Sebastian’s experience report from Shijiazhuang
Obwohl die Kommunikation mit den Studenten teilweise schwierig war, habe ich sie trotzdem schnell alle lieb gewonnen.
Basti
Visiting lecturer at the Hebei University of Rail Transport
in the Department of Logistics
Four weeks in China, my first time teaching, and loads of new experiences. What started out as a very exciting time quickly became an experience I wouldn’t want to have missed.
When I received a message from Dominik in mid-March saying he was looking for a visiting lecturer for China, I didn’t hesitate for long. The opportunity to spend four weeks in China teaching at a college was something special for me. At the same time, of course, I felt a sense of awe at the task ahead. I had never taught before and was now expected to stand in front of students in a foreign country and plan lessons on my own. It was a challenge for which I found it difficult to prepare fully. Nevertheless, it quickly became clear to me that I wanted to seize this opportunity. Precisely because the situation was new to me, I saw it as a chance to develop personally and to take on a task that would allow me to gain a wealth of new experiences. With this mindset, I accepted the offer and looked forward to four weeks in China.
The journey by plane to Beijing and the subsequent transfer to the university campus went smoothly and was very well organised. On the very first day, I met my German teacher, who supported me in class throughout my stay and became an important point of contact for me. Shortly afterwards, it was already time for my first lecture. Two classes had been combined, so I suddenly found myself standing in front of nearly 80 students. My nervousness was probably quite obvious. However, the nerves subsided more quickly than expected, and after just a few days it became completely normal for me to stand in front of so many people.
I also found it particularly interesting when I had to set my own exam. After several years as a student, it felt strange to suddenly be on the other side and have to decide for myself which topics to cover. During my own studies, I’d always imagined setting exams to be much easier. Now, for the first time, I could appreciate just how much work and responsibility actually goes into it.
Outside of lessons, too, the students were a great support. They were always friendly and helped me whenever I had any questions. Overall, I found the atmosphere at the college to be very open and warm, yet at the same time quite different from that at a university in Germany. I really enjoyed it when, during the last week, we played football together on the college grounds and they showed me their favourite restaurants. They introduced me to traditional Chinese cuisine, whilst I introduced them to the German culture of drinking beer. Moments like these really enriched my stay, as they allowed me to spend time with the students outside of lessons and learn more about their everyday lives and their culture.
As well as my classes, I had the chance – particularly at the weekends – to experience China beyond the college campus. Despite its enormous size, the country is very easy to travel around thanks to its well-developed high-speed rail network. I made the most of my very first weekend to visit the Great Wall of China. It was quite a special feeling to suddenly find myself walking along the Wall, which I’d otherwise only ever seen in pictures. That was definitely one of the highlights of my time in China. I then spent my second weekend in Beijing, visiting the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, amongst other places. I found it fascinating to see how different a city can seem. On the one hand, you experience centuries-old history and impressive historic buildings, whilst at the same time modern life seems very progressive and dynamic. Last weekend I went to Shanghai. The city feels even more modern, and I was particularly impressed by the skyline with its many skyscrapers.
One thing I had to get used to during my outings was the attention I received as a European. Several times a day, people would approach me and ask if they could take a photo with me. At first, it felt a bit strange to suddenly become a bit of a tourist attraction myself, but eventually I just had to smile about it and ended up taking selfies with them too.
To sum up my time in China, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed the four weeks and was able to develop personally. I was a bit nervous during my first few lectures, but by the end, teaching had actually become really enjoyable. Although communicating with the students was sometimes difficult, I quickly grew fond of them all. That’s why I shed a tear or two when I had to leave the college. On my excursions, apart from all the sights, what I remember most of all are the many chance and friendly encounters with locals.
All in all, I’m very glad I embarked on this journey. It was a month full of experiences, new impressions and wonderful people. I can really recommend to anyone who gets such an opportunity that they should make the most of it.
