going global

Victorian Young Leaders to China

Jennie Easson

VYLC Leader

Ten lucky Year 9 students who study  Chinese language at BSC were selected to travel to China for 6 weeks earlier this year.

The VYLC Program is sponsored by the Education Department and aims  to facilitate Chinese language immersion, to encourage inter-cultural understanding  and to promote leadership  skills in students.

The group spent 2 weeks at the Beijing Language & Culture University, being immersed in Chinese classes and entertaining cultural activities. 

The following three weeks were spent living in a Chinese boarding school in Nanjing, with a few days of sightseeing in Shanghai to complete the whole experience. 

The VYLC program continues to be an integral part of language studies at BSC.  The benefits of the program are  exceptional, offering students the opportunity to truly test and extend their ability to communicate in Chinese.  This in turn boosts their confidence in their skills, encouraging them to further challenge themselves and continue their studies.  The chance to participate in  daily life - sucha s school classes etc- further enhances their understanding and appreciation of the unique Chinese culture.

I thoroughly enjoyed sharing this experience with this lovely group of students and take this opportunity to applaud the enthusiasm,  maturity and respect that they all demonstrated when facing every challenge on this trip.

Matt Cooper 

I enjoyed the Buddy Visits and staying with someone who comes from a completely different life. 

Odin Williams 

I learned how friendly Chinese people are and through fun activities, I was able to improve my Chinese. 

Tara  Dennison 

I learned that the stereotypes of the people and country were all very different. Everyone was incredibly friendly and quite relaxed. 

Lily Jenkins 

I learned about China and its history as well as the culture, the food and so much more. 

Arshiya Tandon 

I learned many things -  like it is important to take your shoes off when going inside and that it is a struggle to get a driver’s licence in China.

Lexie Sharples 

My language skills in both speaking and listening improved. This was an eye-opening experience for me. 

Yasmin Elbahrawi 

I learned to be patient and to have an open mind to the different culture. 

Paul Ting 

I experienced aspects of Chinese culture such as haggling and the colour Red being everywhere, signifying good luck. The most important experience for me was the interaction with the Chinese people. 

Alex Gwynn I enjoyed spending time with the other Australian and Chinese students because it improved my confidence.  

Vanessa Chung 

I learned more practical and everyday language such as “ Where are we going?”, “Can I buy this? How much is it?”