Life of Guangzhou - French Tutor Fond of Cantonese Rice and Roasted Ducks

Girani Frederic Sebastien, a biracial Frenchman, is not only handsome but also a language genius.

in the class

Hakka blood

Born on Reunion Island and sent back to Guangdong's Mei County for ten years at the age of eight, he can speak Mandarin fluently and understand Hakka. His mother, born on Reunion Island, is Chinese, and his father is Parisian.

He has never forgotten his original intention to search for his roots. Every year, he goes to Mei County in Guangdong, visits the local people, and has a look at their mud houses. Though he is not fluent in Hakka, he treasures the life there, and he has become a local celebrity. During holidays he helps others from Reunion learn about this and other aspects of Chinese culture.

Fond of Cantonese climate and dishes

In August 2000, he moved to Guangzhou at the age of twenty-seven to study Chinese at Sun Yat-Sen University (Zhongshan University). He has been in Guangzhou now for eight years and has come to love the people and the culture.

Guangzhou is his favorite city for its comfortable climate and savory dishes like baked duck. Sebastien loves Guangzhou's cosmopolitan nature and varied diversions, as well as the easy lifestyle. He has also befriended a number of Guangzhou natives, who he finds exceptionally friendly and open.

Popular and successful French teacher

In 2002, Sebastien began teaching French at Zhongshan University. His "humorous and vivid" teaching style has been very successful in motivating students to learn French. His Chinese studies also help him communicate with his students outside of the classroom, where he regularly offers them extra assistance.

In his spare time, Sebastien takes part in students' extracurricular activities and performances. Although he works 16 hours per week, he never feels tired and has become a very popular teacher. Thanks to his efforts, in 2005, 118 students took the French Bachelor's Degree Exam; 88 passed it. Twenty-six students went on to Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis and Université d'Angers as bursary exchange students, and another six went to Université de Perpignan. And in 2006, the examination passage rate increased to 99.12%.

"Guangzhou Friendship Award" granted

Sebastien received excellent teaching award in the spring of 2007. He also scored well in the "China and foreign friends' sport" competition in 2007, and has won many men's singles tennis matches. And in 2008, he became one of the 14 foreign experts who were granted the 4th Guangzhou Friendship Award.

(By Jamster Deng and Usha Chilukuri)