USU Chinese language and communications club hosts Chinese New Year show

The Chinese language program and the Chinese Language and Communications Club will be hosting their 9th annual Chinese New Year event tomorrow, Feb. 9 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Eccles Conference Center Auditorium 216.

Nine years ago, professor Ko-Yin Sung began teaching at Utah State University, and invited a small group of Taiwanese pre-service teachers to visit the Chinese program at Utah State for two weeks.

The teachers brought Chinese authentic cultural items to show and teach USU students more about them and how to use them. At the end of the visit, the Chinese language program students and the Chinese Language and Communications Club decided to put on a show.

“The students showcased the Chinese Language and cultural knowledge our students learned from the Taiwanese students,” Sung said. “The show was a success, with our students doing the the lion dance, a cloth puppet show, a Chinese fan dance, a drama of the origin of Chinese New Year, Chinese yoyo and Chinese singing and dancing.”

Because of their successes, the Chinese program continues to annually host the event, attracting a full house year after year.

“The main purposes were for the pre-service teachers to be directly involved with language learners to gain hands-on teaching experiences, and for American students to have the opportunity for intercultural communication,” Sung said.

The local community is also often involved in the culmination of this event.

Tomorrow’s celebration will include performers from the USU Chinese Language Program, students from the Chinese club, 1st grade Chinese dual language classes at Cedar Ridge Elementary, the instructor from the Chinese school and students from Logan Chinese school.

The festivities will include a lion dance, theatrical drama, singing, dancing, Chinese games and Chinese yo-yo.

“This is a fun event appropriate for students and families of all ages to attend. The audience will enjoy watching a variety of shows we put on, and learn a little bit of Chinese language and culture,” Sung said.

Come hungry, because the event will also include a free food tasting of Chinese food from the local Taiwanese restaurant, Royal Express at 7:30 p.m. at the conclusion of the program.

—kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu

@kortniwells