外教看中國|像家一樣溫暖 我的王府歲月

Before embarking on my journey to China, I did not know what to expect. What would the Chinese people be like? Would my new job at Beijing Royal School be all that I hoped? How would my students behave? After over 6 months in China, I am now able to answer all of those questions with a huge sigh of relief. There are so many incredible things I have managed to experience in China and I will only be able to share a snapshot of them with you. Since my arrival in early September I have already been offered so many opportunities and had many new positive experiences.

在踏上我的之旅之前，我心中充滿了對未知生活的不安和疑慮。人怎麼樣?在北京王府學校的新工作會一切如願嗎?學生們的行為舉止如何?如今，半年時間轉瞬即逝，我現在已經釋然多了。不僅如此，從2016年9月初來至今，我還收穫了許多前所未有的寶貴體驗，很樂意在此和大家分享。

▲ Charlotte(右二)在王府學校參加秋季運動會

The entrance to Beijing Royal School is as grand and beautiful as the people within it. Although I have only been in China a short time I have already made friends with many people, both Chinese and Foreign. As the school offers an international education, that means not only do I get to experience Chinese culture but I get to learn from people from all over the world. In January, my lovely boss and friend, Belinda (夏偉燕) offered both me and my boyfriend the opportunity to visit to her home and learn how to make dumplings. Of course, as a foreigner I had no idea how to make this delicious Chinese specialty and was overwhelmed by how warm my colleagues were in making me feel at home. I already feel that I have made some great friendships that have truly contributed to my positive view of China. After this experience, I am proud to say that I made my own dumplings and was able to share this dish with my parents when I visited my home back in England. My time in China so far has made me realize the importance of learning. Not only knowledge from a book, but from the places we go and the people we spend our time with.

王府學校的大門設計恢弘壯觀，校內的員工也同樣高端大氣。儘管來的時間不算長，我已經結交了幾位好朋友，他們既有人，也有外國人。

王府是一所國際學校，在這裡我既能體驗到文化，也能結識到來自五湖四海的朋友。今年一月，我的主管夏偉燕老師邀請我和男友到她的家裡做客，還親手教我們製作傳統美食——餃子。儘管這對於一個外國人來說比較困難，但是她的好客和誠意已經深深打動我們。能夠結交新朋友也是我喜歡這裡的原因之一。現在我可以自信地說，我已經會自己做餃子了，等返回英國故鄉的時候，我會親手做給我的父母吃。在的時光讓我意識到學習的重要性，而且體驗到除了書本，旅遊、交友同樣可以獲得知識。

Chinese culture is highly focused on education as it is seen as a window to the world. I can see this attitude welded into my students, driving them to work as hard as they physically can in order to succeed. When I compare my experience of education to theirs – I cannot. From a foreign perspective the students here are like machines; able to handle large amounts of information and work in an ever structured manner. As the school continues to adapt and becomes more internationalized, I can see that the students will benefit from a fresh outlook. My students are creative and energetic, but like an old battery, we drain them with long hours and heavy textbooks. Although I understand that there are differences in Chinese education and culture, I still find it hard to accept this as a norm.

That said, in the short time I have been at the school there have been so many changes for the better and I am sure that as time passes even more will come. I only hope that one of them is allowing our students more time to be creative and express themselves so that we can help them to be prepared in their transition to university.

文化非常重視教育，他們認為教育是了解世界的窗口。這種觀點也深深地植根於年輕人的意識中，我的學生們為了以後的前程都在拚命學習，相比自己的學生時代，我自感相形見絀。以一個外國人的視角看，學生真是太用功了，能夠短期內系統性地掌握如此大量的知識。隨著學校越來越國際化，學生們也受益良多。但是課業負擔還是佔據了學生們過度的精力，以至於他們難以有足夠的「電量」去張開想象的翅膀，進行創意活動。儘管我理解東西方教育理念的不同，但還是很難接受這一點。

簡言之，在我來到這裡僅僅幾個月的時間裡，學校每天都在發生著日新月異的變化，我相信隨著時間的推移，學校的發展會越來越好。我希望能多給學生們一些時間去發揮創意，讓他們以自己的方式表達自我，加上老師們的引導，最終使他們邁入理想的高等學府。

One word that comes to mind when I think of BRS is 「opportunity」. I have found BRS to be flexible, progressive and supportive. I have been an ESL Teacher for over 3 years and throughout this time have worked for different language schools. But, at no point would I have considered myself a part of the school the same way I do here. For a foreigner working in a different country career development can be difficult. However, in my office I am surrounded by teachers that have been supported by the school to go overseas and obtain their masters degrees, enroll on training courses or attend lectures given by prestigious professors. This shows that the school really does invest in its people, pushing them to meet their full potential. A good example of this is back in November of last year when I began running my own clubs for teachers: a Zumba Club and a Fitness Club. These are two things that I love to do and was encouraged by the school to share my passion with others. In addition to this, I have been involved in delivering a TOEFL Training Course to other teachers to promote cohesion among teachers and share our teaching experience with one another. The Chinese focus on education plays a part here and shows that not only the students are keen to learn but the teachers also strive for continuous personal development.

說起王府學校，一個詞會立刻跳入我的腦海——機遇。我發現王府學校是一個有彈性、開明和鼓勵人的地方。過去3年間，我曾在多家語言學校任職做ESL老師，但是從來沒有哪一所學校像王府學校一樣給我一種歸屬感。對於一個在異鄉求職的外國人來說，謀求職業發展是很難的。但是，現在就在我的辦公室里，許多老師都曾經通過學校資助獲得過海外深造的機會，他們有些人取得了碩士學位，有些人接受了職業課程的培訓，還有些人聽過著名教授的培訓課。一切都表明，王府學校重視培養人才，不惜成本幫助他們實現職業抱負。還有一個很好的例子。去年11月我在王府學校組織了兩個面向老師的興趣俱樂部：健身舞俱樂部和減肥俱樂部，這個想法得到了學校的大力支持。另外，我還開設了一門托福考試教師培訓課程，這些活動不僅有效增進了教師之間的凝聚力，還藉此分享了彼此的教學經驗。人重視教育渴望學習不僅體現在學生方面，老師亦是如此。

During my time traveling I have been lucky enough to visit 8 Asian countries, all of which have their own distinct culture and are unique in their own way. Of all of the places I have been, some of my favorites I have seen in the last 6 months in China. The famous food street in Wangfu Jing decorated with hanging lanterns, the hidden gems in the Hutongs and of course you can』t forget the breathtaking Great Wall, to name a few. Above all, the most memorable place would have to be the Summer Palace. While visiting I was moved by the rich history, beautiful scenery and attention to detail on every pagoda. When I reached the top of the Summer Palace to take in the view, I looked out across Kunming Lake and was reminded once more of the reason I came to China. The current season showcases the beauty of China, framing every building with pink blossoms and sunshine. If I am asked for advice on places to visit in Asia I would be sure to recommend this phenomenal site.

我曾有幸去過8個亞洲國家旅遊，每個地方都有其獨特的風土人情。無疑是我最喜歡的地方之一。有最負盛名掛滿大紅燈籠的王府井小吃一條街，隱匿在衚衕深處的瑰寶，攝人心魄的萬里長城等等。其中最令我難忘的是北京的頤和園，我被它悠久的歷史、迷人的景色和精美絕倫的寶塔所深深折服。當我登到頤和園的最高點，俯瞰身下的昆明湖，很慶幸自己選擇來到。3月的北京很美，盛開的櫻花和溫暖的陽光勾勒出這個城市的線條。如果你不知道選擇哪個亞洲國家旅遊，我會毫不猶豫地建議你來這個了不起的國家——。

For all of the things I have mentioned above and more, I would like to express my gratitude toward my new friends and Beijing Royal School for making me feel so welcome. I feel like I have become a part of the team and look forward to continuing with my career at BRS.

綜上所述，我想對王府學校和我的朋友們再次表達我的感激之情，這裡像家一樣溫暖，我期盼在這裡繼續我的職業生涯。