got the opportunity to go abroad for exchange. Athens is more than 7,600 kilometers away from Beijing. On the other side of the world, in this city whose official language is Greek, there are opportunities for Zhang Zhifan to put his chemistry to use. She visited classes and YouTube websites, collected local language textbooks and other written materials, and immersed herself in the full Greek language environment. When asked what she would like to say to her fellow students about studying abroad, she repeatedly emphasized "seize the opportunity."

On New Year's Eve, the Chinese Embassy in Greece held cultural activities such as Happy Chinese Year, and Zhang Zhifan and his companions were invited to assist in volunteer translation. In the Athens Art District that winter, she taught guests to learn Chinese and introduced Chinese culture to the Greeks... She also participated in many similar social practices. In the practice of using chemistry again and again, she felt that simple chatting and communication were different.

When the reporter expressed doubts about this, she told a story from the past. In the New Year of 2019, "China and West Times" held a New Year's performance in Athens and invited children from local martial arts schools to participate in the event. However, many people's schedules conflicted with the performance plan. At that time, she was working as a teaching assistant at a martial arts w88 casino. In order to solve the problem of time conflict, she persuaded the parents of the children to cherish the performance opportunity, while negotiating with the organizers of the event. Communication between the two ends finally led to the martial arts w88 casino's program being put on the stage of the New Year's performance.

"Chat is just about expressing opinions, communication is not. When we serve as a link between two parties, we must not only express our feelings, but also find ways to resolve conflicts and contribute to the solution of problems," she explained.

Before studying abroad, Zhang Zhifan tried to take the Greek language proficiency B2 level exam to no avail. After returning to China, he passed the exam with excellent results. During her studies abroad, in addition to two Greek language courses, she also had two economics courses taught in Greek. This kind of course design allowed Zhang Zhifan to be exposed to Greek in many aspects. At the same time, her interaction with local people also allowed her language level to improve quietly during this year.

In addition to the improvement in Greek, the biggest gain for Zhang Zhifan from studying abroad is the improvement of his personality. Zhang Zhifan recalled that she was once a very introverted person, but the enthusiasm of the local people infected her during her study abroad period, which helped her overcome the language difficulty and her personality became much more cheerful. She had no shortage of friends in Athens. Sometimes she walked with a group of people on the street. Boys and girls from China and Greece mingled together, talking about everything from their childhood to the present. Looking back today, Zhang Zhifan still had a smile in his tone.

Behind the joy of studying abroad, there are also difficulties. The first thing that appeared was the discomfort in eating habits, and the growing feeling of homesickness. If Zhang Zhifan's Chinese stomach can still be comforted by Zhou Heiya and Haidilao in Athens, then the language barrier is undoubtedly a greater challenge. Although he is a Greek language student, Zhang Zhifan feels that he has only learned a little bit in the past two years, and initially communicates with local people through English and "sign language." Under the pressure of urgent communication, Zhang Zhifan thought of the foreign teachers who helped her find a place to live in Athens, the professional teachers who gave her all kinds of help, and the long-term preparations before studying abroad. Feeling deeply that he could not let down others and his own efforts, Zhang Zhifan devoted himself to learning Greek. One year later, he finally achieved success.

Since his first choice was Japanese, Zhang Zhifan had no interest in this language when he was first transferred to the Greek department. However, during one year of studying abroad, she felt that her friends in Greece were not only close to herself, but also close to her motherland, and she gradually developed a good impression of this country. At the same time, she learned about China’s strategic demand for Greek-speaking talents and studied harder with the hope of making a difference. She said that she really began to understand Greece during her junior year of study abroad, and established her ambition to pursue Greek as a lifelong career.

In the current epidemic situation, don’t be afraid of pressure and plan smartly

Zhang Zhifan is very concerned about the emerging wave of epidemics in the world, which is not only related to the life safety of people around the world, but also affects everyone's future plans. Although she faced the pressure of canceled exams and graduation projects, she said she was very lucky. Before the vacation, she had an interview with her supervisor about the content of her thesis. The special period did not make her give up her pursuit of high-quality graduation thesis. Many in-depth communications with foreign teachers allowed her to find a spark in the originally chaotic thesis. In the end, Zhang Zhifan chose a very practical thesis direction based on his own major, future career development direction and minor major. The clear direction makes her search for materials more purposeful, and topics that are interesting and helpful for her career development make her very motivated. She assigns a small task for herself every day, and adjusts the plan based on the progress. Everything is carried out in an orderly manner according to the plan. At the same time, out of considerations of energy allocation and career direction, she decided to convert her double major into a minor last semester. “The workload of a paper gives me time to read the literature carefully and draw pioneering conclusions.”

Although Zhang Zhifan planned to go to Greece in September to pursue graduate studies, she had to make two preparations in the face of the unpredictable COVID-19 global epidemic. Currently, Zhang Zhifan is still in the process of looking for an internship, and she has made two plans for herself. The first plan is to enter the foreign affairs department of a state-owned enterprise with a Greek major. However, because the language is too small, the positions available each year are very limited. Experience tells her that the current economic situation is likely to provide very limited positions in the next one to two years. Therefore, she thought of plan two - to work in an Internet company. She said that an entrepreneurial competition and practice she participated in during her sophomore year, as well as the seniors on the same team, gave her great inspiration and encouragement on this career path. Since the target position she chose was a product manager with a relatively high threshold and required relevant works, she was preparing relevant skills and knowledge while looking for an internship.

During the epidemic, in addition to preparing for graduation and the future, Zhang Zhifan was also studying online for his minor courses. Arranging classes, writing papers, and finding internships at the same time did not make her overwhelmed. Instead, she truly felt the importance of planning and goals. She prioritized tasks and completed her final four-year journey step by step.

Chasing dreams along the Silk Road, moving forward bravely with what you love

Facing the upcoming graduation, Zhang Zhifan has his own plan. Currently, she has successfully applied for a graduate degree in Greece and will continue her studies in business in Greece. Regarding the reasons for this choice, Zhang Zhifan had two profound considerations. Although she loves the Greek major she is studying very much, considering the narrow employment prospects of a single language major, studying business in Greece not only allows her to continue her studies in a cultural atmosphere she likes, ensuring that her Greek language skills do not deteriorate, she can also be exposed to more aspects of knowledge, develop into a comprehensive talent, and create more possibilities for herself. Facing the possibility of the future, Zhang Zhifan is worried but also confident. Today, China-Greece relations are improving all the way, and more outstanding talents are needed to work hard and move forward courageously in connecting the two ancient countries of Europe and Asia. She firmly believes that she can achieve great results in her ideal foreign affairs job, and while achieving her own success, she will contribute to the country’s “One Belt, One Road” construction.

In addition, Zhang Zhifan also put forward some suggestions based on his own experience and language learning experience for junior students who are struggling with language learning and future choices. Zhang Zhifan said that language learning must be done with the purpose of learning for use in order to truly master a language. Abandoning the test-oriented mentality is the biggest challenge in learning a new language. Insert language learning into your daily life and learn a little bit every day to ensure that you are not unfamiliar and reach the level of habitual use. In addition, the purpose of language is communication. If you seize the opportunity to communicate with local people or go abroad for exchange, and invade yourself into the language environment, the learning efficiency will be greatly improved.

Faced with future planning, Zhang Zhifan said that the most important thing is to accumulate more and practice more. Based on her experience of being uneasy when she first entered the Greek major, and finally overcoming her worries and turning Greek into her own interest, she tells us that in the face of the cruelty of reality and the confusion of the future, we must constantly question and analyze ourselves, consider both objective and subjective considerations, and plan our own timeline. Even if you can't find the direction for a while, don't be impatient. The future will not be achieved overnight. Do what is most beneficial to you now. At the same time, look forward and think and practice together.

Use dreams as horses, seek and pursue. Find lifelong ideals in difficulties and see a bright future while moving forward. Zhang Zhifan’s use of Greek to connect his future with the strategic development of the country will eventually add a trace of the w88 Master to the development of China-Greece relations.