Hello and welcome to this week's newsletter!

This Week: Teachers, AI, Labour Day, and Rose Garden Mysteries

It was a holiday-shortened week here in China as the Labour Day is in full swing. That means we have five days off straight (but have to make up one of them, the so-called 调休 "make-up work day"). This week was generous in terms of video output as we were able to publish a few more, one of which stirred quite the pot of comments. But, that's what they're there for: to ask, wonder, and help answer.

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This Week’s Videos

1. 🤖 Should Teachers Be Allowed to Use AI? - Students are using ChatGPT for their essays… can I use it to give feedback? Watch here
2. 🌏 Happy Labour Day (China) - Long weekend or short break—if you had to work it off, would you still want the time off? Watch here
3. 🎆 Changping is Poppin’ on a Friday Night - A look at the outskirts of Beijing and how the holiday vibe is alive and well. Watch here
4. 🌹 The Words of the Rose Garden - Ancient Chinese characters, guards with no answers, and a reminder that fluency isn’t always functional. Watch here

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🧠 AI in the Classroom?

This video kinda struck a chord and brought out quite a few comments, not least of which labelled me "lazy" or not doing my job. I could see it that way if it didn't simply make sense to incorporate the new technology:

If students are using ChatGPT and DeepSeek to complete assignments, does that give teachers the green light to use AI for feedback?

After all, universities have been using turnitin.com for years to suss out plagiarism in essays. I view ChatGPT and other LLMs as similar types of tools, but they can be used for FEEDBACK rather than as a reactionary tool.

The internet wasn't too pleased with my topic, but it seems that even the administration was looking at the tools available and saying the same thing: it just makes life so much easier.

I will have a follow up to this video later on as I have now begun marking in earnest. To be honest, I'm not even sure of the university's policy towards using an LLM such as ChatGPT in the grading process, but I know for myself, personally, I wouldn't trust it to GRADE the papers.

Further, what about security?

This gets me thinking about if the university itself could develop an in-house LLM (watch a YouTube video on it and DIY) for exactly this purpose. It would be like providing a video editor with a subscription to an editing platform: it's a tool to help with the job, but you still have to press the buttons.

What do you think - should ChatGPT and the like be used in the GRADING process or limited to a supplementary role in the teaching process?

Let me know your thoughts.

📹 Watch here

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🗃️ 调休 (tiáoxiū): No Free Holidays in China

Labour Day means time off, but not really. As we wrote in last week's newsletter, in China, holidays are often followed (or preceded) by a make-up workday—调休.

You might get five days off… but that Sunday before? You're in the office (or classroom as the case may be).

Some have pointed out that China has the same number of public holidays as the US, but the US doesn't obviously have make-up work days. Instead, it seems, that companies tacitly expect people to either mak the work up on their own, or stay later before or after the holiday.

In my video, I ask whether you would rather have a long break that you have to “repay” or a short one that’s truly free?

Whether it's in China or some other part of the world, it seems that there is no real such thing as a "free" day off. What do you think?

📹 Watch here

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🏙️ Changping After Dark

Friday night and the suburbs aren’t sleeping. From fireworks and dancing to empty plazas and family strolls, even “quiet” Changping has moments of surprise.

This video was shot as I was visiting the 超市 (chāoshì, supermarket) for some supplies. I figured, How long will I be in Changping? I should at least take a few pics or videos around the location to remember it. Thus, the vid.

📹 Watch here

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📜 Can You Read Ancient Chinese?

Since I live near the Beijing Rose Garden, I wanted to know what the characters on the top of the gate say. But, after trying to decipher them on my own, I couldn't make them out. Apparently it's an old Chinese script. Pleco failed. The iPhone's text detection failed. Even the guards couldn't read them. So I’m turning to the internet hive mind. If you know what they say, let me know.

Also raises a question: is “fluency” about pronunciation, or does it include being able to read old writing?

📹 Watch here

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We'll leave it there for this week. Lots of info and some fun stuff to think about.

Also, I'm thinking of starting a community online, like one of those places that the digital entreprenuers talk about and charge monies to use. I'm wondering if it would be a good idea - as a bit of a repository of sorts - that would be better than YouTube for not just engagement and communication, but hosting a few other things such as the basic Chinese course we released a few months back. What do you think? Would it be worth it? Should it be paid or free? If free, what would you expect from the site? If paid, what would you want to see?

For questions or feedback, reply to this email or reach out at:

📩 stevenslanguagechannel@gmail.com

Best,

Steve