Testimonials

I traveled to Shanghai, Qi Dong, Changsha and Xiamen. I taught English to the children of poor migrant workers, I taught children who’d never been to school before. I met people from Italy, South Africa, Hungary, Russia, Romania, Spain, Egypt, the UK and more. I learned Mandarin. I learned that even if I don’t feel 28, I am definitely 28. I learned that six weeks can feel like four life times and that jet lag is real and real serious. I’m irrevocably changed by what I’ve seen and felt in China. 

I feel like I left one home for another. But I’ll return. Read more HERE

I would definitely recommend a LOVVOL Programme.Iit was a really worthwhile experience. The best thing was being able to experience a different culture and begin to feel at home there. I have proved to myself that I can teach a foreign class and have really benefitted in making friendships with a wide variety of people.

My most enjoyable moments of the trip have been at Changsha: the summer camp there was meticulously organised and the staff and students treated us as teachers very well. The students were all really receptive to our ideas and lessons and it was a pleasure to teach them. I feel that there was a perfect balance between learning and fun at this camp which was conducive to an amazing experience.

My favourite parts of the trip are from the Lovvol summer camp in Changsha. The organisation was fantastic and it was great to be able to teach with a couple of classes throughout the week, and join in the activities with them throughout the day as well. Ewan led our group really well too, observing our lessons, giving us feedback and encouraging us to make lesson plans for every day, ensuring that we were really well prepared. My favourite part of the camp was on the penultimate day when we had to perform a dance in front of all of the other classes in the talent show.

This Lovvol experience has benefited me in so many ways: primarily, it has given me great work experience for my future career as a teacher- although China and UK are so different in terms of education, I can exploit this and learn different techniques because of this. Rather broadly, my communication skills have undoubtedly improved in addition to my time management and teamwork skills, which are all transferable and valuable to a future career in teaching. Furthermore, coming to China has opened my eyes to a completely different culture and a whole new way of life: from the differences in food and weather’ to the driving, spitting and lack of queues; I have come to understand China much more over the past few weeks and look forward to sharing these experiences with my friends and family on my return to England.

I had the chance to play the role of translator, interpreter, host, organizer and presenter, which undoubtedly enriched my experience there by a whole lot! The local coordinator was very kind to us. She brought us around the villages when our official teaching period was over. She knew that we were both interested in developing our careers in China and hence, introduced us to businessman and government officials, which was really great! I even blogged about my experience in China!
So yeah! What have I been up to China?! Read more HERE

Definitely (would recommend participating to a friend)! Especially to my friends from the UK. I think Xiamen is a good starting point for someone who has not been to Asia before. Xiamen is relatively clean and developed. The streets in Jimei literally had no rubbish and the locals were really friendly (except maybe taxi drivers). After the trip I am seriously considering branching out my career in China, especially the south.

The overall experience was beneficial in that I learnt a lot about teaching and my own skills. I improved my teaching skills and lesson planning ability through this experience, and feel confident to continue teaching in the future. Participating in a program such as this is a great opportunity to travel through China, meet other like-minded people, and learn how to teach English as a foreign language.

I’ve benefitted in so many ways – the opportunity to experience the culture as more than a tourist, being given the responsibility of teaching, meeting lots of new people from a huge range of different backgrounds, the chance to travel independently (which I had never done before, but now feel so confident in doing).Although at first it was daunting, I’m really glad I pushed myself to do something so out of my comfort zone. The whole experience was overwhelmingly positive, and I’m glad I spent my summer taking part in something so rewarding and worthwhile.

To conclude, this opportunity allowed me to live and see China through the eyes of its young children, which elevated this experience to another level. It was an experience that cannot be gained by visiting tourist attractions or reading books about China. This experience brought me one step closer towards understanding one of the oldest and greatest civilizations that ever existed. Moreover, a special bond has formed between me and Chinese culture. China has been transformed, through my eyes, from a shaded region on a map, to a part of me. It has gained a place in my heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed teaching the children and forming close relationships with them. I feel I have gained a lot of confidence through taking part in this experience. I initially found the prospect of standing in front of a class of children quite nerve-racking, however, by the end of the program it became second nature to me. I feel that I am much more confident at public speaking now a skill which will be invaluable for my university course.

I really enjoyed the opening ceremony and talent show at the Changsha summer camp. There was a real sense that our involvement as English teachers was highly valued. There was a big sense of achievement at getting a group of 60 school children to perform a dance routine at the talent show, with only a few days of practice. I really liked the teaching atmosphere at Changsha – we were well supplied with materials, and the Chinese language assistants were useful. I would recommend the programme to a friend, as I think the experience of teaching in China was a very valuable one, both for the teaching aspect and also the social and cultural experience. I really liked travelling in a small group.