To build a bridge for cultural exchange between Chinese and international students, the first session of Jilin International Studies University’s “Bridge to the World” Chinese-Foreign Real Person Reading Sharing Event was recently held, co-hosted by the Library and the School of International Exchanges. More than 40 students participated. Venezuelan student Song En, under the title My Study Abroad Story, shared in Chinese his interesting experiences and personal growth during his studies at Jilin International Studies University, and introduced Venezuela’s national history, folk customs, traditional festivals, and signature cuisine, giving the audience a vivid taste of exotic culture.
Venezuelan international student Song En sharing
My Story, Your Eyes - A Venezuelan Student’s “Human Book” Journey
My name is Song En, and I come from faraway Venezuela. I am now a postgraduate student at the School of International Commerce in Jilin International Studies University. If you ask me what the luckiest thing in the past few years has been, I would not hesitate to say: coming to China, coming to Jilin International Studies University.
At this special event - the “Bridge to the World” Chinese-Foreign Real Person Reading Sharing Event - I became the first “Human Book” in the library of Jilin International Studies University, sharing My Study Abroad Story with everyone.
From Caracas to Changchun
My hometown is Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. There are old colonial buildings there, as well as bustling modern streets. As an undergraduate, I majored in International Relations and also began learning Chinese and English. I have always believed that language is a bridge connecting the world.
Later, I received the Chinese Government Scholarship and came to Jilin International Studies University to pursue a Master’s degree in International Business. I chose this university because of its “specialty + foreign language” training model, its multicultural environment, and also because Changchun is a quiet and welcoming city. Everything here made me feel: I came to the right place.
How a “Human Book” Opens
On the day of the event, I shared with my classmates in Chinese my experience of learning Chinese, my daily life in Changchun, and also introduced Venezuela’s history, etiquette, festivals, and cuisine - for example, our national dish, Arepa. What touched me most was that the students were full of curiosity about my story: some asked me how Venezuelan coffee differs from Chinese coffee, some asked me to teach them authentic Spanish expressions, and others shared their own travel experiences in Latin America.
At that moment, I realized that different languages are not a barrier; what truly matters is our willingness to listen to one another.
Song En sharing about his study life in China
From “Hello” to “I Get It”
Besides sharing, we also played many interactive games, such as “Describe and Guess”, “Make a Sentence with Three Words”, and “Name Things in Categories”. We cooperated with laughter during the games, and communicated through the friendly competition. Together with my Chinese classmates, I tried hard to express myself, listened carefully, and then we all laughed together.
That feeling was like we had jointly completed a journey across languages - from “Hello” all the way to “I get it”.
A Book Still Being Written
The event is over, but my story continues. Every day at Jilin International Studies University, I am growing, learning, and meeting new friends. In the future, I hope to have more opportunities, as a “Human Book”, to share my country and my experiences, and also to listen to more people’s stories.
If you are willing, we can sit down and chat together in the library, in the classroom, or on some corner of the campus. You will find that the world is actually quite small, and the distance between hearts is not that far either.
Thank you to everyone who has “opened” the book that is me.
Song En posing for a joyful group photo with teachers and students at the “Bridge to the World” Chinese-Foreign Real Person Reading Sharing Event
Source: Library
