Mutual understanding between peoples, and especially between young people in China and the US, does not advance in an even-handed way. On the one hand, many young Chinese are very familiar with US pop culture, and recognize a lot of US icons such as brands and universities; on the other hand, most young Americans know little or nothing about China, and even have some absurd misunderstandings of Chinese culture.

Several years ago I was teaching Chinese at a private school in US. To make the lesson more intriguing, I started to talk about pandas to the first grade students. I showed them funny videos of pandas and told them that China is the hometown of this lovely creature. I explained why all humans should protect them, as their numbers are getting smaller and smaller.

Then a little girl raised her hand and said "My Mom said Chinese people eat pandas; and that's why they're becoming less and less."

Many years have passed by, yet I can still remember how shocked I was that day. I came to that little girl's desk and gently told her: "Tell your Mommy that if it wasn't for the protection of the Chinese people, there would be no pandas left in the world by now."

What I felt mostly strongly during my days as a Chinese teacher in the US, was that many Americans, adults and children, barely know anything about China. The less they know, the easier it is to create misunderstandings, prejudice, and even discrimination between the peoples of the two countries. Some misunderstandings pass on generation by generation.

When I taught high school, the first thing I tried to figure out was how much my students knew about China. Many US high school students have no idea where China is; they do not even know the name of the capital - some mistake it as Tokyo. I was asked whether Chinese people were still living like people in North Korea.

As a Chinese teacher, I always agree that the understanding of a culture is the base for learning its language. I tell my students that they can only master a language once they really start to appreciate its culture. I do not want my students to know only about Chinese food or Kungfu as Chinese culture. I hope they can feel and understand the culture more closely and comprehensively.

For example, when Spring Festival is coming, I tell my students why and how Chinese people go back home and gather with their families. I show them the Spring Festival Gala, as well scenes of the packed transport over the holiday period. When I teach students Chinese characters about family, I explain to them why China has to control its population, and the problems that have resulted from it, like the age imbalance in the population. When I teach the theme of "life at school", I tell them how their peers in China prepare for the Gaokao (College Entrance Examination).

I understand that not all the students who come to Chinese language class are going to major in Chinese in college - some of them may even not go to college. However, I always hope that students at my class understand more about China than others. Chinese language classes may not influence a lot people in the US, but I would still feel happier when there is no one left saying "Chinese people eat panda".

This article is edited and translated from 《“我妈妈说，中国人吃熊猫”》 ，source: China Youth Daily