I Never Wanted to Be a Teacher until I Taught in China Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was about average and the grading system was fairly easy. As long as you finish everything and try your best, you should receive a good grade.

On-site administration of your program

The program was a great opportunity to teach English to foreigners as well as learn about the Chinese culture. The staff of the summer camp were friendly, too; however, some weaknesses of the program would be doing things at the last minute and few resources. Because the school does not make much money off the summer camp, I can get by with a few resources, but I wished the faculty would have let us know which age group we were teaching ahead of time so I could have prepared better.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments were right on campus which was convenient because students could immediately go back to their rooms to work and were given more free time because we didn't have to leave campus and come back. The staff at the apartments were quite friendly and helpful, too.

I really appreciated the fact that the summer camp tried to provide food that matched our American taste; however, the food was the same for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the cost varied despite that fact. The food was often cold, too, but it was pretty good still and the staff was friendly.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I really enjoyed everywhere I went in China, especially the Great Wall in Beijing, a zoo/ aquarium in Dongguan, and the Big Buddha in Hong Kong.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Overall, traveling around the city was safe, but I would not suggest traveling alone unless its by day (mainly for girls). Some advice would be to make sure you know where you're going, make sure your taxi driver knows were you're going, and if you're going somewhere with Chinese friends, make sure at least one of them is in your taxi cab so that they can explain directions to the driver. I say this because a group of students from my school got lost in China in a taxi cab. It could have been avoided if one of the Chinese TAs went with them.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Select all that apply

• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Teaching
• Making friends
• Traveling and experiencing the culture

• Better preparation