Teaching English abroad

Reports from Leicester students at Tsinghua University English Summer Camp, July 2011

Sarah Moore (final year)

My experience of the Tsinghua Summer camp was incredible.  At first I found it a little daunting teaching students of around my own age, but they were so happy to learn and I got used to it so quickly.  By the end I had grown very attached to my students and was quite sad to leave.  Before I came to the camp I already wanted to be a teacher, and being made to plan and teach lessons completely by myself has not only given me invaluable experience to put on my CV, but has also helped me to understand what it feels like to be a teacher, and has made me even more determined to pursue this goal. 

James Waller (second year)

Participating in the Tsinghua English Summer Camp 2011 was simply an unforgettable experience. The camp provided invaluable teaching experience by having your own class three times per day, as well giving the opportunity to immerse ourselves in Chinese culture, see some of China's most breathtaking sights and make many friends from across the globe. The experience has led me to take a TEFL course and given me the desire to teach English as a foreign language after graduation.

Elliot Armitage (final year)

The Tsinghua English Summer Camp was perhaps one of the most eye-opening opportunities I have experienced to date. Each day we taught classes until 3pm, and then joined up with the other classes for a competition. The competition throughout the camp would be singing, speech, and debate, and each discipline provided some spectacular results. The songs, of course, had to be English (or translated into English) and we certainly had an eclectic mix of songs - Ranging from Westlife to the Soviet National Anthem! The Speech competition and debate also covered some sensitive issues too, ranging from homosexuality and oppression to internet censorship and free Speech - risky subjects to say the least. All were confidently and passionately dealt with- a real accomplishment of the camp. I absolutely loved my students and the camp, and the country itself is pretty amazing too! Thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and would love to do it again.