China is one of the largest countries in the world. China also has a rich culture that is nearly 4,000 years old including several royal dynasties.
Due to its economic prowess, there is an exponential increase in the need for labor. Shanghai jobs for expats include those for native English speakers such as content writing and translation. If you’re willing to move for work, China is a great candidate.
Teaching in China is one of the upcoming job opportunities. Many new Western educational institutes are opening in China. Therefore, we can see that opportunities for English educators are increasing daily.
The Arts in China
Chinese culture is a vast culture that incorporates many different elements such as religion, history, language, music, arts, medicine, cuisine, and architecture.
Art in China manifests in different types and is greatly influenced by the country’s religion. The ancient Chinese from the Ming and Qing dynasties were philosophers and emphasized written art. In the same period, the country adopted a unique form of performing arts. It was called the Peking Opera which combines various performing arts such as acrobatics, dance, storytelling, music, singing and is one of the country’s prized cultural arts.
China is home to Kung-fu, a form of martial arts which is well-known. The Chinese also gave focus to written art such as poetry, scripts, painting, and calligraphy. Archaeologists have also discovered detailed old paintings, in which a particular style is followed.
Chinese painting was mostly done on paper and hung vertically. The paintings were mainly of landscapes and had calligraphy to the side. Hang-fans were also painted and calligraphed in the same fashion. Moreover, pottery and sculpting were also very common in ancient China. Mainly the Chinese made sculptures of Buddhist depiction as well as some of Confucius.
The Important of Art in China
China has excelled in all forms of art and is widely regarded as an artistic country. The performing arts have a special place in Chinese history. Throughout history, the arts have been developed, modified, and evolved from their fundamental form. Current day Chinese art such as acting, singing, and the Peking Opera has transformed. They maintain their basic roots of folk culture but have a modern touch now such as new instruments and techniques.
Today, performing arts are widely appreciated by the Chinese people. On a primary school level, every student is expected to learn an instrument. As a result, China is known to be the home place of many classical musicians.
The State of Art Teaching in China
As a country focused on economic development, China often sacrifices cultural development and preservation. This can be seen in the government’s decisions in terms of the education system. Though the Chinese education system includes art subjects in school including literature, visual arts, and performing arts, these subjects are not valued. This can be seen from the subjects’ expulsion in the Gao Kao, the Chinese National Annual College Entry Exam, which students spent their entire lives preparing for.
As the subjects prove to be merely recreational and don’t serve a purpose in learning, teachers often downplay the arts’ importance as well. This causes a lack of art teachers and a lack of students learning the arts professionally. Often, art teachers are those working part-time and don’t have an interest in teaching the subject either.
Today, not many art schools can be found in China. A lot of Chinese students who wish to pursue the arts leave to study abroad. Central Academy of Fine Art (CAFA) in Beijing and the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou are some of the only art schools in China that teach contemporary art.
Art-Related English Words to Teach your Chinese Students
As arts in Chinese education are encouraged at a primary level as an English educator, such words will be frequented often and are a wise choice to teach your students.
Here are some art-related English words, with their respective pinyin. Pinyin is the official way to romanize Mandarin for easy learning.
English Words For Generally Used Art Forms
English
Art
Opera
Literature
Photography
Painting
Ballet
Dancing
Pottery
Sculpting
Music
Poetry
Writing
Performance
Drama
English Words for Art Terms
English
Opera singer
Painter
Sculptor
Dancer
Musician
Pianist
Author
Poet
Photographer
Actor
Director
Performer
English Phrases For General Use
English
I’m an art major
I love art
Did you make this painting?
This is a good painting
Do you like painting?
Can you sing?
Can you play an instrument?
Do you like opera?
Where can I watch the opera?
This was a great show
Who is your favorite writer?
Do you like to watch dramas?
Conclusion
This article was designed to educate you a little about the importance of arts in Chinese culture. If you’ve made it to the end you have successfully established a basic understanding of Chinese art and performing arts. You should be able to identify the Chinese style of painting or be able to differentiate traditional opera from the Peking Opera.
By teaching these words in the class you’ll be giving your students a set of words that they can use to discuss their favorite art forms with each other and outside of the class. Due to art being common in the classroom, these words will come up frequently creating many chances for the students to practice the words.
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