Amity Summer English Program (SEP)
Amity Summer English Program (SEP) provides spoken English practice for Chinese teachers of English who live in more remote areas of China. SEP teachers are volunteers from abroad, who organize speaking activities and share their own culture while learning about Chinese culture. The Chinese teachers experience three weeks of immersion in spoken English, making friends with peers and their foreign teachers, gain increased confidence in using English, and living in a multicultural environment.
How it works
Applications are sent to a sending organization, such as a church or mission organization, or individuals may apply to Amity directly. If a volunteer comes through a sending group, they may already be placed in a team before arrival in China, which allows the team members to plan ahead, but if volunteers are not coming in a team, Amity will place them with others, and with the Internet, they may also do advanced planning, even across national borders.
The general schedule for the SEP each year begins in early July, depending on how the days fall. Volunteers arrive in Nanjing, China, on the designated Monday and register for orientation. A welcome and introduction meeting is held on Monday after dinner. The general program begins on Tuesday morning and continues through Thursday, with general sessions, workshops, and field trips are arranged according to schedule. Travel to the teaching sites begins Friday, depending on the site and the travel arrangements.
Upon arriving at the site, the team will meet with the Chinese leaders and together they will arrange logistics and timetables for conducting the program. The leaders will have already enlisted the Chinese teachers who will attend the program, but the Amity team will divide them into classes generally according to speaking and listening levels.
The first Saturday is usually spent in these meetings and getting settled in hotel rooms and classrooms; Sunday will include church in the morning and the welcome ceremony in the afternoon, followed by the individual interviews. Classes begin on Monday and continue for three weeks, with Saturdays and Sundays reserved for sightseeing, church attendance, and lesson planning, etc.
General Timeline
A Monday, in early July, arrive in Nanjing
Three days of orientation in Nanjing
Friday, departure to the local teaching sites
First weekend, settle in, placement interview, opening ceremony etc.
Three weeks, Monday through Friday, conduct classes (weekends arranged locally)
Early August, travel to Shanghai
Debriefing in Shanghai
Departure
The deadline of submitting the application is April 30..
For more information or help, click on these links:
(Click on any item to read the stories and see the photos for that site)
Virginia Baptist Mission Board (VBMB) has sponsored SEP teams since 1999. I have worked with VBMB as their representative in China for more than 15 years.