Name: Eric Lee
E-mail: elee14@nd.edu
Language: Chinese
Location of Study: Beijing, China
Program of Study: Summer China Language Program
Sponsors: Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures
Blog URL:
A brief personal bio:
Hello! My name is Eric Lee, and I am a junior Science-Business major and Chinese minor. I plan to attend medical school after graduating, and hope to someday conduct clinical research at a medical school-affiliated University. I grew up in Granger, Indiana, just 15 minutes from the University of Notre Dame. Though South Bend is my home, I look forward to graduation and the amazing experiences the future has in store.
Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:
The SLA Grant presents an incredible opportunity for me to engage in an authentic setting with my heritage, while simultaneously training my language skills and cultural competence for my career endeavors. Though I plan to attend medical school, I have a keen interest in international healthcare and global healthcare inequality. The experience of studying Chinese in Beijing will expose me to an entire new world of policy, social norms, and medical philosophy. With this grant, I will have the chance to interact with Chinese doctors, hospital administrators, and patients in an effort to compare and contrast the significant differences between American and Chinese healthcare. Doing so will not only allow me to better understand Chinese culture, but also have a greater grasp of the holistic healthcare challenges the world faces.
What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:
As a son of two first-generation Chinese immigrants, Chinese culture has played a huge role in shaping my past, and will continue to profoundly influence my future. Through the Summer China Language Program, I first and foremost hope to grow closer with my Chinese heritage. By learning, in depth, the language, and experiencing first-hand the culture, I aspire to deepen my understanding of my parents’ background and the social foundation for their attitudes and beliefs. In an increasingly globalized world, I also hope that this program will develop my cultural competency. Because of my parents, I have had glimpses into the belief system differences between Chinese culture and American culture. However, living in the context of these differences will not only refine my appreciation for American values, but hopefully bestow me Chinese values as well. I go into this program, not as a tourist, but as a willing student, hoping to influence and be influenced by each experience I have.
My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:
1. I will be able to engage with Chinese professionals in basic, but competent, conversation about societal and political issues relating to medicine and healthcare.
2. I will be able to read and write about scientific, political, and cultural topics at a competent level.
3. I will have engaged with and had meaningful conversations with Chinese locals about random topics, limited only be imagination and time.
4. I will deepen my understand of Chinese culture and how elements of that culture persist or are changed after one has emigrated from China.
My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience: