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9-13 April 2017 -- Exchange Programme with Hangzhou Foreign Language School, Zhejiang

 

This year during 9th March to 13th March, 26 of our S4 students received the opportunity to take part in an exchange trip to Hangzhou Foreign Language School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. It was a wonderful chance for us to experience the school life of a mainland student. We have learnt a lot during the exchange, and made new friends.  

We attended classes at Hangzhou Foreign Language School for 2 days, and they have kindly arranged a variety of special courses for us, including traditional martial arts, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese music, cookery classes and such. We also had the opportunity to shadow our buddies for lessons and other activities and we discovered quite a number of similarities and differences between us. For example, our learning syllabus for most subjects are nearly identical, except for the fact that their classes are mainly taught in Chinese, while our lessons are conducted in English. Students are required to jog or do rope-skipping in between the 2nd and 3rd lesson 3 times a week, they also have 10-minute-breaks between classes for them to move around or rest, in order to maintain their health. We discovered that this is an extremely effective way to keep ourselves fresh and awake throughout the day, especially when we have to attend a 2-hour self- studying course after dinner with our buddies.

Photo - Exchange Programme with Hangzhou Foreign Language School (1)   Photo - Exchange Programme with Hangzhou Foreign Language School (2)

The most interesting part of their school life is their nightly self- study time. The students need time for revision for assessments, tests and exams. As the school is a boarding school, they cannot go home and revise. The students also told us that they did not trust themselves to study effectively in the dormitory. There is a night study session every night taking place in their classrooms. Students have to read a passage while listening to an audio for the first 15 minutes. The remaining time was for revision of any particular subject they desired. We were so impressed by the perfect self-control and self-discipline exercised by the students during that session. The whole classroom was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. 

The exchange programme was an eye-opening experience. We learnt a lot during our stay in Hangzhou. The students were dedicated in everything they did. From lessons during the day, to the exercise between lessons, they all participated with vigour and passion. When they encounter events that they are less interested in, they still try to enjoy every moment. The learning atmosphere in the classroom was very positive. The students were all up and active during the lessons, very responsive to the teachers’ enquiries. If they encountered a question that they were unfamiliar with, they still attempted to answer. The students also encouraged each other when they did not get a question right. Their unquenchable thirst for knowledge and their intense learning passion were things we were able to take away from this exchange. 

Photo - Exchange Programme with Hangzhou Foreign Language School (3)   Photo - Exchange Programme with Hangzhou Foreign Language School (4)

The 5-day exchange trip came to an end way too quickly. We would like to thank Hangzhou Foreign Language School for the hospitable reception we received. We would also like to extend our thanks to Mr. H.C. Chan, Mrs. L. Chan and Mrs. L. Wong for their guidance, and for accompanying us throughout the trip. Last but not least, we would like to say a big "thank you" to Mrs. Lau for giving us this precious opportunity to participate in this eye-opening experience.

 

 

 

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