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China - Africa and Asia Venture

China

Gap Year Teaching in China 

Where?

Your Gap Year teaching project in China will see you teaching at University and schools in Emei. Emei is 96 kilometres southwest of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, and lies at the eastern edge of the mountains that form the Tibetan plateau (China Map>>). It is cooler, less arid and with fewertemperature extremes than Beijing, Shanghai and the eastern cities. Some of the scenery is stunning.

Chengdu is the home of Taoism, whilst Mount Emeishan is one of four mountains of deep significance to Chinese Buddhists and also important to Martial Arts' enthusiasts.

Emei is one of China’s new cities. With a population of around 300,000 it is tiny by Chinese standards, but it contains a university campus and a number of schools. Leshan is a combination of old and new, with a population of 3 million. The people are very friendly and you will be made welcome with a beaming smile!

There are bars and clubs (but burnish your karaoke skills!). Furthermore, Sichuanese food has a world class reputation.

Outline Experience

China Teaching Dates & Costs

What and Why?

Your group will be based in Emei, around the university, and will provide English lessons for the university and for schools around Emei.

Emei Campus (7000 students) is part of South West Jiaotang University, largely based in Chengdu. Emei has a Foreign Language (mostly English) department in which you would assist teachers by providing structured practical lessons. In addition, as part of your Gap Year teaching placement, you will run informal conversation lessons, which could be attended by students from other disciplines with a need for English (e.g. tourism and hospitality). This is an easy route to making lots of friends whilst volunteering in China and, since most will be living in university accommodation, you should be able to make a pretty busy social life.

Schools vary from the 200 pupil Huang Wan (Clear Waters) School to the 3000 pupil No 2 Middle School. The bigger schools are modern, large, medium rise and have excellent athletics' facilities. All schools have classes of around 50, often split for English lessons to 25. Classrooms are good but basic, with chalk and blackboard, though there are some ICT classrooms in the university and colleges. There are remnants of Maoism in the architecture but overall the welcome smiles are huge and there seems more attention paid to Buddhism than to politics!

Gap Year Living

Whilst volunteering in China you will live on the university or college campus in modern flats, six to eight in a flat, with kitchen, bathroom and sitting room; or, near the flat, in single rooms with kitchenette and bathroom attached, and two or more on the same floor. All accommodation is among the Chinese students, so you are unlikely to lack friends! Dress is western, but few students have much money to spend so you may drink more tea (Chinese, green) than beer (9% vol) or spirits (but beware the formal toast!) There are plenty of restaurants, a university canteen, and a university hotel. Public transport is good.

Gap Year Travel

Once you have completed your Gap Year teaching placement you will have the chance to see some of the most amazing sights in the world. Locally, the summit of Mount Emeishan, renowned for its beauty, is a two day trek. You can get close by car/bus and even be carried up! You can also trek in the approaches to Tibet, an area of amazing natural beauty and explored by very few. There are Red Pandas on Mount Emeishan and Giant Pandas close to Chengdu.

Further afield, there is the Great Wall, and of course the Terracotta Warriors at Xian. We think you might fancy a trip on the new railway to Lhasa where oxygen is available when you cross the higher passes. Or perhaps the Yellow River and Chunking?

Gap Year Safari

The AV safari will take place in the Yaan area to the west of Emei.  It is a region of stunning natural beauty, with mountain peaks, grasslands lakes, streams and watefalls all in vivid colours.  You will visit a Tibetan village, explore gorges and astonishing caves in areas to which few western tourists ever go.  There is plenty of wildlife including Giant Pandas.  At the end you will return to Emei before flying back from Chengdu ....unless, of course, you feel that is more of China that you haven't yet seen and needs attention! 

And Afterwards...

If you're like 99% of those who have been before you, you'll agree that it will have been the best four months of your life so far. You'll find leaving difficult...and returning easy!  We say that "Once an AV, always an AV!" What this means is that you will be joining an exclusive club that will be there for you to help out if you ever get into difficulties and will always be pleased to see you again in China. As an AV, we hope your relationship with us will continue long after your initial time in China.

China Teaching Itinerary l China Teaching Dates and Costs l China Teaching Facts

Useful Stuff to know about volunteering in China.

CHINA PHOTO GALLERY

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