The OU Confucius Institute is helping students learn all things Chinese with its new program, Chinese Corner.

Chinese Corner is a free campus activity for anyone who is interested in Chinese language and culture. Chinese professors help participants practice their speaking abilities, and educate them on Chinese culture every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Buchanan House in Cross Center.

The OU Confucius Institute was established in 2006 in partnership with Beijing Normal University in China. Its mission is to promote the teaching of Chinese language and culture through partnerships with governments, corporations, and educational and research institutions, according to the OU Confucius Institute Web site.

“So many people come [to Chinese Corner] to practice their oral Chinese,” said Xin Chen, visiting professor from Yunnan University in China, “Each session, we talk about different things that people can use in a practical way.”

The program is uniquely designed for students of all levels, so students do not need to have any prior experience with the language, said Xiao Wang, visiting professor from Beijing Normal University in China.

“This is not a simple Chinese program,” Wang said. “It is now kind of like a course.”

Sharon Gou, director of the OU Confucius Institute, said the program has become so popular that local high school students, residents and professors have come for lessons. While the size of the class varies from session to session, the class has continued to grow, she said.

“The room we have Chinese Corner may be becoming too small,” Gou said. “People don’t only come here to practice Chinese now, they come to get instruction.”

Chen said the professors are looking for ways to expand the program.

“Besides a Chinese course, we want to implement some activities such as cooking, Tai Chi, Chinese songs, and Mahjong,” Chen said.”

Many people interested in doing business with China have come for lessons at Chinese Corner as well, Gou said. This interest has inspired Chen to create Spoken Chinese for Novices, an eight-week, short-term intensive spoken Chinese course designed for learners with no prior Chinese language experience.

The class is being offered Oct. 20 through Dec. 10 at a “recession rate” of $120, half of the normal price, Gou said.

Rhonda Tintle, a liberal studies professor who attends the course to improve her Chinese pronunciation and learn about the culture, said students have become increasingly interested in Chinese culture in recent years.

“I think it’s important for OU students to catch up in learning about China,” Tintle said.

Tintle said enrollment in Chinese or China-related courses have boomed at OU, and very few students drop.

“Students want to learn about China,” she said. “It’s become a grassroots movement that students are asking for.”

T.J. Shipman, East Asian studies and Chinese senior, said Chinese Corner has helped him understand Chinese culture.

“It’s very interesting and it’s a really good language to know,” Shipman said.