Now that we are home, it's time to sort out the events of the past six weeks. We had such an amazing summer that it's difficult to know where to begin. To start with, last year we went to China and saw the country. This year, we met the people -- and they are delightful. It was SO sad to leave.

We went to teach English, and teach we did. The program was called T.I.P. - Total Immersion Program, and the goal was to create a totally English environment for 3 1/2 weeks. There were about 40 of us from America (pictured, below) and about 400 students. We were on the far outskirts of Beijing on a satellite campus of the University of Peking. The campus is perfect for the program because it is quite isolated -- and a little overgrown like the Secret Garden. It is no longer used by the UP for classes, but instead the property is leased to other educational groups. Our students were not allowed to leave campus the entire time except with special permission, and they signed a commitment card to not use any Chinese while they were in the program (day or night, in public or private). TIP is based on the way children learn best...using language in natural everyday situations. For the most part Chinese classes are based on memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules with very little opportunity to actually speak English. Many Chinese people have never met a native speaker and are afraid to speak up for fear of making a mistake. Most of our students were high school English teachers and had many years of book learning but depending on the university the attended, knew very little actual language. In addition to the teachers there were some college professors and university students, as well as a few high school and even middle school students. Their level of oral English varied greatly, so we did an entrance interview and assigned them to classes based on the results -- although some were so nervous that they didn't exhibit their true ability. I was assigned to a class of 17 Low+ (meaning lower verbal skill) students and Paul taught High. One of our first goals was to get them to relax and feel comfortable so they would speak out. We did this by playing games and making the classes as student centered as possible. The first week, we concentrated on getting them to speak...no matter how badly, and to help each other overcome their nervousness. The second week was devoted to listening and helping them to better understand spoken English. The final week focused on activities to get them to think in English. At the end of the program, each student had to recite a 15 minute speech ... no matter how poor their oral English.

In order to build confidence, we worked very hard to get the class to bond and work together toward the common goal. What an experience! Even though they were from all parts of China (one had a 43 hour train ride to get there) we were all best of friends within just a few days. It was a good thing ... in Susan's class, (pictured left) one favorite activity was a "pretend" game. The idea was that they were on a sinking ship and the only thing left for everyone to stand on was a piece of the ship the size of a small square of paper. The men and women played separately, and at the end, 6 adult men managed to stand on a piece of paper about 12"x14". The 11 women were on a piece about 18" x 24". Talk about close fellowship! Paul taught a Science club (below, left) for higher level students, and they also had a lot of fun. One of the projects was for a team of four students to build a bridge that could span a 14" gap – using only 8 chopsticks and 2 plastic chopstick wrappers. The winners were determined by piling journals (college blue books) on top to see which bridge could hold the most. The first week, we were amazed that one bridge could hold 150 books! When he did it the next week with a different group of students, the winning bridge could hold 250 books – a stack about two feet tall!

We were overwhelmed by their love and concern for each other and us as the classes progressed. In addition, we could never have imagined how much their English would improve in such a short time. Even Susan's poorest speaker was able to communicate in understandable English before we left. Obviously, they all had a long way to go to sound like native speakers, but we tried to give them the tools to take home and continue learning on their own. One of my favorite phrases was "You are your own best teacher." As a result, you take your best teacher home with you and continue learning! In addition, since most were English teachers, we offered methods for helping their students improve their English.

I have removed a discussion that may be of concern to certain officials. If you would like further information, please email us when we return.

All in all, the inconveniences of living in a third world country (and there are some) are minor in comparison with the reward of the relationships that we developed. Probably the most significant thing we learned is that people are people no matter where on earth they live. There may be some cultural differences, but their desires, needs and concerns as individuals are the same.

If you are interested in further information about this program look up the websites http://www.esec.org/TIP.htm http://www.teachoverseas.org or contact us.

Thank you for your interest and support as we participated in this amazing adventure.