Bridie Allen is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Chinese Studies.

I started my Chinese learning when I was in primary school. After leaving high school I took a gap year and travelled to China for 6 months to volunteer teaching English.I started my BA planning to major in politics but eventually decided to focus on languages. Majoring in Chinese allowed me to do lots of different electives and try new things including Italian, Spanish and Indigenous studies.

Studying languages is fantastic because the class sizes are smaller and it’s easier to connect with your classmates. You also form a special bond over learning something as challenging as Chinese! One of the most enjoyable aspects of the BA has been meeting so many people who are similar to me and passionate about learning languages.

So many opportunities have opened up because of my continued learning of the Chinese language, including being selected to participate in the 2017 Chinese Bridge Competition. So many people are willing to do business with China but not willing to dedicate themselves to the language. Language is crucial in creating strong bilateral connections.

I studied at Nanjing University in China for a semester. There is nothing like going on exchange – everyone should do it! I also did an internship at the Confucius Institute, where I got to experience a bilingual office environment.

At uni I joined the Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA). I would highly recommend any Chinese learners or Chinese international students join! Mandarin Language Club is another great society. They are welcoming, friendly communities that are open spaces to discuss all things China and Australia. I have made my closest friends at uni through joining ACYA.

Right now I am working for a careers coaching firm that helps Chinese graduates to find jobs in Australia. I am also developing my own business where I work as a bilingual MC, Chinese language ambassador and cross-cultural facilitator.