China Economic Review – October issue 2012
Third Culture Kid
Globalisation is what we live and breathe every day. Businesses are moving to the East and often employees are placed in a different country for a more prominent prospect. As such, our family and children follow the working parent to the new home. Have you ever thought how your next generation will cope with this new environment? Or question what is the right facilitation you can provide them with? How can you give them a more promising prospect?
At Yew Chung International School (YCIS), we are not new to the change. “Every year we see new students coming from different parts of the world, frequently it is their first time to be away from their
home country. They can be utterly puzzled about how things work differently compared to home.” says one teacher, “Some international families on the other hand, adapt well and often they have a positive effect in the class.”
“Globalisation is a fact. The question now is how our children stay on top of the game?” said a Shanghai parent, who is also a senior executive of a multinational company.
At YCIS, we combine the best of Eastern and Western cultures by promoting fluency in English and Chinese, the two world major languages, creating a truly bilingual and multicultural learning environment. In Early
Childhood and Primary, we have co-teaching classes, in which two fully qualified teachers, one Western and one Chinese, together plan lessons and conduct classes. Students become adept in Chinese within an English
curriculum and environment.
“At YCIS, there is always a sense of fun in learning Chinese,” says Christine from YCIS Qingdao, who is both Swedish and Chinese. “English came first for me and the alphabet is easy, sounding and spelling the words out. But with Chinese you have to learn a complete character, there are lots to learn but once you know you can add to a character to build a related word it becomes easier and interesting. You quickly widen what you know and build that way, it’s a different style of learning.”
“My children enjoy their Chinese language and culture class so much. Often they come home telling me all these exciting cultures and Chinese stories they have learnt. They make friends with the kids from the same
Hutong (who speaks very little English) and sometimes we invite them over for dinner,” said a Beijing parent. “What amazes me the most is that my children act appropriate in different cultural setting, they know what to expect and how to respond accordingly. Not only does that tells me that they are confident but also they are equipped with the skill set to work with different culture. This is so valuable in today’s world. ”
But the journey does not stop here.
On top of language immersion, the schools also organise trips to different parts of China as well as other parts of the World. The World Classroom programme is designed for students to travel to major world cultures with goals of developing social skills, an appreciation of culture and different world views and a heart of community service.
World Classroom Programme Manager, Edward Hepting, who has been at the helm of the programme for 10 years, sees students return with a fresh perspective year after year. “The students develop a realization that
children all over the world share commonalities,” says Hepting. “Simultaneously, they return with a heighted awareness of the problems and differences that their peers, and thus the world face.”
“We created the World Classroom Programme to challenge students to see learning as something that can and does take place beyond the walls, confines and limitations of the classroom,” explains Hepting. “It has its
roots in YCIS’s philosophy and mission to prepare students to be lifelong learners, to understand the richness and diversity of Eastern and Western history and cultural traditions, and to be responsible world citizens with a commitment to serving family, society and community.”
As rapid globalisation takes place, YCIS prepares students to face the challenges of the unknown future. Our students go beyond borders, open to a global mind set and remain poised to embrace the world with confidence.
Third Culture Kid
Globalisation is what we live and breathe every day. Businesses are moving to the East and often employees are placed in a different country for a more prominent prospect. As such, our family and children follow the working parent to the new home. Have you ever thought how your next generation will cope with this new environment? Or question what is the right facilitation you can provide them with? How can you give them a more promising prospect?
At Yew Chung International School (YCIS), we are not new to the change. “Every year we see new students coming from different parts of the world, frequently it is their first time to be away from their
home country. They can be utterly puzzled about how things work differently compared to home.” says one teacher, “Some international families on the other hand, adapt well and often they have a positive effect in the class.”
“Globalisation is a fact. The question now is how our children stay on top of the game?” said a Shanghai parent, who is also a senior executive of a multinational company.
At YCIS, we combine the best of Eastern and Western cultures by promoting fluency in English and Chinese, the two world major languages, creating a truly bilingual and multicultural learning environment. In Early
Childhood and Primary, we have co-teaching classes, in which two fully qualified teachers, one Western and one Chinese, together plan lessons and conduct classes. Students become adept in Chinese within an English
curriculum and environment.
“At YCIS, there is always a sense of fun in learning Chinese,” says Christine from YCIS Qingdao, who is both Swedish and Chinese. “English came first for me and the alphabet is easy, sounding and spelling the words out. But with Chinese you have to learn a complete character, there are lots to learn but once you know you can add to a character to build a related word it becomes easier and interesting. You quickly widen what you know and build that way, it’s a different style of learning.”
“My children enjoy their Chinese language and culture class so much. Often they come home telling me all these exciting cultures and Chinese stories they have learnt. They make friends with the kids from the same
Hutong (who speaks very little English) and sometimes we invite them over for dinner,” said a Beijing parent. “What amazes me the most is that my children act appropriate in different cultural setting, they know what to expect and how to respond accordingly. Not only does that tells me that they are confident but also they are equipped with the skill set to work with different culture. This is so valuable in today’s world. ”
But the journey does not stop here.
On top of language immersion, the schools also organise trips to different parts of China as well as other parts of the World. The World Classroom programme is designed for students to travel to major world cultures with goals of developing social skills, an appreciation of culture and different world views and a heart of community service.
World Classroom Programme Manager, Edward Hepting, who has been at the helm of the programme for 10 years, sees students return with a fresh perspective year after year. “The students develop a realization that
children all over the world share commonalities,” says Hepting. “Simultaneously, they return with a heighted awareness of the problems and differences that their peers, and thus the world face.”
“We created the World Classroom Programme to challenge students to see learning as something that can and does take place beyond the walls, confines and limitations of the classroom,” explains Hepting. “It has its
roots in YCIS’s philosophy and mission to prepare students to be lifelong learners, to understand the richness and diversity of Eastern and Western history and cultural traditions, and to be responsible world citizens with a commitment to serving family, society and community.”
As rapid globalisation takes place, YCIS prepares students to face the challenges of the unknown future. Our students go beyond borders, open to a global mind set and remain poised to embrace the world with confidence.