he faculty of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) vivified online classes in many ways during the Omicron outbreak this spring such as designing creative tasks and setting up little games, which were appreciated by the students.

As one of the faculty livening up their lessons with tasks, Xiao Weiqing, professor of SISU’s School of English Studies, assigned students to dub a video in English, Mandarin, or their native dialects in Audiovisual Translation, a course related to translation and dubbing.

This video dubbed in Shanghai dialect focuses on the current outbreak in Shanghai, which has caused students to stay in dorms and take online classes since March.

Xiao said the video reflected the positive attitude of Shanghai citizens and their will to combat the epidemic. “I hope that students could be comforted while learning knowledge through such an assignment,” she added.

Xiao and her students spent lots of time verifying the usage of words for accuracy. Students came up with nearly 10 different versions of the slang “binglao” which means “holding on together.” Some of them even called their parents to discuss the meanings and pronunciation of their hometown dialects, which accidentally achieved another purpose of Xiao.

"I also hope that during the lockdown, the students can not only communicate with their classmates but also with their families," Xiao said.

"I felt accomplished when I finished this fun dubbing task, and it eased my anxiety during this period as well,” Xiao’s student Ma Minghao said.

In addition to the assignments, some online courses were dotted with activities. For example, in an English class, Gu Tianzhu played games with his students, where the lecturer from SISU’s School of Journalism and Communication described yoga poses in English, and students made corresponding movements to the computer cameras. He also organized a talent show and inspired students to participate.

“We have to face the computer screen for a long time these days, so I want to adjust our living habits through small activities to maintain physical and mental pleasure," he stated.

“Besides, it is a teaching method that allows students to improve their language while learning and practicing,” he added.

Gu’s student Wang Zixi is preparing for the talent show with her roommate. Despite having to face the screen all morning for English class on Thursdays, she said, "I'm still looking forward to it every week."

Other faculty also designed their classes in various ways. Associate professor Chen Dake used professional equipment such as studio monitor headphones and a condenser microphone to live-stream the course and illustrated their operation to students majoring in Broadcasting and Television. Lecturer Yang Xue recorded a short video about her home to share the skills of living an aesthetic life through the space layout. Some faculty members used the application tools to let students discuss in groups or answer randomly to improve teaching quality.

Due to the epidemic, SISU has conducted online courses for the second time, with the first time being in the spring semester of 2020. Junior student Zhan Xinqu commented that the faculty arranged their online teaching more skillfully this semester.

"Thank our teachers for trying their best to give us better classes. They have brought us much comfort and encouragement, and I believe that we can meet face to face soon,” she said.