Visits to Schools Around the University

Before Monday’s cultural lecture, the group met in the lobby at 8:30am and walked to the Kindergarten just outside of the University’s gates. There are a Kindergarten, an elementary school and a junior and senior high school connected to the University, especially the University’s international school. The University’s intention in developing this relationship is that students will be cultivated from a very early age for specific language capabilities and can get the most advanced start in relation to their peers who will one day compete with them for jobs.

Each morning before the day begins, students march to the central play area of the Kindergarten and march in line, exercise and dance to songs. Teachers lead the children and teach them new steps and dances every couple of weeks. Similar activities are held at each school. The UW group has seen several college students wearing fatigue shirts and pants and marching in line, learning to stand straight and learning military-style walking and marching.

After the morning exercises, the students marched off to various classrooms and the UW students were allowed to walk around and watch classes being conducted. Aside from the large number of students per class, activities and the general feel of the school was similar to a Kindergarten in America, though bigger and with more advanced facilities.

The UW students returned to the dormitory for the education lecture and then had lunch. After lunch they walked to the middle school. At the middle school, several Chinese women talked about their lives as English teachers at the middle school. Classes range from 44 to 56 students and the students attend school from 8:30am until 5:30pm. While all schools in China have a two to two and a half hour lunch break, many of the schools require that students stay on campus during the break. This middle school, however, allows children to return home. Of the 2,000 students, only 150 to 200 stay during the lunch break every day.

One class period is forty minutes long and the students have two forty minute English classes per week. The number increases as the students get older. Though the teachers emphasized that teaching at the middle school level is more difficult than one might imagine, they also emphasized that they love their jobs and enjoy teaching at the middle school level. Before returning to the dorm, the UW group visited the high school. Not wanting to interrupt classes, the students toured the cafeteria, and dorm rooms for boarding students. They visited the sports field and were able to stand in on a study hall for a few moments. The Chinese students sang to the UW students, singing a song, which has become popular thanks to the Olympics.

The students finished up their visit and returned to the dormitory for dinner and were given the evening off to prepare for the fifth day of language classes the following morning.