Students, staff and administration at Brownwood Intermediate School had the opportunity this week to host several Chinese students in a short learning exchange program.
The students attend SPARK English School in Yuxi, China which is owned by one of their chaperones, Tina Zhang. The name of the school was chosen because, although sparks are small, they have the power to change everything.
Tina partnered with Baxter Bentley who is VP of Breaking Ground Consulting out of Kunming China in 2013. Using Tina’s successful English education model and Baxter’s connections in the United States, this is the second year that they have invited a select few of their 90 students to experience American culture, school life and American home life as well as helping them to learn English more effectively.
The Chinese students will spend 20 days in Texas, including 6 days in Brownwood, experiencing school, local attractions, American sports, local foods, and most importantly experiencing culture and interaction in English with new friends. Their trip also includes visits to Fort Worth, Dublin, Hico and Cross Plains.
After their flight from China, the students were able to spend a little time in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for sightseeing, which included a trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards to learn about cowboy culture. They enjoyed shopping for souvenirs and were treated to a 3-D movie.
According to Brownwood Intermediate School Principal Chuck Chesser, the students stayed with host families while in Brownwood. Host families provided meals and some entertainment, which has included a Super Bowl party on Sunday with a power outage for a short time, and they will enjoy game of bowling on Tuesday night.
The students have been able to attend classes at Brownwood Intermediate School and experience a routine school day while communicating with American students in English. Through this experience, Chesser and his staff hope the Chinese students will be able to teach BIS students several words and phrases in their primary language and compare and contrast the differences and similarities of daily life and culture in each of their respective countries.
In an email preparing for the trip, Zhang informed Chesser of the students’ abilities to communicate in English.
“All of them are literate in English but have not had much experience with conversational English,” Zhang stated. “The ones with little conversational English experience are very quiet. Some of them that have had more practice will be eager to speak to native English speaking students and may be more on the chatty side.”
The students, 5 boys and 2 girls, have taken on Americanized names of Yoyo, Mandy, Martin, Carl, Simon, Brian and Colin. “Martin” and “Colin” (Li Zhuohang & Zheng Ranxi, pictured above in choir class, on top row left and center) have adapted well and according to teachers are a little chatty in class, like their American counterparts, and also laugh a lot.
On Tuesday, the students could be paired with one other student as a “buddy” to help them feel connected while following the same person all day.
Chesser stated that the students have been doing well in the classes. They have been attentive; however, the difference in time zones has caused the students’ internal clocks and sleeping patterns to be off schedule.
On Friday, the students will have a final day at BIS and will give a report to their class about their Chinese educational experience and life.
The group will also visit Howard Payne University and attend chapel, visit classes and will spend one day while in Brownwood on a local ranch. Their trip will continue to Dublin and Cross Plains before returning to Dublin to the airport for their flight back to China.
Below are more photos of the students in classes at BIS.
Xu Yinghe, “Mandy”
Bai Xiaming “Simon” is pictured on the back row.
Yang Jinyu “Yoyo”
