In one of the universities in China, students are given an assignment aimed at boosting their self-confidence, which can cause significant nervousness. They must call strangers and conduct interviews with them. Notably, they cannot rely on help from friends or family to complete this task; the interaction must be with a complete stranger.
Although this task may seem simple at first glance, in the current era where people often avoid answering calls from unknown numbers, initiating a conversation with a stranger becomes a serious test. This course, implemented at Nanjing University in China, was created specifically to overcome this fear and teach students free communication.
At Nanjing University, located in Jiangsu Province, a course called 'Oral Expression' is conducted. The goal of this course is to teach students how to articulate their thoughts more coherently, engage in dialogue with others, and speak confidently in front of an audience. The course was launched in 2015 by Shu Kai, who previously worked as a television producer and director. He observed that many students who demonstrated good academic performance struggled with open self-expression and communicating with new people.
To solve this problem, he developed this course. In it, students are taught not only from textbooks but are also given assignments that allow them to practice real-life communication. Over time, this course has become popular among the university's students.
The most interesting part of this course is conducting an interview with a random person over the phone. Students must independently contact someone they do not know beforehand. Then, they need to start the conversation and conduct the interview by asking a series of questions. However, the real challenge arises when the interviewee refuses to answer the call or suddenly interrupts the conversation.
One student, Hung Yimin, called more than 30 unknown numbers. Only five people answered the call. Three immediately hung up, and one person suspected the call might be fraudulent. Ultimately, one person agreed to talk to him. This person worked in the IT sector. During the conversation, he told the student about his career plans, how he spends his free time in Nanjing, and about his two cats. Thus, a task that seemed difficult turned into valuable learning experience for the student.
This assignment is not easy for every participant in the course. Some students faced such difficulties in communicating by phone with strangers that they decided to drop out of the course entirely. A significant reason is that nowadays people are highly cautious about calls from unknown numbers, fearing that the caller might be a scammer or a harasser. Under these conditions, it becomes harder for students to explain their purpose and convince someone to give an interview.
Nevertheless, the students who managed to overcome this challenge reported to the instructor that this assignment should not be canceled. They believe that this task, which seems difficult at first, helps them better understand themselves and overcome shyness. Instructor Shu Kai believes that good communication is not just about talking about oneself. It is important to be able to listen to the interlocutor, understand their situation, and value their time. When a student calls a stranger, they must realize that the other person is not obligated to help them. Therefore, they need to articulate their thoughts correctly and respect the other person's time. The instructor believes that such practice increases students' confidence. They learn to cope with discomfort during conversations and gradually become more comfortable meeting new people.
As part of this lesson, students are also taught the basics of facial expressions, eye contact, gesturing, and body language. That is, attention is paid not only to words but also to a person's overall behavior during the dialogue.
Today, many people consider communication through messages or social media easier. A phone call, face-to-face interaction, or starting a conversation with a stranger sometimes seems complicated. In such cases, activities like these can help students prepare for real-life situations. In addition to college studies, it is necessary to be able to pass interviews, communicate with colleagues at work, and establish contacts with new people.
The Nanjing University course gives students the opportunity to practice these aspects. This is why, despite the difficulty of the tasks, many students find them beneficial for their development.