Positive Reinforcement

Ni hao!
Before leaving for China, I'd read a few books that said China is a gift-giving culture. So, I contacted different departments on the University of Utah campus to see if they would be willing to donate small items for me to give away as a token of 'Thanks' and friendship. I received free ball caps, buttons, lapel pins, pens, calculators, bags and books from departments on campus, and Utah Jazz keychains from the Salt Lake NBA team. Fortunately for me, crimson red is Utah's school color and a very important color in Chinese culture, and basketball turns out to be the universal language, so the gifts are a perfect match.

During the first week of classes, I quickly realized that the students are so concerned about "saving face," that I can hardly get them to volunteer to talk during group discussions, or volunteer to be the first to give the daily "impromptu" speech. So, to overcome the inertia, I've now begun to reward risk-taking behavior by letting those who volunteer first to choose one of the small gifts I have with me. The pens and ball caps are a hit, but the Jazz keychains are definitely the most popular. One guy absolutely gushed about what a fan he is of the Utah Jazz. This is actually a surprise considering that Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets is one of the most famous and popular Chinese celebrities.

The students are so expressive and full of emotion, once we get past the student/teacher subservience barrier. When I announce to the class that the volunteers will get a gift, there's always an "oooooh" from the class. And when the students come up to select their gift, there's often a spontaneous applause, too.

I've taken a photo of some of the students with their gifts. I'll see what we can do to get it (and others) posted onto the blog.

Zai jian.