News

Chinese Exchange Program Flourishes

St. Louis University High School recently welcomed four students from Nanjing, China to study at the school for the second semester. This year marks the eleventh year of SLUH's partnership with the Nanjing Foreign Language School, the premier school in Nanjing. Students from both schools have benefited from this collaboration through a unique cultural learning experience.

The Chinese students – known in America as Eddie Chen, Ariel Zhou, Amelia Wang and Fred Zhu – are staying with SLUH families through the end of the school year. They will be taking a full load of coursework that spans the spectrum of subjects.

According to Dr. Ching-Ling Tai, who began teaching Chinese at SLUH in 1987, "Nanjing students are well adjusted to SLUH life. They receive so much care and love shown by teachers, classmates and host families.

"Their American experience is way beyond classroom and textbooks. It is people-to-people cultural exchange and enrichment. The exchange program has generated much interest and understanding of another culture. It has fostered friendships and bonds that transcend nationality."

Dr. Tai has been instrumental in cultivating SLUH's relationship with China. Last school year, she created a scholarship dedicated to furthering cultural learning for SLUH students in China.

SLUH's strong tradition in the foreign language department is punctuated by a highly knowledgeable and committed faculty, as well as diverse offerings that include French, Greek, Latin, Russian and Spanish, in addition to Chinese.