Everyone who has visited China and the biggest hydro electricity scheme in the world has heard of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. But have they heard of the university and the pretty city of Yichang with a population of 4 mill only 30Km away.
....Signing up to do a year here was all very easy – it started after a bit of googling and seeing adverts about teaching in China and thinking “I can do that!”. A short time later I was enrolled in a TESOL course. This stands for ‘Travel Everywhere Sooner Or Later’ that is what I tell everyone who asks – although it’s not true. Doing training again after being semi-retired meant using the old grey matter which was a total change without being too demanding. The course contained a mixture of age groups; from the young in dead-end jobs or students before graduation day, even mid age guys leading a stressful life to oldies like me – who feel they have a bit to offer before the lid is closed tight.
... .There are scores of sites advertising for jobs in Asia; all very easy to find, the trick is to select one that will suit you. Everyone I have spoken to about this and there have been a few now in many parts of China say that they were lucky with their first selection – as I was. My intention always was to complete two years at least in different towns and in different teaching organizations and to experience as much of their culture and lifestyle as possible.
. . . December 2007 I arrived at 2300 hrs after a 29 hour trip with only 17 hours actual fly time. Met at the airport and driven to my two bedroom apartment on campus - my new life had just begun. The normal activities of health checks, Z visa forms and intro to campus life and activities all occurred in the first few days. Cheap food and shops all available within a few minutes walk; to go further field into town is a 20 minute journey for a 15 cent fare on the buses which go every ten minutes.
. . .December 20 went to my first classes at ‘Yichang Foreign Language Elementary School’. This was a fill in due to my late arrival and other teachers wanting to be home for Christmas. First class started at 08:35 with the last finishing at 16:00 and 2 hours for lunch. School on Christmas day is normal as there big break starts Jan 18.
January was freezing the coldest winter on record, all over the country people were delayed due to the snow storms and the icy weather. Purchased my first ever pair of ‘long-johns’ and I lived in Sweden for two years. My wife joined me in early February and quickly got into the life style here and later became a fill-in teacher when regulars rang in sick or decided to stay in Shanghai an extra day or two. Carla was also involved with the ‘English Village’ refer her article.
. . .February 21 - 2008 first day of teaching Undergraduates; started with Listening & Speaking using a College English text book intermingled with my own lesson plans. Seven classes for the week with the average size being 41 students and always on the sixth floor with no lifts; one keeps fit just going to classes.
Outings were organised for the 12 foreign teachers to see the wonderful sights in our province of Hubei. With free days and weekends there was plenty of time to organize your own train and bus trips; keep in mind that with the number of people here crowding is normal on any day you pick to travel.
. . .We love working in China and both of us have signed up for another 12 months in the big city of Wuhan. Will tell you more at a later date.
....Signing up to do a year here was all very easy – it started after a bit of googling and seeing adverts about teaching in China and thinking “I can do that!”. A short time later I was enrolled in a TESOL course. This stands for ‘Travel Everywhere Sooner Or Later’ that is what I tell everyone who asks – although it’s not true. Doing training again after being semi-retired meant using the old grey matter which was a total change without being too demanding. The course contained a mixture of age groups; from the young in dead-end jobs or students before graduation day, even mid age guys leading a stressful life to oldies like me – who feel they have a bit to offer before the lid is closed tight.
... .There are scores of sites advertising for jobs in Asia; all very easy to find, the trick is to select one that will suit you. Everyone I have spoken to about this and there have been a few now in many parts of China say that they were lucky with their first selection – as I was. My intention always was to complete two years at least in different towns and in different teaching organizations and to experience as much of their culture and lifestyle as possible.
. . . December 2007 I arrived at 2300 hrs after a 29 hour trip with only 17 hours actual fly time. Met at the airport and driven to my two bedroom apartment on campus - my new life had just begun. The normal activities of health checks, Z visa forms and intro to campus life and activities all occurred in the first few days. Cheap food and shops all available within a few minutes walk; to go further field into town is a 20 minute journey for a 15 cent fare on the buses which go every ten minutes.
. . .December 20 went to my first classes at ‘Yichang Foreign Language Elementary School’. This was a fill in due to my late arrival and other teachers wanting to be home for Christmas. First class started at 08:35 with the last finishing at 16:00 and 2 hours for lunch. School on Christmas day is normal as there big break starts Jan 18.
January was freezing the coldest winter on record, all over the country people were delayed due to the snow storms and the icy weather. Purchased my first ever pair of ‘long-johns’ and I lived in Sweden for two years. My wife joined me in early February and quickly got into the life style here and later became a fill-in teacher when regulars rang in sick or decided to stay in Shanghai an extra day or two. Carla was also involved with the ‘English Village’ refer her article.
. . .February 21 - 2008 first day of teaching Undergraduates; started with Listening & Speaking using a College English text book intermingled with my own lesson plans. Seven classes for the week with the average size being 41 students and always on the sixth floor with no lifts; one keeps fit just going to classes.
Outings were organised for the 12 foreign teachers to see the wonderful sights in our province of Hubei. With free days and weekends there was plenty of time to organize your own train and bus trips; keep in mind that with the number of people here crowding is normal on any day you pick to travel.
. . .We love working in China and both of us have signed up for another 12 months in the big city of Wuhan. Will tell you more at a later date.
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