On International Chinese Language Day 20 April 2026, we want to share one story and one thought.
我叫张文君，我是张老师
“My name is Zhang Wenjun. I am Teacher Zhang.” With this simple introduction, Wenjun our new Chinese language teacher opened her first lesson with a group of outstanding students preparing for the NAHSS Summer Camp in Beijing.
A familiar starting point: introducing ourselves. Yet, in Chinese, even this first step carries layers of meaning.
When students learn Chinese names, they are not just learning sounds or characters. They are invited into a different perspective:
- A name is not randomly chosen, it often reflects family wishes, values, and hopes for personal development.
- Each character carries meaning, intention, and direction.
- The way we address one another matters.
Addressing someone as family name + title — Zhang Laoshi — is not only polite. It reflects a Confucian understanding of society: roles, responsibilities, and relationships matter.
The moment someone calls her “Teacher Zhang,” it signals clarity of responsibility, of respect, and of the relationship between teacher and student.
In this, identity is not only individual, but relational. In that moment, language becomes visible as structure. We loved how this first lesson gently challenged the students to reflect:
If you were to choose your own Chinese name, which character would you choose? And how would you like to be called in the future?
This is why we often say: learning Chinese is not only about language. It is about perspective.
At Confucius Institute Maastricht, we believe in bringing the Chinese language into the world like a flower into a global garden, adding diversity, depth, and new ways of seeing colors.
Because in the end, we are individuals, but never only individuals. We exist in relation to others, to society, and to a shared global future.
让语言，连接世界。
Let language connect the world.
Happy International Chinese Language Day.
点亮多彩梦想
Sparking Colorful Dreams
