Read some of the
reports and feedback Travellers receives from
the many volunteers who have participated on Projects in
China.
There is
some useful feedback on their placements. Some volunteers have given us a "Typical
Day in the Life of my Project" reports, and others have waxed poetic about
their experiences in the country and their day-to-day life in a different
culture.
STUART
SAVIDGE : Teaching Project (Chong Ming Island) : May 2008
Hi to all at Travellers.
I am emailing to express my thanks at the best three months of my life,
spent volunteering in Auckland and Chong Ming Island. The support I
received before my placement started, mainly from Elizabeth and Rachel
was extremely helpful and was matched by Andy and Jessie once my
placement had began. Big thanks to Andy for sorting out my visa for
China, and to Jessie for sorting my return flight home.
It was good to know that despite being in an alien environment, there
were people I could ask for help if it was needed. The placements
themselves were great fun, and I really enjoyed working with the
children and teachers, who were without exception, the nicest people you
will meet.
I have already answered some questions about a prospective volunteer in
Auckland and would be happy for you to pass my email address onto any
new volunteers who need some questions answering.
I really would recommend Travellers to anyone. Keep up the good work.
Thank you so much. Stuart Savidge.
JAMIE
BURNETT : Football Coaching (Chong Ming Island) : September 2007
About the Placement Having arrived in Shanghai and completed the
week long Mandarin Course, I joined up with my friend to start our
placement coaching football at Xing Men Primary School. The school is
based on Chong Ming Island, which is around a three hour combined bus
and ferry trip from Shanghai. We were to coach from Monday to Friday
afternoon, then catch the ferry back to Shanghai and be back in time for
Friday evenings. At first this seemed like a slight trek. However, it’s
possible to sleep on the ferry or bus, and only having to do the trip
twice a week is fine.
Once at the school we met Mr. Yang, the head of Physical Education at
the school. His English is probably the best of all the teachers, and he
was very welcoming and good fun. There are four other sports coaches who
teach P.E to the kids and all are very good fun. They find learning
English and trying to teach us Chinese hilarious, and this produced many
funny moments. We coach five lessons per day, each lasting 35 minutes.
The kids would do a warm up for around 10 minutes and then we would
coach them football for 20-25 minutes. Their age ranged from 7-12 years
old, but the school football team has no age limit and a couple of the
players in the team were from the younger classes.
The school itself had just finished constructing a new athletics pitch,
with a large enough area in the centre (marked out as two basketball
courts and made from the same kind of material as the athletics track,
not concrete) where we do our coaching. The school have a large number
of footballs along with cones which we used for coaching. Although at
the time of writing the school doesn’t possess any goals, I am
attempting to negotiate with the groundsmen to help us construct some!
However, there is another secondary school only a thirty second walk
from Xing Men School, who have goals as well as a fake grass pitch
(slightly longer grass than astro).
The teachers also enjoy getting involved, and once or twice a week we
would play a match with the teachers, which was the most enjoyable part
of the coaching because it was a higher standard of football than with
the children. But I got more enjoyment out of coaching the kids because
even week to week we could really notice improvements.
Shanghai We spent every weekend in Shanghai, apart from their
half-term (see Beijing). I personally believe that because of the growth
in the Chinese economy, and the amount of businesses based in Shanghai,
it will become one of the major world cities within a few years, and it
is clear to see that it’s a very lively city already. It is surprising
how many skyscrapers there are! It was nice to get back on a Friday
afternoon and be able to go out on both Friday and Saturday nights.
After about two or three weekends in Shanghai you meet so many people
apart from other volunteers that there would never be space or time for
a dull moment. There are many nice bars around Jin’an Temple and
especially Hengshan Road. Recommended Western bars and cafés include
O’Malley’s Irish Pub (great for watching sport), CasBah Café, Mural
(Friday evenings all you can drink for 100 Yuan) and Zapata for Mexican
tapas and a touch of salsa dancing.
Beijing Xing Men School have a week break for half-term. During
this week I caught a flight to Beijing and stayed at the Beijing Far
East International Youth Hostel. Beijing is very different to Shanghai
as there are many less skyscrapers and the city much more spread out.
However, I would highly recommend doing this during half-term. The
hostel is great fun, the Great Wall is breath-taking and the city itself
contains the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Summer Palace and of
course the Olympic Park and the “Bird’s Nest” stadium.
Suitable for I am very
keen on sport. However, it is not completely essential to be overly
obsessed with sport to go on this placement. Whilst Monday to Friday is
spent coaching football, it is to kids, and is for 3 hours a day.
Therefore many laughs can be had during the day, as well as in the
evening on Chong Ming Island, not to mention Shanghai at the weekends!
Although there are Western cafés and restaurants, I would not recommend
this placement for someone who is not open to trying the Chinese
cuisine. Western places can be very expensive in comparison to quaint
Chinese restaurants, although it is always important to stock up your
body with the odd pizza or chocolate bar.
One of the main problems can be the language barrier. Whilst on Chong
Ming, we managed to demonstrate many of the coaching techniques that we
employed, and some of the kids do speak basic English. And in Shanghai
most of the absolutely necessary Mandarin includes “Hello”, “Thank you”
and “How much is that?” Taxis can be directed by hand signals and
bars/clubs will understand international drinking signals! However, I
would recommend doing the week Mandarin course if you have the time at
the beginning because it does help with pronunciation, numbers and some
useful expressions.
KRIS
SALMON : Football Coaching (Chong Ming Island) : September 2007
I have been volunteering for a football scheme based outside Shanghai,
on a small island to the north named Chong Ming. The course lasts three
months, of which I have experienced one month so far. I have had the
help of Sports Manager Richard Cowley, who is both a great help and a
bit of a legend!
The placement is at a school called Xi-men Primary School, where I am
coaching children of both sexes, between the ages of 6 and 12. The
ability level of most of the children is relatively low, due to the lack
of former coaching and the space available to play. However, they are
all very keen to impress and when shown an example of what to do during
the training sessions, they tend to pick up the skills pretty
competently. This is where the most satisfaction has come from the
placement. Watching the children improve is both rewarding for them and
oneself.
The facilities have recently been improved at the school, with a new
main play area consisting of two full-sized basketball pitches, with a
running track around it. This is more than adequate for training
purposes, but if when the children are at a sufficient level to play in
a full match, there is a faux-grass pitch just down the round at the
local Secondary school that is perfect.
This pitch is where we have also been playing in staff football games.
They are generally just 7 or 8-a-side, but they are a lot of fun to play
in and a great form of exercise, because, as with the children, the
level is not exceptional, so you may find yourself doing a bit of extra
running about. We have a match against another group of teachers from
another school coming sometime soon, which I am much looking forward
too. A couple of hat-tricks may be on the cards!
The school had a half-term break recently, which allowed for a small
trip to Beijing. This was both an educational experience, involving a
magical hike along the Great Wall, and a time of meeting more western
travellers during our stay in a “the best hostel in China”. Beers there
were only 2.5 Quai [local slang for RMB, the Chinese currency], so a lot
of drinking was done!
During the weekends though, there is also an opportunity for this too,
as we travel back to Shanghai for Friday and Saturday nights via the
very punctual ferry and bus. Travellers have a flat in the French
Concession area of the city, to the west, where there is an abundance of
good bars and restaurants to enjoy.
Overall, my first month here has been a great experience and with the
development of both the children and teachers on the football field,
there is only a better time to come. I recommend this placement to
anyone with a passion for football, an interest in coaching or teaching
and for someone who is looking for a different experience to plain
teaching English.
STEVEN
MCCUMASKEY : Teaching Project : February 2007
What experience do you feel you gained? On a personal level, this
Shanghai placement has proven to be one of the best things I have ever
done. Being removed from the comfort zone of the UK and placed into a
foreign, often alien culture has excelled my confidence and re-shaped my
perception of life and my career goals. The classroom experience has
been excellent and although the workload was obviously less than that of
a working teacher, the placement is a great introduction to life in the
classroom.
What was the best thing about your placement? The work, first and
foremost. My kids were amazing, even though I had some classes that were
very difficult to teach. However, the balance of teaching well behaved
and disobedient students was invaluable and I very quickly learnt about
class discipline and maintaining confidence and authority without
putting distance between me and my students. When a lesson was
successful it was such an amazing feeling!
Outside the classroom, I made lots of friends and had a taster of what
life as an expat in Shanghai would be like. It’s a really buzzing city
and I would certainly like to go back and work there in the future.
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else? Definitely,
whether you have aspirations to be a teacher or not. It is a real
confidence builder and will improve your people skills, and you will
certainly come away a different person. Adapting to a new culture so far
away from home and suddenly finding yourself away from all your friends
and family is sometimes stressful, but to come out on the other side is
a fantastic feeling and something I feel very proud of.
What type of person do you think this placement would suit? If
you’re thinking of a career as a teacher in any capacity, then this is a
great placement, as it provides valuable classroom experience and gives
an insight into the realities of teaching. If you’re not intending to
pursue a career in teaching, this is still a great placement and would
be ideal for anyone looking for a change of scenery and some fresh,
stimulating work in an endlessly exciting and crazy place. Learning
about cultural difference proved to be one of the most fascinating
aspects of staying in China.
Can you describe a typical day? A typical day would start with a
6.30am pick-up outside my accommodating school. I would have breakfast
around 7.15 then have a couple of hours to plan my lessons and revise
any older ones. Two lessons before lunch (served between 11 and 11.30)
and then two lessons after. Afterwards I would review my lessons and
make any necessary changes to my plans, then would head back to my
accommodation around 5pm or jump on the bus to Shanghai city centre.
Whilst this is a typical day, the school often threw in trips,
activities such as English Corner and special events and ceremonies too.
It was nice to have Jessie on hand in case there were problems, but in
truth I tried to avoid calling her if I had any hitches and instead
tried to overcome them myself. Ultimately, by doing so I gained far more
from my placement and learnt far more about myself, allowing for a
tremendous amount of personal growth. If you’re thinking of doing this
teaching placement, go for it. I did and I have no regrets whatsoever.
ROBERT
SUTTON : Mandarin & Martial Arts Cultural Project : February 2007
(Rob’s first e-mail to Elizabeth [China Project Co-Ordinator] from
Shanghai)
Wow, this place is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before, but
everything's great. I think the flat is nice and really close to the
martial arts centre and the mandarin school. I’ve now seen both places
and an amazed of how nice they are. I’m really excited to get started!
Jessie is really nice and did an excellent job of introducing me to
everyone and showing me my classes as well as one of the nicest gyms i
have ever seen in my life. I may get a membership there shortly.
Well mail me back if you want to know anything more and thank you so
much for making this happen. This is the best thing I have ever done.
P.S. the hotel you arranged for the first night was amazing, really – it
really helped me to make a smoother transition into the city. This place
and people are so, so much more different then I thought they would be
and it’s great.
GEORGE
HILL : Teaching Project : February 2007
What experience do you feel you gained? I feel that I have now
found a new confidence in myself that I never had before: that I can
cope without having any firm base behind me. I know now that I can make
friends with people who before I may not have been inclined to. It has
broadened my horizons, and the reference that I got from my school will
be a brilliant thing for my CV!
What was the best thing about your placement? Both the teaching
and the other social aspects. I formed 2 tight groups of friends in
Shanghai - the Chinese teachers and the other volunteers. This meant
that I could interact with the native culture but also had the support
of my peers, which helped me to get over homesickness. This also made
the experience even more fun as I know I’ve made friends for life out of
my experience in Shanghai.
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else? Yes, even if
you had never considered anything like this before, it’s mind blowing.
However make sure you do it because you want to, not because your
parents or your friends want you to.
What type of person do you think this placement would suit?
Somebody who is self motivated, open minded and sociable.
Can you describe a typical day?
9am: get up showered etc
9.30-11-50am: Plan lessons in the office or take lessons
11.50-sometime in the afternoon: Finish teaching and go into central
shanghai to look around
5-6pm: Meet the other volunteers
11pm: Take the last bus back to my accommodation
I think that the placement itself was really good, and I thought that
Jessie was brilliant as she was always a phone call away. I have found
the 6 weeks I spent in shanghai the best 6 weeks of my life so far, and
will definitely be returning.
CHARIS
MILLS: Teaching Project : February 2006
I have met some lovely people, Jessie being number one [Travellers
Shanghai Organiser]. All my teachers in the school (Ann and Julia
particularly, I will miss them so much) are amazing and really
appreciate my help. The tour group of Chinese people who let me ride
with them in their bus at Jiuguan to the people in the shop who replaced
the diamond that fell off my shoe…
What do you enjoy the most about your placement? The teaching,
especially the classes where I help the students to improve their
writing skills - I feel I helped them the most here. I love Ann and
Julia the other 2 English teachers in grade 6 in my office. I love the
little cakes the teachers of grade 6 in the other office buy me all the
time because they like me they are all very happy that I have put on
weight!
Can you describe a typical day? My day starts at 6.30am, I wake
up to the sound of Chinese pop music blasting through the corridors in
the girls' dormitory. I have a room to myself, it's huge and my school
bought me brand new bedding. The toilet and sinks are up two flights of
stairs. I have breakfast with the other teachers at 7am, it takes two
minutes for me to get from my room to my office and the classrooms.
After breakfast, I go to my office and write e mails. Then I prepare my
lessons. All my lessons are on power point presentation.
I teach grade 6, the students are 12 years old. I teach about 40
students from classes 1 and 2 on Monday at 3.30pm for an hour. I teach
about 40 students from classes 3 and 4 on Thursday at 3.30pm for an
hour. Currently we are learning about the human body, including the
parts of the human body, how to describe someone and describing a sick
body. Heads shoulders knees and toes went down very well.
I teach the top students of grade 6 twice a week for an hour, and my
lessons for this class are harder. For example, currently I am teaching
them about the inside of the human body.
Once a week I teach students from grade 6 and grade 7. Some students are
very good others need a lot of encouragement and some confidence. For
this class, we are reading the BFG by Roahl Dahl and we are identifying
nouns, verbs and adjectives.
In all my classes I try to expand on their vocabulary, improve their
spoken English and their confidence. Tongue twisters are really good to
introduce new words, improve confidence and pronunciation and to have
fun.
The two lessons I had yesterday went really well and I’m enjoying
teaching very much. Grade 6 has computers in their classrooms so all my
lessons are on power point - it's really useful because I can use
pictures of the internet to explain new words and things to the
students, I can also translate some English words into Chinese on the
computer.
CLAIRE
FROMAGE : Teaching Project (Cong Ming Island) October 2006
An e-mail from Clare just after she'd
arrived : Hey guys!! Hope you are all well?
In school at the moment, is my second day here and have taught four
lessons now. Am getting into the swing of talking v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y!!
The children and really cute and wave and shout hello whenever they see
me. They also wait outside my office and watch me eating lunch which is
a bit embarassing as am not exactly an expert with the chopsticks!
Mentioned in one of my lessons that I liked eating fish - since then I
have had fish porridge for breakfast, fish and rice for lunch and fish
soup for supper!! Also ate a pork skin stew yesterday - not going to
bother asking what I'm eating in future - think it's better not to
know!!
Am on an island off Shanghai (although it's still part of
Shanghai) and the school I'm working at is quite poor. There's over
1,000 students so pretty chaotic - in fact there's about 10 students
standing at the door now watching me type. From what I've seen of the
town it's pretty poor too. Get a rickshaw to work every morning though
which is fun! The lady who cleans my apartment spent over an hour with
me yesterday evening practising her english and trying to teach me some
chinese. There's a French guy who lives above me as well so have been
chatting to him a bit - never thought I'd say this but am actually
enjoying speaking French - it's so much easier than chinese!
For
some reason the teachers think I've never eaten watermelon before so
keep bringing them into school - don't mind since I like them but am
being fed constantly and don't feel like I can say no. Am going to be
huge when I get back!
Going to Shanghai this weekend and staying in the volunteers flat there.
The weekend after that am being taken on a tour of this island (which I
can't actually remember the name of) [Claire is on Cong Ming Island -
Elizabeth] so will take lots of photos and try
and e-mail them to you soon.
Better go as have another lesson in a few minutes, looking forward to
hearing from you!
Lots of love XXX
Claire's Feedback,
just before she finished her placement:
What experience do you feel you gained? The most
obvious experience I gained was of working in a school and teaching. The
teacher's were very laid-back and were happy for me to plan and deliver
lessons of my choice. Whilst perhaps slightly daunting, in retrospect I
think it was a great way for getting stuck-in and doing subjects that
were of interest to the children.
Other memorable experiences include everyday things that
happened on the island - such as getting a rickshaw (or tricycle as the
Chinese call them) to work, being fed oranges constantly (there are
loads of orange groves on the island), being taken fishing by the
teachers and having dinner at teacher's homes. I think this placement
offers an excellent opportunity for a more authentic experience of what
it feels like to live and work in a small, rural Chinese community. I
think I got more of a sense of actually living in China, rather than
just visiting China here.
What was the best thing about your placement?
Teaching - the children were all really enthusiastic and keen to learn.
Classes were a lot of fun and it was really satisfying when things went
well.
Being invited to teacher's homes for dinner - the food
was amazing and it was a good opportunity to meet lots of new people.
Could sometimes be quite tiring having to talk about favourite sports /
colour etc. every night, especially after a busy day in school. Think if
you were here for longer than one month you'd probably want a bit more
time to yourself! Really did enjoy evenings though, and everybody was
very kind and pleased for the opportunity for their children to practice
their English. Be prepared to be shown lots and lots of photos!
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else?
Definitely - placement offers the best of both worlds - you get to spend
the week teaching in a local rural school and experience life in a small
community, then at the weekends you get to visit Shanghai - a huge
cosmopolitan city
Can you describe a typical day? Usually got into
school between 7.30am-8am. Stayed at a local Middle School - apartment
really nice, had a double bed, t.v. (which didn't work very well), small
kitchen and bathroom with shower and western toilet (only squat toilets
at the school). Only a 10 minute walk to primary school where I was
teaching (so you could go home to use western toilet!). Would either
walk to work, or get a rickshaw. Teacher's wrote the name of the primary
school in Chinese for me so I'd just show it to the rickshaw men and
they'd take me. Only cost 2 yuan (14 yuan to 1 pound).
In the morning I'd send e-mails, do some planning for
lessons etc. I spent the first 2 weeks teaching the same introduction
lesson (with more or less activities / topics depending on the ability of
the pupils) to every class in the school. As each lesson was
fundamentally the same I'd only be told in the morning what lessons I'd
be teaching that day. Usually I taught 1-2 lessons before lunch, 1-2
lessons after lunch, then went home for an afternoon nap! Lunch was
provided by the school and was pretty good. I mentioned I liked fish on
one of my first days in school so I always had some kind of fish, along
with various vegetables, rice and soup. We ate lunch between 11-11.30am
After going home for a couple of hours around English
lunch time (12ish - 2ish), would usually go back into school and either
teach one more lesson, or chat with the English teachers. They were just
as keen as the students to practice their English and would often ask
for help with their work.
After school I'd be taken to a teacher's home and fed
constantly for about 2 hours. The food was absolutely amazing and there
was loads and loads of it. Must have put on at least a stone in a month!
The Chinese tradition of feeding guests as much as possible was
definitely in practice. I would recommend you start saying you're full
well before you actually are, as there was always more dishes brought
out and it was really hard to say 'no'!
Even when you did say no, it very rarely seemed to be
registered! After dinner would usually spend about 1 hour talking to
teacher's children, being shown family photographs, having photos taken,
and listening to various musical renditions! Would then be taken back to
Middle School.
At the weekends - would leave Cong Ming on Friday
afternoon and return Sunday lunch time. Rest of weekend was spent in
Shanghai with the other volunteers. Would go sight-seeing together in
the day then out drinking in the evening. Was really good having other
English people to talk to and we had loads of fun pottering around
Shanghai.
SARAH
JOHNSON
: Teaching Project October 2006
Dear Elizabeth,
China is amazing. When u look out of the hotel room, u
can see buildings that look as though they are from Romania, with
washing hung out on poles and flat roofs. Others look English with beams
and pointed roofs. Then there are dark brick sturdy flats that are
reminiscent of New York. It is a heady mix which is hard to get used to,
it feels as though Shanghai is developing quickly and the battle for
tradition vs modernity is volatile. As u look beyond the flat top
buildings u see across the river, tall neon sky scarpers all manner of
sizes, this is people's square the equivalent of Oxford street and the
hubbub if Shanghai.
We met up with Emma another volunteer,
she is lovely, the journalist. We go out for meals and the Chinese are
very welcoming to us, they all stare at Emma's long blonde hair.
We are all planning a trip to Beijing next month, 12 hours on a train
though, we would have to stay there for the weekend, looking forward to
it. We can more than afford it, 1 pound is equivalent to 13 Yuan and we
are paying average 3-4 pound for dinner everyday and we do not have any
other expenses.
Shopping is fantastic, so many lil boutiques and the clothes inside are
very modern western, but at Chinese prices. Lee went to the dojo the
other day and cant wait to start. Our diet it very good out here
everything is fresh, we still have noodles, dumplins and spring rolls
for breakfast. On the menu in the evening is ox tripe, octopus, shark,
bullfrog and many other delicacies. If not in people's square there are
Western eating places and a Starbucks.
So I’m having a great time – I’ve never been to a place
like this before, there is something about it which i cant describe,
that makes it more intriguing. The language barrier is present but we
make an effort and they do to. The people are really quite poor, some of
the houses and clothes are what we would consider almost poverty but,
they don’t. They work so hard and don’t pursue materialistic things,
just a happy family. The new generation at my age are a bit different,
Shanghai is proud to be international, and they want a lot of the
pleasures of the West. This is a shame as it will come at the compromise
of thousands of years of tradition, but it will bring a whole new feel
and energy to the city…. Just a natural process.
I am in a primary school and the teaching staff are very welcoming and
I’m treated like a princess. The other volunteers I have met, Emma and
Claire are fab! We went out sat night, went out for drinks and crazy
karokoe at a place called Party World, we got home at 2 and with
basically no voices. lol
China is very complex, i went to the Shanghai art museum, and was blown
away! So much needed to be expressed - the art reflected this!
I have mastered the metro and the buses. Thanks to the mandarin course
getting taxis and eating out isn’t a problem.
I just have to get used to the pace of
things. I’M usually up at 7 at school for 9 and finish at 3.30. I get
back to the flat plan some more lessons, make dinner, have a shower then
off to bed. lol
The w-ends are kewl, we meet up with the others and go on littler
adventures, next week Yu Gardens maybe.
Thank you for all of your organizing, everything has gone smoothly.
Sarah Johnson x
LEE
HAMMOND
: Teaching Project October 2006
What experience do you feel you gained? I feel I have gained a
great life experience while I have been here. Experiencing a new culture
has taught me a lot about China, Britain and myself. The experience will
change my life for the better.
What was the best thing about your
placement? The best thing about my placement so far is being able to
work with great teachers and students who value education. I have been
made to feel welcome by all which is fantastic especially when you are
missing home.
Would you
recommend this placement to anyone else? I would recommend this
placement to anyone who wants to experience a different way of life.
What type of person do you think this placement would
suit? I think it would suit anyone who likes a challenge and is not
afraid of working hard and those who are not yet sure on their career
path. If anything on the placement you will grow in confidence and
understanding.
Can you describe a typical day? I walk 20 mins to
school and arrive there at 7am. I have breakfast with the other
teachers. Classes start at 7.55am. I teach 10 classes a week. when I am
not teaching I help the teachers and students with their spoken English.
Lunch is at 11.20-12.20 and classes stop at 12. I finish the day at 4pm.
I am also involved in helping with the 'English festival' in the school
to celebrate their English skills. I am helping to direct 2 plays, the
sound of music and the merchant of Venice. I am also giving a speech to
the school on the opening day of the festival, so I am very busy.
I am very grateful that I have been given this
opportunity and will remember it forever.
ELLA
ORMEROD
: Teaching Project 2006
What
experience do you feel you gained? I already believe that this
placement has had a positive impact on me. The fact that I was able to
do all this on my own, leave the comfort of my own country and fly half
way around the world to learn one of the most difficult languages out
there is no small task, yet I managed it. I have met here some really
lovely people from all over the world whom I would never have met
otherwise, and as I learn more of the language, the experience can only
get better.
What is the work like? It’s difficult but not impossible! The
teaching is great, when the class is being good. Otherwise it’s a whole
different ball game. I have loved every excruciating minute though and
would do it all over again. The kids are gems and the affection and fun
you get from them makes up for all the moments that drive me crazy! All
in all…..it’s brilliant.
Is it meeting your expectations? Yes. The accommodation is great
and so is our position in Shanghai we are so close to all
the action!
Do you find you have enough work? Definitely! I teach 15 lessons
a week which I found a lot at the beginning but it keeps me busy and
stops me spending money elsewhere! I have weekends off and time on week
days to do what I want too so it is perfect. The weeks are rushing by
now and Fridays come very quickly.
What do you enjoy the most about your placement? The kids are
definitely the high point of the placement. They really appreciate you
and are so much fun to be around. Good classes that have gone well and
you feel the kids have really learnt something are certainly high
points!
Would you recommend this placement to another person; If yes what
type of type of person would it suit? I would recommend it to
anyone. Someone with patience, who likes kids – even when they are
horrible! Anyone with confidence wanting to try somewhere totally
different.
Can you describe a typical day? The school I am in is
great...really near everything in the city - walking distance from the
bund so we are really lucky as some of the others schools aren't quite
so near. I am teaching grade one and three, all of which are mad and a
little uncontrollable! I work from a syllabus so I know what I have to
teach and I also have a text book so it's ok. Planning lessons are
relatively easy. I usually get up at 7.30- the other two volunteers have
a 15min lesson at 7.30 so it's nice to stay in bed just to annoy them!
Then I have breakfast if I feel like it - the food here is really good
and I love using chopsticks but I sometimes find brekkie just a little
too much in the mornings! I’ll normally head to my office about 7.45 and
get ready for lesson if I have one. The kids do exercises at that time -
it's like aerobics in the playground and all the pupils march out to the
national anthem and raise the flag and then dance away. It is so surreal
to watch 7yr olds marching properly in line. It’s a little creepy
actually! Then I have lessons. If I have the morning off (not often!)
then I usually stay in bed or go for a mooch around Shanxi road or
Shanghai clothes market. There is so much to do around here it's
impossible to be bored but it's also easy to be very, very lazy! (with a
TV and DVD player in the room and DVDs costing about 70 pence). We will
usually have lunch at about 11.15 if we haven't eaten brekkie. The food
is good although a little repetitive - you get used to rice very
quickly! I am veggie which I thought would be really difficult. When you
are in a restaurant trying to say “no meat” as the menu is in Chinese
then it gets a little tedious, but the school has been great and the
kitchen staff know me now so they just slap some veg on my plate! Then
more teaching or looking around Shanghai or planning lessons. We have
dinner at 5.30 and either go out for a few drinks with the volunteers or
just stay in!
Jessie has been great about everything and we do rely on her a lot! All
the volunteers will usually see each other once a week if not more and I
have made some great friends out here already. I must admit sticking to
my budget of 50pounds a week hasn't been easy and I do have to watch
what I do but it is possible.
Hello Elizabeth! Thought I would just email you to say everything is great
out here and I am having a wonderful time. Shanghai is an amazing
city..there is something so traditionally Chinese about it and then it is
so cosmopolitan at the same time! We have had some really good nights out
so far and have seen a lot of the sights already!
AMY SMILES
: Mandarin University Course Project 2006
What
experience do you feel you gained? I already believe that this
placement has had a positive impact on me. The fact that I was able to
do all this on my own, leave the comfort of my own country and fly half
way around the world to learn one of the most difficult languages out
there is no small task, yet I managed it. I have met here some really
lovely people from all over the world whom I would never have met
otherwise, and as I learn more of the language, the experience can only
get better.
What was the best thing about your placement? The
whole thing!! My room mate is fantastic, she's from Thailand, she seems
to have taken me under her wing! She feeds me, cleans the room and helps
me with my Chinese as she is at a much higher level than me, in return I
help her with her English. Communication is slow but we get by with the
help of a dictionary, phrasebook and sign language!
Would you recommend this placement to
anyone else? Yes I would, but they have to be prepared for a huge
culture shock. I knew things would be very different out here, but I
never could have anticipated this!! China is so very different from
anywhere else. Plus in Yantai they are unaccustomed to foreigners and so
going out on your own can be daunting at first as people stand and stare
at you, I've known people fall over and walk into things because they've
been so busy staring at us westerners!!
What type of person do you think this
placement would suit? Someone who is patient. Things tend to happen
very slowly in China, they love paper work and this can get a little
irritating after a while. You need to be open minded and realise you're
in a place completely different to your own country.
Can you describe a typical day? (e.g
Start time, morning duties, lunch hours, afternoon duties, any other
duties? ) Lessons start at 8am, so I get up around 6.45 to allow time
for a shower and getting dressed. It's a 3/5 minute walk from the
accomodation to the classroom. Everyday there is a comprihension class,
usually first period, with a 15 minute break every 45 minutes. At 9.40
we get a 20 minute break til the second period begins, this is either
reading, spoken or listening. Lessons finish at 11.40, at this point
28,000 students try to get food at 8 dining halls! we tend to eat off
campus as it is nearly as cheap, but the places are slightly quieter
plus the food is better! Afternoon classes are all optional and run
between 2pm and 3.40 - the only one I'm taking is Tai Chi. On the other
days, the afternoon is free. We use this time to study, catch up on
homework, going shopping, or to the beach, sometimes we take a trip into
town, or just stay in out room, watch tv, read etc.
I couldn't have done this without the
help of travellers, thank you for all your help Amy
JONATHAN
WATSON : Teaching Project 2006
What
experience do you feel you are gaining? Confidence talking in front
of a class, an insight into Chinese learning methods, children and their
culture in general. Understanding the variety of themes that make up an
interesting lesson. I enjoy being able to plan lessons and create new
topics that are sucessful with my imagination.
Would you recommend this placement to anyone else? Yes - I had a
lot of fun experiencing the culture and teaching
What type of person do you think this
placement would suit? Someone who has the confidence to teach and is
willing to have both their own good ideas and the ability to co-operate
with others' ideas. You should be interested in learning about Chinese
culture, and be happy to accept its differences
Thanks - I really enjoyed this placement
and had a wonderful experience travelling around China. Jessie was a
fantastic host and I really liked having the Shanghai flat as a base.
EDWARD
SALTON : Teaching Project 2006
How did you
find Travellers Service? Brilliant - Elizabeth is doing a great job.
Very enthusiastic, always returned calls.
What was the work like? The work was fantastic. The number of
lessons was perfect and the support from the school was good. All the
volunteers were well monitored, ensuring both the students and
volunteers got the most out of the experience. The whole teaching
experience was a very enjoyable challenge. I taught children from 7-13
years old. I taught oral English lessons focussed on English Culture.
How did you find Jessie? (Travellers
Shanghai Manager) Jessie is full of energy and great fun. She loves
working with the volunteers.
What did you enjoy most about your
placement? The teaching and the social aspect. Arriving in China and
immediately meeting 15-20 other English volunteers is a fantastic set-up
and helped everyone to get the most out of their placement.
All of the different experiences made the
whole experience a fantastic time of my life which I will never forget.
RUAIRIDH
COUSTON : Teaching Project 2006
How did you
find Travellers Service? Travellers were very helpful, whenever
something was asked or wanted it was provided to the best level.
What was the work like? It was really enjoyable
and I missed teaching once I had stopped. It was a new experience and a
very good one to build up confidence to stand up and teach others. It
was such an an amazng experience and I felt I learnt a lot from doing
it.
How did you find Jessie? (Travellers
Shanghai Manager) Very supportive, positive, helpful and always
there when needed. It's a big comfort knowing [she's] there if needed.
What did you enjoy most about your
placement? Living in a different country and experiencing the
culture first hand... Seeing lots of different and amazing places.
My placement was an unbelievable
experience and I had an amazing time - Thank you for helping me to have
such a great experience!
SANDY
LENNOX: Teaching Project 2006
What
experience do you feel you gained? I feel that I have experienced
what it is like to live as the Chinese do. Living on the school
premises I have got to know the area I live in very well and even some
of the locals.
Seeing the difference in the way they live has opened my
eyes to a new world that I knew nothing about before.
What
was the best thing about your placement? The best thing about this
placement is the teaching. The children are great and get so excited
that have come to teach them. They call me by my Chinese name (which
Jessie [Travellers Shanghai Manager] made up for me) which makes me feel
right at home here and less of a tourist. They can get a bit loud
sometimes but they are very motivated and hard working. It is really
rewarding teaching them and its great fun.
Would
you recommend this placement to anyone else? Yes, i would recommend
this placement. Jessie is very helpful so you can ask her anything.
Its very good if you are wanting to travel afterwards because you get
used to living in China before heading out on your own.
What
type of person do you think this placement would suit? Anybody who
wants to have a go at teaching English in a country where everyone is
desperate to learn it. You have to be open minded and accept that
things are different here.
Can you describe a typical day? (e.g Start time, morning duties, lunch
hours, afternoon duties, any other duties…. ) I get up
at 6.45 every morning for breakfast at 7.15. After breakfast there is
assembly which involves the whole school out in the playground. There
is marching music whilst they file onto the basket ball court. Then the
national anthem is played during the raising of the China flag. If i am
teaching, the first lesson is at 8.15 and lasts for 35 minutes. All
other lessons are the same length with a five minute gap between each.
Lunch is at 11.30 (early, but having taught all morning you need it!).
Afternoon lessons start at 12.45 and go onto 3.15. I usually teach in
the morning and then plan my lessons for the next day in the afternoon.
The timing of lessons is frequently played around by higher authorities
but usually i'm told before.
SIMON
TRINH: Teaching Project
I am enjoying my
teaching. They were very interested in me and all my classes were a
pleasure to teach. One day I received so many little presents from my
students ages 11-13, and at the end of the day I had two bags full of
presents. I was also given birthday presents and the headmaster treated me
to dinner.
I teach 20 lessons a
week now, and I enjoy them very much. It is so good seeing the students
learn and remember things that we taught them the week before.
I was invited to a
village where I helped stick lucky messages for Spring Festival and I ate
with the student’s family. This is an experience I will never forget and I
am going back next Summer to see my friends.
SYLVIA HUE
: Teaching Project
I’m back
for a month now almost and there are so many things I want to say about
the experience, it’s definitely one of the most unforgettable things I’ve
done in my very average life so far. I’d better start with the teaching
itself – I taught 13 classes a week, about 2-4 a day which isn’t much
compared to some other volunteers, and nothing at all compared to the
students themselves (they have extraordinary school hours). My kids range
from 12 to 18 year-olds, and while at first I thought the older ones would
be difficult to manage it turned out that it was easier with them because
we’re closer in age and they could relate to me better. The young ones
were a bit trickier because they understood so little English, and each
week I had to rack my brains churning out more games to keep them engaged
(they loved games – even hide and seek cheered them up no end.)
The Chinese attitude towards education is a lot stricter
than that of Western countries and everyone (teachers, students, parents)
takes studying dead seriously. On top of that there appears to be a craze
to learn English in China as well, partly because of the 2008 Olympics.
Most of my kids were lovely, though of course there were bad days when
they’d riot or worse show no interest at all. But a good class would make
everything worthwhile again and as they respond to your jokes or games or
stories it’s an incredibly special feeling,
exhilarating and uplifting and heart-warming at the same time.
The thing I miss most is probably its people – they are so
openly friendly and honest, bordering even on a childlike directness,
in a way you’d hardly ever see in a more sophisticated city like Hong
Kong. I made good friends with the teachers and it was a sad, sad scene
indeed when I had to leave. I can’t begin to say how much these three
months mean to me – it has made me less shy and more open, less
self-conscious and more confident, more daring at least when it comes to
looking silly for the students’ sake. Thanks so much for everything!
J
LINA JOSHI: Teaching
Project
When I first arrived I was overwhelmed at
everything ... I went out for some food and became
accustomed to the Chinese chopsticks! I was terrified but when I
think about it now, I just laugh - I am now a master of the art of
chopsticks!
People bent over backwards to help me especially the teachers and headmasters at the school where
I worked. The accommodation was lovely and much much more than
I expected. It was right in the heart of a Chinese community which was really good. Made lots of friends with the locals and they were all very friendly and always said
nihaw when they saw me walking past.
The teaching was brilliant, the students were so interested and really
funny, and they were always eager and attentive. I was very nervous but then after a few lessons it was a piece of cake and the students helped me
to relax.
I had a lot of fun teaching and found it really rewarding, one of the best things that
I have ever decided to do. I gained so much from it in the sense that I got an insight into
Chinese lifestyle. I also went off to places for the weekend with the other volunteers and had a total blast, made
a lot of good friends and socialised most nights with the beer flowing very cheaply.
Overall I have nothing bad to say about china only wish
I was still there. I have many fond memories that will always be with me.
I hope this is useful and feel free to give my email to anyone that wants to ask me any questions.
Thank you for all your help over the past 6 months, much appreciated.
Thank You Notes from
Parents
Hi. I just thought that I'd drop
you a note to say that Gordon arrived back safely just before New Year. He
had a fantastic time, met lots of new friends, loved China - and is going
back out to visit people in China in July / August this year before he
goes to university.
I'd also like to say a big than you to
you for helping him with everything - before and during his placement - it
was nice to know that we could contact you so easily and that you could
action everything so easily.
Many thanks again for your help - it
really was much appreciated.
Regards
Martin
Dear Liz
Please pass onto your colleagues the news that
Jonathan hugely enjoyed the time he spent under your placements. He is
finding China very interesting and people have been most hospitable,
especially at the first school he worked at.
My personal thanks to both Elizabeth and Jessie (in Shanghai),
especially when mobile phones have been tricky and travel plans have
changed.
I'm sure Jonathan will be in touch once he is back home
Best wishes
Wendy
Suite 2A, Caravelle House, 17/19 Goring
Road, Worthing,
West Sussex, BN12 4AP, England
Tel: +44 (0)1903 502595 Fax: +44 (0)1903 708179
Email:
info@travellersworldwide.com
.
+44 01903 502595
