Lunch and Learn: A Mandarin Read-Aloud Cultural Series

Lunch and Learn

The Mandarin “Lunch and Learn 午间中文” is a free, online, monthly ‘Read-Aloud’ series for Chinese language learners of all levels.

Join us virtually to learn and practice Mandarin, while engaging with Chinese literature, poetry, history and more with fellow enthusiasts. Participants will enjoy live, interactive learning sessions with our language and cultural experts from home. Each session will start with a read-aloud in Mandarin of a carefully selected poem which represents both a touchstone to Chinese culture as well as text for practicing Mandarin language and pronunciation. Presentations on cultural elements including etymology, art and history will follow the read-aloud. Participants also have the opportunity to appreciate and write Chinese characters in ancient and modern forms.

Join us virtually to learn Chinese culture and practice Mandarin, while engaging with Chinese literature, poetry, art, history and more with fellow enthusiasts. Participants will enjoy live, interactive learning sessions with our language and cultural experts from home.

For Spring 2023, in conjunction with China Institute Gallery’s exhibition, Flowers on a River: The Art of Chinese Flower and Bird Painting, each session will start with a read-aloud in Mandarin of a carefully selected poem to explore the symbolic meanings of birds and flowers through the lens of Chinese culture. The read-aloud of poem also provides an excellent opportunity for practicing Mandarin language and pronunciation. Presentations and discussions on cultural elements including etymology, art and history will follow the read-aloud.

February 3, March 3, April 7, and May 5 Sessions: Register

Session Educators
Shenzhan Liao (host): Head of School of Chinese Studies at China Institute
Yongqiang Lin (co-host): Guest Faculty, East China Normal University
Litong Wang, Mengyun Wu (facilitators)

Speaker Bio:
Shenzhan Liao (廖申展): Hostess of the event. SVP of Education; Head of the School of Chinese Studies at China Institute. Ms. Liao oversees all educational programs and classes of Chinese language and culture at China Institute. Ms. Liao designs, moderates and produces online and onsite programs on a variety of topics including poetry read-aloud program Lunch and Learn, Music Chat, China Institute Literati Salon for the general public, as well as programs for K-12 educators on a variety of topics including mythology, history, art, and education.

Sungsook Setton: A Korean-American artist and calligrapher. Besides her training in brush painting and calligraphy under Chinese and Korean masters, Ms. Setton has also studied Western art in Germany, the UK and the United States, obtaining her BA in Studio Art at Stony Brook University and MFA in interdisciplinary art at Goddard College. Setton’s work has been widely exhibited in Canada, the UK, China, Taiwan, Korea and the United States. She has received more than two dozen awards for her work, including three times of Best of Show at the National Juried Exhibition by the Sumi-e Society of America. In 2010, she represented the U.S. at the Third International Biennial of Modern Ink Painting in Taipei. She serves on the faculty of the China Institute in Manhattan and the Art League of Long Island.

Contact:
Yongqiang Lin, [email protected]



Recordings of all programs are available on China Institute’s special YouTube playlist.

Previous Lunch and Learn Series are featured below. Click on the date links below the videos to see the featured texts.


2023


2022


2021


2020