Our students embarked on the adventure of a lifetime on the Mandarin Exchange programme! 9 of our Year 9 students and 2 teachers from Stantonbury School travelled to China for the first time. Over the next 11 days, they participated in a variety of exciting activities.
Our Y9 students kicked off their first day with a bang on the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP)! From breakfast to a city tour and the Pearl River Night Tour, it's been an amazing start to the trip!
Day 2 on the Mandarin Excellence Programme (MEP) was incredible! The students started with an inspiring opening ceremony at the university library auditorium. Speeches were given by the Head of the University, the British Council's consul general, and the Lead organiser of the MEP at UCL. Ms. Underwood presented plaques from Stantonbury to the university, UCL, and the British Council. Harmonie represented us brilliantly with a speech on behalf of the students. The ceremony featured traditional and modern dance performances by university students, which everyone loved. Afterward, our students headed to classrooms for their first day of learning, focusing on food and ordering. They practiced these skills during a fabulous lunch at the university canteen. The afternoon included a round table discussion, allowing students to introduce themselves and practice their Mandarin. Finished by singing a famous cultural song together! During the trip, the students enjoyed traditional Dim Sum for lunch, showing off their improved chopstick skills. In the afternoon, they put their morning lessons to the test at a shopping mall, practicing Mandarin in real-life situations. They then returned to the university for a calligraphy class and dinner on campus. The students also focused on school-related topics, including introducing themselves and discussing their timetables. They engaged in fun games to consolidate their learning from previous days.
The weekend was packed with exciting activities!
Friday:
Afternoon: They visited the foreign language school partnered with the university.
Evening: Participated in some martial arts.
Saturday:
Morning: Students attended lessons.
Afternoon: Learned about Chinese culture and food.
Evening: Enjoyed making felt art—they crafted a panda!
Sunday:
Morning: Visited the palace museum.
Afternoon: Explored three enormous shopping plazas and had lunch at a traditional Chinese restaurant.
Evening: Continued our adventure at Beijing Street, the pedestrian street of Guangzhou.
It was a busy and thrilling weekend!
Monday:
Morning: Started the day at the zoo, they saw pandas despite the crowd!
Afternoon: Listened to two British guest speakers, one from the British consulate and another a businessman, both living in China. They shared excellent advice for our students studying Mandarin, praising their dedication and passion.
During their stroll through Beijing Street, they also toured a Buddhist temple and met a monk who shared insightful information and asked us many intriguing questions.
Last day on the MEP program in China!
The students tried their hand at traditional Chinese painting and created some beautiful masterpieces Our students had a blast attending a Chinese culture taste lesson and making a traditional bamboo woven boat. It's been an unforgettable cultural experience!
