After seeing how much some students suffer under the relentless Chinese curriculum, I worked with a social enterprise to teach quiet and struggling students to feel more confident in the classroom. We spent the summer fostering their self-respect, teaching them constructive criticism and introducing them to public speaking. This also allowed me to develop my understanding of Chinese culture and in turn, challenge my own perceptions of learning. The experience I have gained will allow me to set up an English-speaking surf school in an economically deprived area of Japan.

Reasons to be worried 害怕的理由

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….and, of course, the language barrier!

Yangshuo, Guangxi Province

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Meeting the students

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I now keep in regular contact with my students. It was mutually beneficial to learn about each other’s cultures and lives. I hope that I have inspired them to broaden their horizons and realise that academic success is only one leg of the journey to happiness. I firmly believe that true happiness starts from within.