After successfully accomplishing their mission, volunteer Chinese teachers sent to Thailand by Shandong University in 2011 returned with honor on March 13. Representatives of SDU teachers and the Volunteer Chinese Teachers Association extended their warm greetings to the volunteer teachers at the Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport and held welcoming activities at the university.
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From May of 2011 to March of 2012, the 37 volunteer Chinese teachers sent to Thailand by Shandong University were all assigned to teach in colleges, universities and the Confucius Institute in Thailand. During their stay in Thailand, they inherited a good work ethic from the volunteer team sent to Thailand by Shandong University before.
The volunteers overcame a variety of difficulties and cross-cultural obstacles with teaching and living in Thailand, fulfilling their mission successfully with great achievements and winning the praise of institutions and the Hanban Representative Office in Thailand. Chen Songsong, Ouyang Tan, Li Hong, Gao Xuhai, Wu Lixia, Cao Cong, Liu Dongmei, were honored as the “Outstanding Volunteer Chinese Teacher” by the Thai Ministry of Education and the Hanban, and were awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Chinese Teacher certificate.
The volunteers are all Liberal Arts postgraduate students from Shandong University. They improved the reputation for the university at home and abroad through this overseas experience. When Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with Chinese representatives of volunteer Chinese teachers and overseas students during his visit to Thailand, Tan Xiaoyi, Li Hong and Cao Cong attended the meeting as representatives for outstanding volunteers. Many volunteers were entrusted by the Hanban Representative Office in Thailand to participate in the preparation, organization and planning of the activities and Ouyang Tan won accolades for her excellent organization skills. In “2011 Teaching Skill Competition for Volunteer Chinese Teachers in Thailand”, Tan Xiaoyi and Li Hong won the second prize, ranking the second and third of total score. Aside from teaching, Chen Songsong also participated in the compiling of the bookThailand Todayas the second author, which was published in Thailand. At the same time, Liu Feifei, Chen Songsong, Li Hong, Bai Lingling, Zhou Ting and some other volunteers also participated in the compiling of textbooks and other books, which will be published in Thailand in the near future.
Among the volunteers sent to Thailand in 2011, there are six students who chose to stay. After a brief rest they will return Thailand in May this year to continue their international Chinese language teaching and the promotion of Chinese culture.
Written by: Yu Jialiu
Photo by: Zheng Meng
Edited by: Lawrence Phillips, Jing Zizhao