Every week, USC and Beijing Normal University (BNU) students pick up the phone from opposite sides of the world, one group starting their morning in Beijing, the other ending their day in Los Angeles. They start with small talk, stumble through slang, and laugh through misunderstandings. By the end of the semester, what began as language practice often feels more like friendship, proof that sometimes the strongest bridges are built through conversation.
For many USC students studying Mandarin, learning the language isn’t limited to the classroom. Through the Chinese-English Language Exchange Program, Trojans get the chance to connect directly with graduate students from BNU. The program, which is mandatory for students in Chinese Level Three and above and voluntary for lower-level students and those in Chinese-speaking electives, pairs USC undergraduates with BNU graduate students for weekly one-on-one language exchanges. The graduate students are future Chinese language teachers preparing to teach in the United States and other English-speaking countries. Together with USC students, they practice both English and Chinese, discuss cultural topics, and often form genuine friendships that last well beyond the semester.
“I joined because I wanted to get rid of ‘textbook English,’” one BNU participant, Ame, said. For the BNU graduate students who are training to become teachers abroad, the experience offers something they can’t get from lectures or grammar practice: authentic, spontaneous conversation with native English speakers.
“Textbooks teach grammar and words, but real conversations feel totally different,” the participant continued. “Since I plan to go abroad to teach later, I needed to practice real, daily communication.”
“Textbook English” isn’t enough to form genuine relationships across cultures, the students say, and it lacks intimacy, which is not only important when teaching but for business relationships as well. This program, between the US and China, on a small scale, could have larger impacts for US-China relations by helping American and Chinese students eliminate cultural misunderstandings.
Recognizing these benefits, both universities sought to expand opportunities for students to engage in real cross-cultural dialogue. The program was introduced to BNU students through the university’s international exchange office, which sent out an email inviting those interested in teaching overseas to apply. For many, it was an easy “yes”.
“Most of my classmates think it’s super useful, we get to practice English naturally, learn about American university culture, and make real friends,” continued Ame.
Beyond improving English fluency, many of the graduate students see the exchange as a way to better understand the classroom dynamics and cultural nuances of American education systems.
“When I teach in European or American countries, I’ll need to chat easily with students and colleagues,” one participant explained. “Learning from USC students helps me understand what they care about so I can be a better teacher later.”
This experience offers them a low-stakes apprenticeship in intercultural teaching. By navigating different communication styles, noticing what resonates with their language exchange partners, and adapting explanations in real time, participants began building the ability to adjust how they explain things depending on who they communicate with, a skill that can be utilized in international classrooms. In many ways, these weekly conversations serve as practice for the relational and cultural competence that future educators will need just as much as subject knowledge.
For USC students, the experience offers an equally valuable perspective: the exchange is both a language lab and a cultural mirror. Students consider it a chance to bring their Chinese studies to life through authentic conversation.
“I didn’t have big expectations, I just wanted to improve my conversational Chinese and learn more about university life outside the U.S.,” said Kendrick To, a student in level three Chinese. “We usually split our sessions half in English and half in Chinese, and discuss different topics each week. It’s helped me learn to understand a sentence or question without knowing every single word.”
The exchange is not only beneficial for American students learning Chinese. Kendrick To found that even with his Chinese background, living and studying in the U.S. has shaped his perspective in ways that made the cultural exchange especially meaningful.
“Even though I’m Chinese, there are still differences between how people live in China and here in the U.S.,” he said. “It’s been really eye-opening to compare both sides.”
Through weekly discussions, many USC Chinese students also find themselves gaining confidence in understanding cultural context. They learn cultural social cues and how humor, tone, and politeness differ in everyday conversation. For language learners, these aspects can be hard to grasp in a classroom setting, but in a casual conversation, they come more naturally.
For some USC students, the language partner program started as a course requirement or extra credit opportunity, but what it became, for most, was something harder to quantify and easier to remember.
Julia Owens joined voluntarily during her sophomore year while taking Chinese Two.
“My Chinese definitely improved. The first time, I was paired with a grad student from Taiwan, and the second time with someone from BNU. They helped me practice things from class and get more confident speaking, especially in front of people.”
Owens decided to continue her partnership after seeing a huge improvement in her Chinese speaking skills and making meaningful cross-cultural connections. She participated in her second semester and then again in her senior year, despite not taking a formal Chinese course.
Owens also learned about Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese culture through her partners. “It was really interesting to see the differences, and it made my classes feel more relevant to real life,” she said. Owens reflected that Taiwanese culture has more Japanese influences, while Chinese culture is dominated by Han Chinese traditions. These distinctions helped her better understand historical backgrounds and current international relations, and recognize how these are reflected in daily life between the two cultures.
Even after the program ended, Owens kept in touch with both of her partners.
“One of them moved to Oakland to teach, and when I went to Taiwan for a Maymester, I actually reached out to my old partner for advice,” she said. “It’s such a good experience, I’d recommend it to anyone studying Chinese. It’s basically a free tutor and friend.”
Through conversation, shared stories, and weekly check-ins, USC and BNU students not only strengthened their language skills but also gained a better understanding of how culture shapes communication.
“It’s cool that we both get to learn from each other,” Owens said. “It’s not just about practicing a language, it’s about building a bridge.”
That bridge, built one word and one conversation at a time, extends far beyond the classroom. The program highlights how language learning extends beyond vocabulary; it’s about shared experiences, perspectives, and moments of understanding that can’t be taught. The best way to learn a language is by connecting with the people who are immersed in it every day. Each exchange is less about perfect grammar and more about experiencing another person’s world.
More than a language exchange, the program is a small but genuine example of what cross-cultural understanding can actually look like, not in formal diplomacy, but between two people stumbling through a conversation, laughing at a mistranslation, and figuring out how to explain something that doesn’t quite have a word in either language. At a time when US-China relations are so often defined by tension and distance, that kind of basic human connection matters more than it might seem.
About the author:
Alexa is a freshman double-majoring in Intelligence and Cyber Operations and East Asian Languages and Cultures. Her focus is on the interactions between cultures, especially Chinese, Latin-American, and US cultures.
