WORK CONTENT AND DESCRIPTION
One of the many joys of this project is that not only will you have the opportunity
to work at a school in Yangzhou, but you'll also have the added bonus of assisting
at a Kindergarten, too. Therefore you'll have a unique and varied experience which
will look great on your CV! You may find that you will spend your time at the Kindergarten
for most of the week and then take two or three lessons at other schools on pre
planned days, or vice versa - it all depends on what help is required at the time.
I would definitely recommend this
placement to everyone - anyone with any interest in teaching English abroad, to
anyone who wants to visit China and learn about the Chinese way of life. I am very
glad that I decided to do this placement - it has really been worthwhile.
- Suhrid Joshi
Your lessons will usually be a combination of teaching from the standard text book
and teaching lessons of your own design (although some schools prefer one or other
predominantly, and it will always depend on the age range you're working with).
Your personal lesson plans can include anything from your hobbies and interests
to current affairs and local news as subject matter. Language games always go down
extremely well too. The students absolutely adore hearing about your home life,
so make sure to bring photographs of your family and friends to show them.
With slight alterations depending on which age group you're teaching, the vast majority
of your teaching will usually concentrate on improving the students' conversational
English; familiarising them with proper pronunciation and increasing their confidence.
They’re often exemplary at English grammar but have had so little practice with
spoken English that they make many mistakes... This is where you come in!
Sometimes you will be teaching classes on your own and sometimes with a Chinese
English
teacher present – it differs depending on the particular school or centre you are
placed at. Usually, you will at least spend the first couple of weeks of your placement
assisting a Chinese teacher. Also, there will usually be a classroom assistant present
who will assist you with translations.
If you are confident in any other subjects, then you can integrate these into your
lessons – discussions about the environment and European history are especially
popular. It is amazing how facts that we know and take for granted can be fascinating
to others. While you may be amazed by the magnitude of the Great Wall or the Forbidden
City, your pupils will be equally fascinated by stories of English Kings and Queens,
USA Presidents, or any other famous figures from your home country.
You may also have the chance to help out with “English Activity Time” at some schools
– which can include mask making, playing monopoly and other fun activities! ‘English
Corner’ is always fun too – students fire all manner of questions at you in order
to practice their English! In some schools, you may also have the opportunity to
teach science, music, PE, art or drama. If you would like to take
advantage of this opportunity, please let us know when you complete your questionnaires.
These are all secondary options and must be taken with an English teaching placement,
not instead of.
You are not expected to be an expert on grammar or literature; the important thing
is to help the students speak better English. If you feel that you are able to
give more advanced lessons where appropriate, you'll have the opportunity to do
so by arranging it with the school while you're there.
We provide you with a Teaching Suggestions Booklet which
has ideas for teaching English, but will also help structuring lessons in other
subjects. Video facilities are available in some schools and audio equipment is
quite commonplace.
PROJECT DATES:
Teaching is available during school term times only. The Autumn Term starts
from 1st September and usually finishes mid-January, depending on the time of Chinese
Spring Festival. The Spring Term starts from middle February and finishes at the
end of June. Schools will close for the holidays mentioned above.
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS IN CHINA:
All projects will break for Chinese National Holidays. The main events are:
Chinese New Year - usually sometime in late January or early February. All projects
will break for 1 or 2 weeks for New Year
May Holiday – usually the first week of May. Most projects break for 3-7 days
October Holiday – usually the first week of October. Most projects break for 3-7
days. There are also a number of shorter holidays throughout the year where some
projects will be closed. You are very welcome to join a project during holiday time,
however you will not be able to work if your project is closed.