A UTM Volunteer Circle delegation conducted in early June an eight-day English-language teaching programme at Congjiang No.3 Middle School. The initiative involved English instruction, cultural immersion, and collaboration with local educators, and received positive feedback from UTM participants and local teachers
A group of 19 students from the UTM Volunteer Circle conducted an English-language teaching programme at the Congjiang No.3 Middle School in Congjiang County, Guizhou Province. The exchange scheme took place from 1 to 8 June.
The UTM Volunteer Circle organised the pro bono effort with assistance from the University’s Pedagogic Affairs Department. Participating students covered part of their own transportation and accommodation expenses. The programme was also sponsored by UTM.
The University, through the UTM Volunteer Circle, has a steady commitment to supporting English-language teaching in Congjiang. The latter is located in the mountainous Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
This volunteering initiative, now in its seventh edition, aligns with the cooperation framework agreement established in 2018 between the People’s Government of Guizhou Province, the Macao SAR Government, and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, focusing on poverty alleviation in Guizhou Province.
On 1 June, UTM Assistant Professor Dr. Yan Io Man U accompanied the students to Congjiang from Zhuhai by high-speed train. After a trip of more than five hours, they arrived in Congjiang in the afternoon of the same day.
The following day, the UTM delegation visited a famous heritage park in Congjiang to learn more about the local culture and history. On 3 June, they visited the Congjiang No.3 Middle School for the first time. The school head, 10 teachers of English, and an officer from the local education department welcomed the UTM Volunteer Circle group and organised an orientation session for them.
UTM students were then assigned in pairs to a respective group of local pupils. Assistance was also offered to each group, from a local teacher of English, to give guidance on the local teaching style concerning study of English as a foreign language.
From 4 to 7 June, the UTM students provided teaching support for English classes for Form 1 and 2 students, under supervision of the local teachers. In addition, UTM students helped to correct English assignments and tests done by the students.
The local pupils “were attentive to our students’ teaching,” said Dr. Io. “Our students played English games and showed English videos about Macao and UTM study life in class, aiming to increase the classes’ interest in English,” she added. “The feedback from the local teachers and the classes was very positive, and our UTM students also recognised that they had learned much from this teaching programme,” Dr. Io further noted.
Content: UTM Assistant Professor Dr. Yan Io Man U, Faculty of Innovative Hospitality Management
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
