Studying in the UK: On-the-spot visit to campus life

The article "On-site visit to campus life" on August 22, 2013 was reported by (wWw.Liuxue86.cOm).

Chinese students at the Millfield School summer camp, He Siran, second from left, and Lin Yongjun, first from right.

It is summer now, and many Chinese teenagers come to the UK to participate in summer camps here. Why is Britain so favored? What can Chinese children experience and learn in the UK? What problems might arise? BBC UK reporter Zi Chuan went to several schools to conduct on-the-spot interviews and reports.

BBC UK reporters came to Millfield School in Somerset, England. Every summer, many students from all over the world come here to participate in summer camps.

This is a private high school with a long history, which has trained world swimming champion Mark Foster, BBC political reporter John Sergeant, and female singer Lily Alan (Lily Allen) and other celebrities. Fok Chen-ting, son of the late famous Hong Kong entrepreneur Fok Ying-tung and current member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, is also an alumnus of the school.

The reporter and his delegation observed students taking swimming, basketball, equestrian, cooking and other courses on the vast campus of Millfield School.

Along the way, it is easy to find that the children are in very good spirits, and they will take the initiative to say hello and say hello between classes. We chatted with two Chinese girls from Guangzhou, both of whom are students from key middle schools who are about to enter their second year of junior high school.

Swimming lessons at Mirfield School Summer Camp (Photography: Ji Ouzhe of "European Times")

He Siran came to the UK on his own when he was 14 years old. No group was registered. She had previously traveled to the UK with her mother and also participated in summer camps in Canada.

Thirteen-year-old Lin Yongjun came to the UK for the first time and had never participated in any other summer camp before. She told reporters that she felt a little lonely when she first came because there was only one Chinese student.

Like all students, Xiaolin took an English test after arriving to decide what level of class he would enter.

?The English courses here are very relaxed and stress-free. The students are all from many different countries. The atmosphere in the classroom is very different from that in China. It is not so active. It is like playing and learning at the same time. A lot to gain?, she said.

He Siran said that her mother wanted her to take the high school entrance examination in the UK to prepare for her future admission to universities here.

Mark Greenow, director of the summer camp program at Millfield School, told reporters that Chinese students have adapted well and may be shy when they first arrive. For example, some children are shy in the first two weeks. He rarely spoke, and later gradually integrated into students from all over the world.

Overall atmosphere

Ms. Xue Xiaomin started taking students to Mirfield School last year. She told the BBC UK reporter that Chinese students would be shy and nervous when they first arrived, like outsiders.

?For our organizers, one of the important tasks is to guide Chinese children - they think they are foreigners, but in fact the entire school is foreigners, in the short two weeks of the summer camp "I want to treat this place as my home and try to see what peers from all over the world are doing and thinking. Will it inspire them?" she said.

Xue Xiaomin said that the overall atmosphere created by the school is very happy, comfortable and open. Students and staff are very happy, which will have an impact on students.

?Under the influence of the environment, Chinese students usually start to relax from the third day. They will like it by the first weekend and will be reluctant to leave after going out to play on Wednesday of the second week? , she explained.

The leading teacher, Xue Xiaomin, accompanied the students wherever they went last year, but this year she did not do so.

She believes that it is not good for the leading teacher to be too involved, as it will affect the children's experience and make them feel like they have someone they can rely on for everything. However, if they step back, observe them, and encourage them to participate Various activities are more effective.

Summer Camp Life

Churchill House summer camp students (from left) Henrike, Chen Rong, and Lin Hongzheng.

The reporter also went to the location of the Churchill House English School summer camp near the famous British tourist city of Bath.

Henrike Gande, a 16-year-old girl from Germany, has traveled to the UK before, but this is her first time attending a summer camp. Henrike came alone and was the only German student here. She finds it very interesting here, as she can get to know people from so many different countries.

There are three Chinese students in our class. They are all very friendly and we have to discuss together when doing homework in groups, but there is not much communication outside the classroom, she said.

10-year-old Chen Rong came to the UK to participate in the summer camp with his cousin this time. His companion, 15-year-old Lin Hongzheng, is from the same group of about 30 people, and it is their first time to go abroad to participate. summer camp.

Lin Hongzheng feels that his English speaking level has improved a lot since coming here, both because of the exchanges with foreign students and because of chatting with the host family landlord.

?The teaching content is relatively easy for me, I have learned grammar and so on; the school arranges sports, drama and other activities, and I like sports the most?, he said.

The class content is somewhat difficult for Chen Rong, who is only 10 years old:? Because there are some activities that I have never been exposed to and cannot understand. In terms of activities, I like painting and have also taken drama classes; I hope that the summer camp The content of the activities can be more colorful, take us to see more scenery and have more free time?

In the first week after arriving, Lin Hongzheng lived with a black British family, a mother and her daughter, with two Chinese companions. ?We have good communication with the landlord, and we are quite adaptable in terms of diet. However, she will stipulate that everyone's bathing time should be controlled within 15 minutes, but it is still relatively loose. Sometimes it exceeds the time limit or accidentally splashes water on the ground. The landlord If I can talk about it, I will say Sorry?, he told reporters.

The two visited Oxford University as organized by the school and felt that the environment was very good. If there is an opportunity in the future, they are willing to come to the UK to participate in summer camps, and also want to come to the UK to study at university. Market conditions

Art classes at Churchill House summer camp

Wang, the organizer of the British summer camp intermediary delegation, head of the international department of English UK Sarah Wang said that the association has worked closely with the Cultural and Educational Office of the British Embassy and has brought more than 20 British language schools to participate in summer camp road show promotion activities in several major cities in China for five consecutive years.

Schools can have direct contact with intermediaries in China and other countries through this activity. Statistics show that the number of Chinese intermediaries participating in similar activities is also increasing, with an increase of about 15% this year compared to last year.

There is some controversy among intermediaries related to the study abroad market. Although the situation has improved due to the continuous introduction of official policies, what is the situation of intermediaries in the summer camp market?

Wang Yasai said: I have come into contact with a group of very professional intermediaries in China. From initial preparation to follow-up, they are very mature and of high quality; such intermediaries can bring British The best features are fully displayed, and it is also a good experience for students.

?Of course, due to rapid growth, there are also some inexperienced intermediaries entering the market, causing some confusion, such as lack of understanding of British culture, lack of training for tour leaders, and even poor language proficiency, causing some misunderstandings Or even disputes, which requires parents to be careful in identifying?, she emphasized.

Su Si, Education Promotion Officer of the British Council’s Cultural and Education Office, said: We have been in constant contact with English UK, conducting intermediary inspections of British summer camps, and participating in educational exhibitions, etc. activities, learn from students and parents about their needs and expectations for summer camps, and assist in the promotion of British summer camps in China.

Su Si hopes that more intermediaries can participate to understand the first-hand cultural and educational resources in the UK and convey this information to Chinese students and parents.

?We are responsible for the agency’s visa invitation letter, arranging itinerary, activity details, communication and coordination, etc.; we only cooperate with agencies that have been reviewed by the Ministry of Education of China. If there are visa-related problems, or When students complain, we will also actively participate to help find out the reasons and strive for solutions, she said.

Under the new regulations, all agents who need to apply for summer camp student visas must register with the Cultural and Education Section of the British Consulate General. Currently, there are thousands of Chinese intermediaries participating in this program, and the British Council will regularly monitor the quality of these intermediaries.

Pay attention to sports

Equestrian lessons at the Mirfield School Summer Camp (Photo: Ji Ouzhe from "European Times")

British Summer Camp Jin Jiye, a member of the intermediary inspection team, said in an interview with the BBC UK website that he joined the team to inspect summer camps organized by different institutions in the UK. "I visited more than 10 British schools this time and felt that each one has its own characteristics. I feel that British education starts from the childhood stage and this industry is well-deserved," he said.

Jin Jiye said that Chinese parents are very worried about whether it is safe for their children to go abroad to participate in summer camps. After coming here and seeing it on the spot, they felt that it was indeed very safe, because no matter which school, safety is the first priority. On this basis, a variety of study and extracurricular activities, travel visits, etc. are organized.

?I found that British schools attach great importance to sports. Some schools have all kinds of sports facilities. Children can participate in many kinds of sports during school. This is difficult in China. Many children do not even participate in sports. Don't even want to go to class? He said this with regret.

Jin Jiye’s analysis: I think after Chinese students came to the UK to participate in summer camps, they found that they were not good at swimming or various ball games, and they may feel psychologically inferior to students from other countries; the physical education in some British middle schools even reached It has reached the level of professional sports schools, which is worth learning.

Have you ever attended a British Summer Camp course? BBC UK welcomes students, parents, and industry professionals to use the following form to express their opinions and share their own experiences:

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