What happens when a group of Polish children, each with over three years of Chinese learning, travel thousands of miles to Chongqing and spend seven days living and learning alongside their Chinese peers?
This April, 44 students from the International Trilingual School of Warsaw embarked on such a journey. According to the school principal, Ms. Anna, the students had already developed basic listening and speaking skills in Chinese through years of study. With this week-long exchange, she hoped students would gain a deeper insight into the unique charm of Chinese education.
Genuine hospitality and amazement from China
Gaotanyan Elementary School in Chongqing was the first stop on the Polish students' immersive journey into Chinese education. To welcome their visitors from afar, the school organized a vibrant opening ceremony on the playground, with over a thousand Chinese students taking part. For children from Poland, it was the first amazement from China's education system and hospitality.
Official figures show that there are more than 140,000 elementary schools across mainland China, with a total enrollment of approximately 100 million students, more than three times the population of Poland. Ms. Anna noted that while most European elementary schools had only 300 to 500 students, however, in China, "the schools they visit has more than 5,000 students. Every single person is very friendly. Everyone smiles and waves hello. This genuine hospitality left a lasting impression on the Polish children," she said.
In addition, students in Gaotanyan Elementary School take part in activities during recess, such as cheerleading and practicing Ba Duan Jin, a traditional Chinese exercise. These unique Chinese experiences sparked curiosity and a sense of novelty among the Polish students. April Zhang, a 12-year-old member of the group, observed that while recess in Polish schools usually play free for children, in China, teachers often organize structured group activities, which she found to be a striking difference.
In fact, the International Trilingual School of Warsaw is known for its emphasis on multilingual education, encouraging children to begin learning multiple languages as early as the age of one. Having grown up in a multilingual educational environment, the students are already comfortable communicating in several languages. However, their Chinese teacher, Ms. Kimmy, believes that only by coming to China can they truly experience the authentic Chinese culture—something far deeper and more vivid than what textbooks and classroom instruction alone can convey.
This is also why Ms. Kimmy brings her daughter, April, to join the exchange program every year. "I want to make sure she stays connected to Chinese culture," Ms. Kimmy explained, adding that she hopes her daughter will never forget her roots.
Language learning: gateway to cultural exchange
At their second stop, Yew Chung International School in Chongqing, the Polish students experienced Chinese culture in a setting that felt familiar through Chopin piano music, English instruction, and small-group activities. A highlight of the visit was the school's original curriculum segment, "Chinese Classics in Five Minutes". Delivered in both Chinese and English, the lesson invited students from both countries to explore, recite, and understand well-known traditional Chinese sayings and classic tales, offering a glimpse into the beauty of Chinese heritage. Janelle Chen, General Manager of the YCYW Education Network in Chongqing, explained that the aim was to help students not only learn a language but also understand the culture behind it.
Language learning is often the first step of cultural exchange, and cultural exchange, in turn, reinforces language acquisition. Principal Anna echoed this view, emphasizing that language must be grounded in real-world application. "If you don't use it, it loses its meaning," she said. "Because being multilingual not only gives you the language skills but it also opens you the world." For the Polish students, this trip offered a rare opportunity to put Chinese into practice. Interacting with native speakers in an authentic environment broadened their horizons and helped them realize just how widely Chinese is spoken around the world.
Multilingual education on the rise: shared vision between China and Poland
The International Trilingual School of Warsaw is a pioneer in multilingual education. In recent years, mainland China has also witnessed rapid progress in this area. In 2017, the Ministry of Education established the Center for International People-to-People Exchange and launched an initiative to promote model schools for intercultural learning. Since then, multilingual education programs have gradually expanded beyond long-established international schools like Yew Chung International School, which offers trilingual instruction in Chinese, English and Korean, and have increasingly entered schools where Chinese is the primary medium of instruction, such as Gaotanyan Elementary School in Chongqing.
Chen Yu, Vice Principal of Gaotanyan Elementary School, explained that the goal of introducing multiple languages at the elementary level is to open a window for children, either by bringing the world to them or guiding them to explore themselves. "Through this global exploration, their worldview will be shaped," as she said, that's one of the core motivations behind the school's multilingual education efforts.
Looking ahead, Chen expressed hope for long-term cooperation with Polish counterparts in areas such as teaching methodology, communication, and teacher training. She also revealed that the schools are in ongoing discussions about organizing a return visit to Poland during the upcoming summer vacation, with the aim of jointly fostering a multilingual learning environment for students on both sides.
For Principal Anna, each trip to China has been a journey of inspiration. "Every time I come here, I discover new ideas that are worth adapting in our own language education," she said. In the future, she hopes that some of the bright spots in Chinese pedagogy can be localized and thoughtfully integrated into the Polish education.
(Reporters: Tracy, Frank; Camerapeople: Sammi, Qian; Editor: Sammi; VO: Jason Yang; Translator: Zheng Xiaoyi; English Editor: Darius; Executive Producer: Tracy)
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