Insight

FEATURE

2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip

By Mr Jonathan Kim

The program included opportunities to take a break from their academic studies and participate in activities ranging from traditional tuanshan fan making to engineering and testing water rockets. A highlight of student campus life was the international talent show nights that consisted of performances from Bulgaria, China, Russia and Nepal amongst other countries. Cultural excursions also included visiting famous landmarks symbolic of a nation’s rich tradition and culture. Students were treated to cultural landmarks such as the Great Wall of China. The group also travelled to the nation’s capital, Beijing, to visit historic sites such as the Summer Palace and Imperial Palace (Forbidden City). Excursions extended into showcasing features of modern China, from haggling and enjoying the markets that displayed China’s production prowess to appreciating the modern architectural showcase of Binhai Library. Student William Zhang summed up his experience: “The idea of not having our mobile phones and spending time in a foreign culture independently took some time to get used to, but it enhanced the experience a lot and I am glad the trip was designed in such a way. Not having my phone allowed me to enjoy building relationships with others and actively engage with a new experience that comes once in a lifetime. In the end, the brief experience of student life in China allowed me to build steady relationships with those from different areas of the world.” The College’s initiative for the Curriculum Trip is to provide students with opportunities and experiences that enhance their academic studies in new settings and further their insights into the diverse world in which we live. The 2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip represented a unique opportunity to further Toongabbie Christian College’s purpose of providing educational opportunities that develop the whole person.

On Friday 28 June 2024, a group of Toongabbie Christian College students took part in the 2024 Chinese Curriculum Trip. The trip aims to provide valuable opportunities to enhance the language proficiency of students, as well as providing genuine experiences of Chinese culture.

This wonderful opportunity involved eight Year 10 students currently studying Chinese Continuers. These students were accompanied by their subject teacher Mrs Hong Cui, along with Mrs Melissa Kuitert and Mr Jonathan Kim. To ensure a balance of academic rigour and authentic immersion in local cultural experiences, the College engaged with Tianjin Yinghua Experimental School’s “Summer Exchange Program”. Residing on Yinghua’s school grounds, students participated in dormitory life while attending classes with other schools from various countries who were also part of the program. For student Jun Xi Chen, dormitory life was a new experience. “The school provided us with food in the cafeteria, just like local students. It was interesting to live like Chinese students normally would.” As part of the immersion, students shared experiences and interactions with local and international students participating in streamed curriculum classes. Each student completed a pre-screening test to be allocated to a class appropriate for their level of language proficiency. Students then followed a typical Chinese timetable. Classes occurred between 8.00am to 12.30pm and involved recess and lunch breaks. Students then returned to their dormitories to rest, before engaging in evening classes and independent study periods. For student Ryan McCarthy, the experience proved rewarding: “I was challenged by the academic demands of the program. It was a new experience to study based on a different culture’s program, but it was rewarding.”

Students were also able to enjoy experiences of Chinese culture and the sights the nation has to offer.

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Toongabbie Christian College