On Oct. 31st, 2014, SFL Vice Dean Tang Yueqing, teachers from English Department Xie Xiuqing, Zheng Boren, Yan Jing, Zhang Zhiyou and Zhao Qin led a group of sophomore and junior students from English Department to visit the Oxford International College of Chengdu in the Chenghua District. The OICC (Oxford International College of Chengdu) is an English-style international boarding school, offering IGCSE and A-Level courses to prepare students to study abroad at the world’s top-ranking universities and to lay a solid foundation for their development in the future.
The students visited the School in two groups in the morning and afternoon respectively. This visit is one of the key internship projects for the Department of English, aiming to provide an opportunity for the staff and students to experience the unique education system of international foreign language school and to learn its advanced teaching ideas. OICC, serving as an important internship base for the Department of English, not only provides a platform for exchange between Chinese and western education, but also expands students’ horizon. The students’ professional caliber and practical competence can be thus developed and advanced via this platform.
The visiting groups from SWJTU received a warm welcome from the OICC staff and students. When stepping into the teaching building, SWJTU students felt something quite different as against the tense atmosphere in the typical Chinese high schools. The School provides a more leisurely and enjoyable learning environment with less workload and more exposure to English. They also attended the lecture entitled "JiuLin Education—Differences between Chinese and UK Education" in the academic hall. David Bryce, Principal of OICC, made a welcome speech. Then, Chen Jiyu, head of the JiuLin Education Consultation Co., delivered a speech looking back on the cooperation with teachers from Department of English and shared experience with the visiting group about Western China, a magazine sponsored the Company. Chen Jiyu also wished that there would be more cooperation between the Department of English and them. SFL Vice Dean Tang Yueqing, on behalf of SLF, expressed gratitude to OICC in her speech and indicated that it was necessary for foreign language education to go beyond the classroom teaching and encouraged students to participate in similar horizon-expanding activities.
The Principal of the School spelt out the curriculum, education system and characteristics of OICC as well as students’ school life. Except for the Chinese classes, foreign teachers teach the rest of courses. They not only impart knowledge, but also focus on developing students’ creative and critical thinking. Unlike the typical secondary and high schools in China, OICC offers a number of extracurricular activities ranging from sports, arts, music drama to community activities. Through these activities, students can explore their interests, improve hands-on capacity, enhance cooperation in team work, and heighten their awareness of commitment. David was so humorous and outgoing that he actively interacted with students. During the Q & A section, students from the Department of English bombarded him and another foreign teacher Adrian with questions, which showed they were eager learners.
After the lecture, leaders of OICC together with staff and students from SWJTU took a photo. OICC teachers also showed the visiting group around the campus and dormitories to give them an overall yet elaborate picture of OICC students’ school life. This experience opened a new window for students to witness the integration of Chinese and western education styles, feel the fresh air that western education brought into Chinese education and find the direction and platform for their future development. The visit ended at 5’o clock p.m. and we believe the experience might serve as a stepping stone for students to reach their dreams in the future.