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Itinerary - Gap-Year-Teaching-China - Africa and Asia Venture
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Itinerary - Gap-Year-Teaching-China - Africa and Asia Venture
Itinerary
You will fly to Bangkok and then on to Chengdu. This will take about 20 hours (or more, if the flights are difficult). On arrival at Chengdu International Airport, Rosie Massingham, Robert Liu or Zoe Ren Lirong, AV's representatives in Emei, will meet you. After a short welcome you will continue your journey by bus to Emei, some 90 kilometres southwest of Chengdu.
Once at Emei, you will check into the University hotel, where the Orientation Course will take place. During the course you will move into your accommodation, which is close to the hotel, and have time to settle there whilst:
- Learning, or improving, your Chinese (Mandarin).
- Discussing some of the cultural and historical background to the modern Chinese society.
- Learning and rehearsing ideas for teaching and practising English.
- Discussing safety issues.
- Finding out something of Sichuanese cooking.
You will live in the University accommodation in Emei. The buildings are for university staff but are close to the student accommodation. Depending on numbers, you will either have a flat, with 6 - 8 sharing, living space, kitchen and bathroom or, across the road, a single room with kitchen/bathroom attached and with 2 or more of you on the same floor. All accommodation is within a quiet and secure area.
Most Chinese students cook for themselves. However, there are restaurants within easy walking of your accommodation or you can stay at home and polish your rice cooking skills, too!
You will teach, or help with teaching, for about 12 weeks either in the University's English Language Department or in one of the local schools.
You and your teaching partner will walk from your house to your university campus or school each day in time for the start of school (around 8.30 am). One or 2 of you may get to go by bus!
The university's English Language Department is on the Emei Campus, as are some business and tourism students. Those teaching at university will provide conversation practice in support of English teachers - usually by splitting the class. In addition, you will be asked to provide informal conversation outside the classroom to both English students and those of other disciplines wishing to improve their English.
Most schools are middle schools up to aged 16. Schools are a mix of smaller, traditional schools built in the Maoist era, and bigger, new schools of up to 3000 pupils. In either case the classes are normally 50 students, again split in half for conversation practice.
In most schools children are taught in Chinese, but you will teach English in English (though occasional explanations in Chinese help!). There are some foreign teachers in university and occasionally foreign teachers in schools.
The newer schools and the University have good gyms, athletics tracks and football pitches as well as many small pitch sports (basketball, volleyball, table tennis etc). All efforts to help with sports will be greatly appreciated.
The head of English or the English teachers will be your main friends, initially, but some other members of staff will also have enough English to become friends - as will many students! You won't be lonely!
At weekends you may take part in school or university activities or see a bit of Sichuan scenery. Perhaps climb Mount Emeishan, in search of the Golden Halo, or visit the worlds largest Buddha at nearby Leshan. Or even some club and karaoke time in Chengdu....!
- The Great Wall? There is plenty of it!
- Visiting Guilin and the beautiful River Li, where boatmen fish using cormorants (with rings round their necks to stop the swallowing their catch!)?
- Seeing Kunming, its lake and limestone forest?
- Viewing the Terracotta Warriors - all of them! - in Xiang?
- Taking the train to Lhasa, seeing the Potala Palace, once home to the Dalai Lama (but you may need oxygen as you cross the highest passes)?
- Head north into the empty spaces around Urumqi or into Mongolia?
- Or just head for Beijing or Shanghai?
Of course, if you run out of time you can always extend you insurance, change your flight (your ticket will be flexible) and give yourself more time. As long as you keep in touch and travel with someone else, we will do what we can to support you.
After Independent Travel you will return to Thailand, travel south to the coral-rich island of Koh Tao whose clear waters has made it home to numerous diving schools. Here, with Big Blue's superb instructors, you will undertake the PADI Open Water Basic course and enjoy one day's fun diving or, by adding around £70, convert that day into a PADI advanced course which will qualify you to dive almost anywhere in the world. Or you can enjoy any of the island's other occupations - snorkelling, boating, or just soaking up the sun. Aaaaah!
Your ticket home will be booked to fly out from Chengdu via Bangkok. You may want to consider seeing Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam or any number of wonderful destinations in the area whilst you are there.
