HU expands work with China teachers, students

HUNTINGTON, Ind. Huntington University is continuing to build its relationship with Chinese teachers this summer with English camps and a TESOL certification course.

Over the summer months, more than 15 HU students will help to lead summer camps and teacher trainings in China. Also, 10 to 15 Chinese university professors and students will be on campus from July 14 to Aug. 1 to participate in a TESOL certification course.

"We have been working with the Education Bureau at the Doumen District of Zhuhai city for the past seven years," said Shoshannah McKinney, associate director of the Institute for TESOL Studies. "We have been there every summer to do teaching training and provide English camps for students from middle school to high school."

It's through the partnerships that HU has formed over the years that opened the door for students and faculty to expand their training to other cities in China. In the past, they have worked in several districts within Zhuhai but will expand to new areas of the city as well as neighboring Zhongshan.

"This summer, we are going to be at Zhuhai No.1 middle school to do an English summer camp, and we will be going to Zhongshan city to do another English teacher training," McKinney said.

Dr. Luke Fetters, director of the Institute for TESOL Studies, will be supervising and coordinating the teams. In addition, there will be different sites, and each will have a site coordinator or a site leader. The teams will be in China from early July through mid-August.

The English camp with Zhuhai No.1 middle school is about two weeks long whereas the teacher training in Zhongshan city will last three weeks, McKinney said.
While in China, students will be assigned to live with a Chinese host family. Unlike before, students don't need to fundraise too much.

"The school and the Education Bureau in China will cover most of the transportation fee," McKinney said. "The only costs will be personal expenses."

Back at home, Chinese university professors and students will be taking the TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) training course as well as experiencing American culture.

"I am personally excited to finally welcome Chinese teachers and students to Huntington since we have been welcomed so many times to China," McKinney said. "It is also especially exciting for me because 10 of the teachers and students coming from China will be coming from Liaocheng University where I lived and worked for four years."