Visit our new blog for 2010!

http://zhuhaienglishcamp2010.blogspot.com/

Back home again!

Matt is greeted at the airport by a very happy family.

A last meal in China with our friends.

The team was treated to a banquet before departing Zhuhai for home on Friday. Representing the Zhuhai Education Bureau, Mr. Huang talked about the success of the teacher training and English Camp. Luke presented Mr. Huang with a gift from Huntington University.

Final Day Fun and Goodbyes . . .

Autographs and photos are everywhere.

Donna and Terry sign students’ autograph books.

Bronwen has her picture taken.

Luke opens the final days ceremonies. Team thanks, songs and teachers’ certificates fill the afternoon.

Luke talks with the group about his China experience and thanks everyone for their hospitality and help.

Darlene presents certificates to her teachers.

Proud teachers pose for pictures.

“Friends” and the “Goodbye Song” conclude the camp.

Host families are very important.

Each team member had a host family to live with during the trip. These families were very gracious to open their homes. Their participating in our project is very significant.

All the families gathered for a “team” banquet Thursday night. Friday morning we said our goodbyes because we started our journey home immediately after school Friday afternoon.

Charlie poses with his host family, Sam, Jane and Shelly

Wow! The last day - almost!!!

The autographs and photos started early. SMILE!

Free talk continues as John talks about dreams, goals and ambitions.

Terry working with primary students during the afternoon English camp.

Stephanie and Chinese university student helper Luisa leave the cafeteria.

Nancy reviews a teacher’s lesson plan.

Ruth talks with teachers about the morning’s class.

Susie leads a workshop on how to do a “flat Stanley.” Students in Huntington schools sent a flat Stanley to students in China last year and we hope this activity can grow to include more students.

The Camp News - Doumen

The middle school students put together a camp newspaper. We did a mild edit but tried to keep the flavor of the students writing. Copies of the paper were made for all the teachers and students. Note: to view the paper, click on the page.

Xiangzhou: Having fun with puppets

The puppet sessions are going really well. The middle school kids have been working hard at learning their scripts and creating the props for the four separate puppets shows they will perform on Friday afternoon. The primary students have been making "chop" stick.

Jeff Bleijerveld

A note from Luke Brenneman

I went to a nearby beach with one of my free talk groups and some of their friends on Saturday. It was such an authentic experience! The water was kind of murky, but we had a really good time swimming, walking, talking, and eating fruit on the beach. Then we went out to eat at an open-air, seaside restaurant, where I think we ate every fish that ever lived in the ocean!

My host family took Ruth and I to their grandparents’ house in a rural village. We got to see the traditional side of China, which was great! We saw rice fields and farmers, an outdoor alligator enclosure with 200 gators (they raise them for restaurants), and picked dragon eyes for dinner. We then had a big dinner with the whole family, and it was a great time! Iris (my host cousin), Ruth, and I posed for this picture after dinner.

Camp activities are in full swing during the last week.

Each day in the morning “free talk” begins with an opening. Today Matt talked about a challenging topic for people speaking English as a second language, parenting.

Chinese teachers are in a very important part of their training. Following their sample lesson, Chinese teachers are evaluated by the American teachers and coached on how they might improve their teaching technique. Here is Donna talking with a teacher about her lesson.

Free talk openings also include singing.
The hokey-pokey is a popular song with teachers and students alike. Piers show perfect hokey-pokey form.