Yueming Yu
Teaching Professor Emeritus and Coordinator of Chinese Studies
Bio
I have been a foreign language professor for the greatest part of my adult life. I like teaching. I find teaching a very exciting profession, especially in the teaching of a foreign language. I have taught Chinese students English and also taught non-Chinese-speaking students Chinese. In addition to helping students master all the skills necessary in the use of the new language, I have also been leading them into a totally new world in which they get acquainted with different societies and cultures. This new world has been fascinating, and sometimes mysterious to them. To be able to play a part in broadening their minds in looking at the world around them has been the most rewarding aspect of my professional life.
I like students. They are young and full of vitality. They have different thoughts and feelings. A good understanding of them and love for them are essential to the success of teaching. I place high expectations on my students, but at the same time, I want to become their friends. Although I was very much brought up in a society whose tradition it is to emphasize "teacher dignity", my own experience has taught me that genuine dignity can be achieved only when students see my dedication to my work, the effectiveness in my teaching and my sincerity to my students. A teacher is also a role model in a student’s life.