Charles Chang ZhangSchool of Foreign LanguagesHainan UniversityHaikou, P.R. China 570228

June 8, 2015

To Whom It May Concern:

I am very happy to provide information regarding Huijie Lin, who is finishing her junior year at the School of Foreign Languages of Hainan University. Lin is pursuing an MBA at George Fox University.

As an English instructor under the title of “foreign expert” in Hainan province, I am responsible for teaching undergraduate students Advanced Level College English Writing and MTI Reading and Writing (Masters in Translation and Interpreting), as well as training contestants for the highly competitive FLTRP Cup (Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press) writing contest for which Hainan University students have been selected as national finalists for two consecutive years. In addition, I had taught non-credit English courses, business writing courses at Centennial College in Ontario, Canada for three years. Prior to that, I once worked in multiple management positions in international trade in New York City.

I first took Huijie Lin under my wings in my English Writing III course in her sophomore year. She came across as outgoing, observant, and calculated, who never missed a deadline. It wasn’t until the mid-term when she began to approach me with questions and issues regarding English writing and cultural differences between China and the West. Some of the questions might seem “naïve” or “simple” at the time, but it was an indication of her mindfulness and reflectiveness, which set her apart from other youngsters who only wanted good grades. From our short conversations, I learned Lin had been a careful reader and excellent dancer since a very young age, and had a great passion for accounting and business. Lin also said she admired intelligent, quick-witted, and strong female role models in fictions and real life. Her meticulous efforts paid off well in Writing III and Writing IV, for which she received a 87 and 78 (out of 100) respectively.

Most Chinese college graduates would hope to secure an “iron bowl” job at a state-run or large enterprise or become a civil servant with enviable benefit packages, a sad reality associated with the younger generation these days. So when Huijie Lin told me that her goal was to further her studies with MBA studies and then become a business leader in the future, it didn’t surprise me at all since she has been such a self-reliant and independent individual. Nothing can give a college teacher more satisfaction and a greater sense of accomplishment than hearing what a student has to share with you.

Huijie Lin is well aware of the challenges ahead and understands what it takes to be an outstanding student at your institution. She believes George Fox University can help her pave the way for her future professional endeavors in the business world. Therefore, she is working very hard to achieve her goal, and she deserves my most confident recommendation. Thank you very much for your time and consideration! Should you have any further questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me by email: charleszhang2006@163.com.

Yours truly,

Charles Chang Zhang 张昶Certified Foreign Expert at Hainan UniversityMember of TESL Ontario, CanadaEmail: charleszhang2006@163.com

AppendixFor your convenience and information, the following are course descriptions of English Writing III and Writing IV at Hainan University.

Writing III for English Major StudentsFocuses on writing essentials for a variety of academic essays: exemplification, cause and effect, comparison or contrast, and argumentation. Emphasizes skills, such as critical thinking and logical reasoning necessary to produce organized and coherent writing. Consolidates grammar and sentence-level editing capabilities, including correcting Chinese English, in the context of paragraphs and essays. Provides critical sample reading of college-level texts.Prerequisites: Writing I, Writing II2 Credits

Writing IV for English Major StudentsFocuses on integrated writing abilities as well as business and work place applications: graphs analysis, formal business letters, social business letters, cover letters and resumes, group newspaper projects. Emphasizes skills in real life situations, such as researching, language in business practices, writing reviews, job market, job hunting, and individual and team work. Provides on-going guidance and evaluations for students to monitor their own progress.Prerequisites: Writing I, Writing II, Writing III2 Credits