WHS student trip to China

Whanganui High School teacher of Mandarin, Beck Ding.

A group of 28 students and staff from Whanganui High School will be visiting China for 16 days as soon as the school exams are finished after week 8 and 9 this term. Beck Ding, teacher of Mandarin says “it is a fantastic opportunity for the students to visit another country so different and learn so much from the visit.”

The group will start in Xiamen where the Confucius Institute is based at the university there. High School is a Confucius School through Victoria University in Wellington. The visit is part of a Confucius Summer Camp and the cost for the students within China is being subsidized by them making the trip more affordable.

Beck says “the students will have lessons in the language and China culture but also experiences in how to bargain, kung fu and in making dumplings.” He adds “it is one thing to learn about the Chinese way of life in the classroom but another to experience it for real.” Using chopsticks successfully will be one of those necessary experiences.

They will fly to Beijing and have the chance to see the sights including the Great Wall before going to visit their sister schools in Xuzhou. One of the four teachers is a teacher of Maori and the group will do a kapa haka for their sister city schools. While there they will be accommodated in home stays and Beck hopes the Whanganui students will make long term contacts.

They will return to New Zealand via Shanghai and while there they will be given a tour and then spend a day at Shanghai Disney Land. Their guide will be an ex Confucius Language teacher from High School.

Beck believes the trip will inspire the students to continue learning Mandarin and be part of their lives and careers in the long term.

There are a couple of food fundraisers taking place on Saturday morning, August 4 to help with the trip. They will be at Countdown, Victoria Ave and at the Saturday Market.

River City Press 26/7/18