International Students And Cultural Elective Courses: Taijiquan Curriculum Design And Calligraphy Courses

This paper proposes a curriculum designed for foreign students that includes two major aspects:1. Offer regular "compulsory" elective courses for Tai Chi (Taiji Quan) and Chinese calligraphy;2. Design said two courses to be appropriate for all foreign students, regardless of language level.This paper's main viewpoint is:If one wishes to impart a positive influence from Chinese culture on foreign students, Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy are essential. The author believes foreign students in China should study Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy because:firstly, these two courses in traditional arts and in martial arts are highly representative of the culture; secondly, while studying either of the two, one can also increase one's Chinese language practice simultaneously. For better results in future educational activities, the author recommends the implementation of the following two points:1. Require that, before graduating, long-term foreign undergraduate students enroll in a semester of both Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy courses to learn the entire set moves for Twenty-Four-Step Tai Chi and to complete a work of Chinese Official Script calligraphy; in addition, every student must pass a basic knowledge test of Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy in order to receive course credit;2. Design Tai Chi and Chinese calligraphy teaching materials intended principally as a student book appropriate for short-term foreign students of low Chinese language levels, to help them reduce language barriers that may arise in class by preparing beforehand and reviewing afterwards, giving students a clearer understanding of what is being taught by the teacher.