As a freshman, my pre-major advisor was Professor Jinyu Li. I met many good friends in our small advising course, “Pop Culture in China,” but most of all, I feel so lucky to have met Professor Li and to be able to call her a friend as well. She is effervescent; she loves to laugh and make her students laugh. Even after declaring a major and finding a major advisor, she still always encourages me to visit her and is ever eager to learn about my progress. Although I haven’t been lucky enough to be in one of her classes, I have heard from many that she is a wonderful teacher, greatly skilled at breaking down difficult concepts (perhaps, also due to the fact that she helped co-write a Chinese textbook and is currently working on a new edition)!
Professor: Jinyu Li
Department:Chinese
Hometown:China
What do you teach? Third Year Chinese and Special Topics in Chinese like Newspaper Reading, Business Chinese, Short-Stories, Practical Writing
How long have you taught at Tufts? Since 1999
What’s your favorite aspect of Tufts?
I have three favorite aspects. First, there’s the Foreign Language Department here. At Tufts, there’s a strong emphasis on studying foreign languages, especially with the strength of our International Relations Program. Secondly, I really appreciate my colleagues here. They are all very supportive, highly professional, and intelligent; each with their own special knowledge of different subjects. And, lastly, of course, I love the students. So many are in the top 10% of their graduating class and so, the quality of students at Tufts is really unparalleled. They are always so well-behaved and eager to learn! I do really love it here.
Why are you passionate about what you teach?
I never thought of doing something else. Since I was a little, I wanted to be a teacher. And, teaching Chinese itself involves a lot of different aspects. I like how culture and language coexist, how you have to understand society and culture to really understand a language’s syntax.
What’s your favorite aspect of teaching?
I love watching the students succeed. They go from beginner Chinese to going to China to working in an international field and overcoming challenges. To me, watching them grow: that’s happiness.
What was your favorite part of college?
I love the freedom of college, the ability to really pursue your own interests.
What advice would you give to college students?
Pursue what you want to do. You have to have interest in what you do I order to do it well. Life is very short. So, learn what you’re interested in and ideally, find a job you’re interested in.
Why do you like Boston as a city?
The culture! I feel like Boston is really the heart of America’s culture. And all the colleges. I’ve been here twenty-seven years and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.
Who inspires you?
Other teachers, perhaps because my grandfather had a school, and I’ve always been surrounded by teachers. When I was younger, a successful company wanted me to join them, and they offered me a considerable paycheck. But, I declined because I always wanted to be a teacher. I always respected my teachers so much growing up.
If you have had any wonderful, awesome, inspirational professors, please feel free to e-mail me their names so I can interview them in “Campus Class-Acts!” (Alexandria.chu@tufts.edu)