On April 24, 2006 we held our Real Life English Graduation to celebrate our students and those who had completed a class level. Our class cycles are 12 weeks long, however during some months we run short, jumpstart courses called PCCs that last for 4 or 8 weeks. During this most recent graduation we recognized those who were graduating from PCCs, took photos, had speeches, ate cake, and listened to some of our students speak about their positive experiences learning English at Real Life English. It was a wonderful evening and everyone felt so excited about all that we are doing at our English center.

At 4:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon our busses rolled into Chaoyang Park. It was a lovely sunny day with a wonderful refreshing breeze. The teachers marshaled their charges, over 60 Chinese and international students, for a grand Easter Egg Hunt through the park. Six teachers were positioned at various landmarks around the venue: the roller coaster, boat pier, dodgem cars, and other. It was the students’ roll to decipher a number of cryptic clues to find each teacher, and make their way back to the marshalling area to receive their Grand Prize: a jumbo basket of chocolate eggs.

The winning team of the day was Team 4, led by American teacher, Thai Luong. After the hunt, a number of games were played on the beautiful lawn area, including kite flying, baseball, soccer, Frisbee-throwing and the traditional (and very messy) “Raw Egg Toss” competition. A lovely day was had by all, and provided a wonderful opportunity for staff and students to mix and get to know each other socially all using English. I think we're looking forward to next year’s celebration (especially the CHOCOLATE) with great anticipation!

The famous egg-toss!	Handfuls of chocolate	Everyone smiling at the end

On Sunday April 23, Real Life English had a Basketball social activity at the R & F Fitness Center at Fu Li Cheng. Great fun was had by all at this English-speaking activity. More than 30 Chinese students attended basketball electives on Thursday and Friday nights to learn basketball vocabulary and rules. Videos were also shown to demonstrate some of the finer points of the game, such as passing, dribbling, shooting and dunking.

Eight English teachers joined the students for the games. Six co-ed teams fought it out in the tournament fashion for more than two hours. Team 3 consisting of Thai, James, Sherry, Noah, A-Moo and Garrett won the championship because of their speed and quickness on defense. But all of the players had fun and were winners because the activity was guided by a famous Chinese motto: Friendship first Competition second

Real Life English Champions

Friendship first
Competition second

Now all of the students and staff look forward to our next activity, when Real Life English goes bowling.

Passing and dribbling…	Head Teacher, William, explaining the rules	That’s two points

Jacqui Miller, Real Life English Director of Studies, presents an extensive teaching and TEFL background, having taught English for many years, and managed English language schools through China, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa. Jacqui is originally from the United Kingdom and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and CELTA teaching qualifications from Leeds University.

What is a typical day like for the Director of Studies at Real Life English?
Once at my desk at about 8:30 AM, with coffee in hand, I check my emails and send off responses, then turn to the myriad tasks that are all in a days work.

My main task is to ensure and maintain sound academic standards for RLE by organizing teacher training, scheduling of core classes plus the selection of suitable materials for electives, and following through by making sure that everything is in place for the students so that they will receive the best possible English programs.

As mornings are technically the quiet time at RLE, it's a good time for future planning which often involves planning meetings. Then once a month we hold a teachers’ meeting after lunch to pass on information and to get feed back on any new plans. Also once a week in the afternoon we hold teacher workshops where experienced teachers pass on teaching tips and hints to newcomers.
From 5.30 p.m. onwards I am always available to deal with any questions the students might have, address their concerns or just sit and chat in order to deal with their personal objectives and personal study plans.

Around 7.30 – 8 p.m. if every thing seems calm, I head home, check my emails once more and give answers….. then relax, make a large plate of pasta with a massive salad, pour myself a glass of red wine, and chill out with a book or a DVD.

What are some of the common issues faced by Chinese students learning English?
The first one has to be the characters, as not only are they learning a new language but also a new way of writing it. The second is in the pronunciation of certain sounds as the 'v', the 'rr', the 's', and the 'th'. Not only particular sounds but the number of syllables per word can be difficult, as in when 'es' is rolled into the word as in 'clothes' - one syllable – or 'marches' - two syllables.

Also we use so much idiomatic and metaphorical speech. Who would think the phrase 'He kicked the bucket' would mean that someone had died or 'I'm a bit blue today' would mean that we aren’t feeling happy'?

Is this your first time in China?
No, I came to China some 5 years ago following a long held fascination and dream that started when I was 16. My first destination was Qingdao where I worked at the Vocational and Technical Training College - 50 students in a classroom and really scary. Following a year in Indonesia I so wanted to return to China as I realized that China really was were I wanted to be. Luckily I was offered a position in Xiamen on a project that enabled students to improve their language skills to a sufficient level to enable them to continue their studies overseas.

Why did you decide to come and work in Beijing?
I love Beijing, the way you can step from a traffic laden street into the peace and calm of an historic site - almost like stepping from one world into the next. Even when the sites are full of tourists they still give
me a sense of peace.

And I love wandering around the Hutongs. I am lucky to have close friends here who have weaved the magic for me and supplied endless information about things I might have missed; those small details that color the picture.

What advice or tips would you give to teachers considering coming to work in Beijing?
Keep an open mind as China is a truly unique place. I have traveled through Africa and the Middle East, but never have I found a place that is so special but so very different from anything I have experienced before. Don't compare it with 'back home” as in no way will it fit. Just embrace the differences and learn from this ancient culture.

Are there any memorable moments at Real Life English that you would like to share so far?
The one thing that has really taken my breath away is the total team work that happens at all levels. It is just one big family and it only takes one family member, whether a student or a member of staff, to be unhappy for the rest of the family to gather round to help and support that person and come up with solutions to turn things around.

For me this feeling started from the first phone call when I was still in the UK, to traveling out here, getting to grips with the role, and dealing with things that were still happening at home. We all share.