During mid July until the beginning of
August 2012 I did an internship via AIESEC Tilburg in Tianjin, China as a
foreign English teacher. The actual acquisition and preparation took up quite
some time but things went pretty fast afterwards. The communication with the LC
in China prior to the internship generally went smoothly: whenever I had a
question they responded quickly. The pickup was pretty well organized and the
introduction to the other interns was very nice: they were playing an
introduction game when I arrived. Not everyone arrived at the same date: some
had already arrived and a couple still needed to arrive.
Before actually teaching English we had a
training week. This was conducted by Mr. Pelland, a Canadian principle turned
trainer in teaching and training teachers in China. The methods, knowledge and
perspectives he gave us were very helpful during our teaching, and he inspired
and motivated me to do my best. Unfortunately a lot was still unclear about our
daily schedule after the training week and we had a lot of meetings with the
Chinese principle and staff about them. Things changed regularly during the
training week which sometimes frustrated people. Fortunately, the intense
meetings and the efforts done by Mr. Pelland paid dividend and the schedule was
made concrete before the students came and the actual teaching started. It was clear that our main objective was to
hold a mini United Nations conference at the end during which different topics
would be discussed amongst the students in front of the teachers and the
parents. It was a pretty busy schedule in which the students would be picked up
by us at 7:15 AM for breakfast and sent back to their dorm at 9:30 PM. Between
these two moments, the students would be taught grammar and the likes by the
Chinese English teachers and had classes with us. There were of course breaks
for the students between the teaching and in the afternoon we had an hour of
sports with the students.
The interns were divided into eight groups,
in which there were two foreign teachers, assisted by a Chinese volunteer. The 80 odd students were divided into these
eight groups and each group represented a different country such as the United
States of America, Saudi Arabia and China.
Each day we started with a warm-up game
such as Hangman which the students liked very much and we discussed a topic
such as poverty, women’s rights and environmental protection: we showed them video
clips, gave presentations and discussed the matters from the perspective of the
country we represented. We also made large posters in which they wrote what
they learned and wanted to learn. The materials for the classes we searched
online and prepared ourselves in our teacher’s room. The students were very
eager to learn, modest and respectful to one another and to the staff, albeit
shy, especially during the first few days. But as we got to know each other
better they started to open up more and more which gave us possibilities to
bond with them. They made teaching a very positive experience for themselves
and for us.
Besides the students, the informal talks
and formal meetings we had with the Chinese English teachers and the principle
gave me a sense of genuine appreciation for the work we do and the ideas we
have. They were critical but respectful against our ideas and asked for our
opinion about different matters and subjects. Any workable feedback we gave
them was generally implemented by the staff.
The day of the conference was a tense one
since the students had to perform on stage, in front of their parents and the
teachers. I really felt for my students and tried to give them advice and tips
so they would feel less tense. It went splendidly and we felt real pride in our
students, and they felt a sense of accomplishment. It truly was a memorable
moment.
The final day was a day of mixed feelings
and the moment of saying goodbye came ever closer. It was a bittersweet moment since
we had spent so many hours together. Some of the students and teachers got
emotional. E-mail addresses were exchanged and hugs were given. We started as
students and teachers and departed as friends.
After the main part of the summer camp the
principle had organized daytrips to the Great Wall and the Summer Palace in
Beijing. These places are definitely must see places in China, for me
especially the Summer Palace, since I hadn’t seen such lavishly decorated
buildings and stunning sceneries before.
The expenses were graciously covered by the school, making the
experience all the better.
Afterwards we had a second party of
students with which we spend approximately a week. This was somewhat less
structured and less goal orientated in comparison to the first class. However,
we still had a lot of fun with the students and practiced and taught English
quite intensively.
As the project drew to a close I started to
reflect on the experience and on my actions and behaviours during it. For a
person who had never worked with so many foreigners in a foreign setting I felt
more mature than before the project. I felt as if I could work well in a
multinational team without the comforts of home. It also made me widen and
adjust my perspective on matters such as the Chinese people and general
attitude against Western countries. Finally, I made new friends from all across
the globe whom I hope to see in the nearby future again. One thing I have
learned is that even with all of our differences in cultural background, race
and orientation, we are all human beings living on the same planet. If we
really want to, we can accomplish many great things together and give a better
future for the next generation.
My thanks goes out to my fellow teachers
Anna and Linda, without whom teaching wouldn’t have been this fun and
interesting, our wonderful students, Mr. Pelland, my fellow internees and the
Chinese staff which made the project possible in the first place.
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