Teaching adventure in China fantastic for GV woman

Teaching English in China; meeting bright, English-speaking university students; and delving into that ancient country’s fascinating culture was a fabulous experience last summer for Green Valley resident Sue Spiewak.

“I like to travel with some meaning,” Spiewak says, explaining that she was overseas for almost five weeks, starting with a two-week tour of Shanghai, Beijing and Xi’an.

After the tour, she and the others in the Teaching for Friendship group spent three weeks helping students at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology improve their English-speaking skills.

This school in the central China city of Wuhan considers itself the MIT of China and its students are “very smart, polite, friendly and eager to share their experiences,” says Bill Ingram, president and founder of the Teach for Friendship Foundation

Since 2002, this nonprofit, Tucson-based organization has been taking native English speakers to China, usually for the month July, to help strengthen Chinese students’ ability to speak English and build bridges of friendship between China and the United States.

The TFF program focuses on helping students speak English more clearly and confidently as well as on cultural exchange between teachers and students.

Ingram says the program appeals to people who are interested in experiencing Chinese culture, are open to new ideas, and are flexible and congenial.

Applicants between the ages of 30 and 70 must be native English speakers in excellent health and humor with at least a bachelor’s degree in any field or be otherwise well-qualified.

Written applications and in-person or telephone interviews are required.

Free accommodations

The teachers receive free accommodations in Western facilities and a “cost of living” stipend paid by the Chinese educational institution. Although small by American standards, the stipend is enough to pay for food, laundry and other items. In addition, all teachers get a teaching assistant/translator.

Teachers are responsible for their own airfare, and a TFF travel bureau consultant can arrange reasonably priced fares.

Teaching experience is not required, and training sessions are provided prior to arriving in China, Ingram and Spiewak say.

“I’m not a teacher,” says Spiewak, who has a background in business. And she admits feeling anxious about getting up in front of a class of Chinese university students in their mid-20s.

But armed with the TFF training and teaching guide, plus a selection of conversational topics, Spiewak enjoyed herself and developed a fondness for her students during the three weeks in the classroom.

“You didn’t have to be a teacher to enjoy the experience and be of value to the program,” she notes.

The tour of China was fantastic, Spiewak says, and the accommodations in Wuhan were comparable to a mid-range U.S. motel.

Each teacher gets his or her own room, a Western-style bathroom with shower, a tea pot and a television, although very little programming is in English.

The food on the university campus is excellent, Ingram adds.

30 percent repeat

He notes that since 2002, more than 800 teachers have traveled to China with TFF and only a handful have come back saying the experience was not for them. Thirty percent of the teachers go back a second time.

Also, Hubei Province has presented TFF with its Bell Chime Award for its contributions to economic and educational development of the province, which includes Wuhan.

Two trips, open to approximately 40 teachers each, are planned for July and September 2009.

An introductory session on these programs for those interested in learning more is set for Sunday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. at Tucson’s Udall Park Center, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road. For details, visit online at teachforfriendship.com.

kwalenga@gvnews.com | 547-9739