IES Global (IESG)

((Prior to my internship starting, I did the 10 week intensive Mandarin course. In a small class, the course was personal and the teaching staff was very helpful for whenever I needed assistance. I would have to say that this is the most effective language course I have ever taken. Now I can communicate the basic terms in Mandarin and I am ready to improve my Chinese on an everyday basis.

Having not spoken a word of Mandarin, in the first month in China I undertook a one-month intensive Mandarin course so I could get by in the country. My small class had only four people, which made learning quick and easy. It was also great to meet other people who were new to China. Being able to get around on your own in a foreign country where limited English was spoken is a very rewarding feeling. I also used this opportunity to discover what China had to offer by visiting all the touristy spots. My time in China has been one of the greatest experiences so far in my life. I honestly would like to thank the entire IES global team for their support during my stay. In the future I plan to revisit China and maybe if the opportunity rises, live there. I highly recommend this program because of its great flexibility and reward you take after completion. (Finally I would like to say (I LOVE CHINA!).

I think studying Mandarin through the Mandarin & Culture Program is a very good introduction to the Chinese language as you are able to achieve quick success. I had three teachers taking care of me in different areas which made it a very effective way to learn. I had a great time there and the teachers are all really nice people who treated me like a friend.

I really wanted to learn some Chinese and even though it was just one month it was really worth doing it. I'd say I can speak about 400 words and so I can build alot of sentences with that vocabulary. From not knowing anything before it's a great feeling to be able to know so many words and have a conversation now. I really want to continue on and feel I have a good foundation to work from. We had a few teachers, with classes separated into speaking and pronunciation. The teachers are well trained and I can see the improvement they we made as all the students were able to have conversations by the end of the course. The teachers go through topics, give you new words and just guide you through each lesson. As the lessons continued, we would combine our existing vocabulary with the new words which helped reinforce our learning. We also became really great friends with the teachers.

I did the 4 week intensive Mandarin course in Beijing and it was extremely worthwhile. We know enough words to confidently get by on a daily basis. For example, I know what to say if I want to try something or if I want to buy something, whereas before I would just point or hope they understood English. I know a variety of sentences which is very handy to have to engage in small talk and I can confidently hold a conversation with people now. The classes are really interactive. You're not just sitting there in a chair listening to your teacher. You get to go up to the whiteboard and point at pictures related to the topic and you also play a number of games which made learning so much fun. It isn't just about learning to speak Mandarin, now I can actually understand what people are saying or have an idea what they are talking about.

(After graduating from Monash University with a Bachelor of Business Management and Economics, it was rather difficult to find a job in the real world as a manager. I turned to IES Global for help. They offered me a wonderful opportunity to learn from the fastest growing organization in China and the world's third largest computer manufacturing company: The Lenovo Group. (Lenovo is the major Olympic partner for the 2008 Olympics Games here in Beijing, China. The best thing about working in China is that you learn a lot more about yourself. The rich Chinese culture makes living here so different from home and learning how the Chinese do business is probably one of the most valuable lessons I have learnt here to date. You learn how to manage from an Eastern perspective and once you combine this with what you've learnt from the West it will be of great importance. My role at Lenovo is working in the Service Delivery Department reporting to the Director who is in charge of all Service Related issues in China. My primary role is to learn how each of the other the managers do their job, but there is only one specific task that I am given to do: The Lean Six Sigma. (The best aspect of the internship is not only do I have great support from the people here at Lenovo Shanghai, but that IES Global are on standby to help whenever I need the help. They keep consistent contact with you to ensure that you are doing well at your host company. I felt like they really cared about the well being of my work-state. This I felt was very important. When I return home later this year, I hope to continue my Chinese language studies as well as start work full-time. Where I work is yet to be written! But I know how I will get there. Thank you IES Global!

(Working in China has been an interesting and rewarding experience. I worked at China's largest international radio network, which broadcasts in over forty different languages worldwide. I was positioned in the online English department. My four week internship was divided into the news team and the webcast team. In the news team my role was to translate and polish articles from Chinese to English as well as writing my own articles to be published on the website. Whilst I have some basic Chinese language foundation, I found these tasks challenging because the Chinese news writing style is different from English in structure and content. (The most fulfilling part of the internship is being able to attend media events and practice interviewing techniques. For the webcast team, I participated as a journalist in the opening ceremony for the Olympic Family Hotel, a media promotion for a Cairo Opera at the National Centre of Performing Arts and a media conference for the launch of Olympic commemorative bank notes. I was responsible for writing the news feature, making audio recordings and editing photographs which were published on the website. (I was also fortunate enough to film video recordings of news and feature stories to accompany written articles. Without any formal camera presenting training, the filming process proved to be an eye-opening experience. I was astonished by the amount of time and effort that was put in to produce a ten minute segment. The filming practice played a crucial part in developing and improving my confidence levels and speaking skills. (During my internship, I have established good connections with my colleagues and they are always eager to learn more about the west. With the support of the company and IES Global I was able to integrate smoothly into the Chinese working life, sometimes working overtime on weekends to meet deadlines as well as participating in their annual swimming competition. I have thoroughly enjoyed the internship and through it, I have gained a better understanding of my future career direction.

I had always set a goal to obtain international experience before I finished my undergraduate degree. I had one semester left and I wanted to utilise my summer holiday break. Having local experience in my field was not enough in this day and time especially with the world's economic crisis. In order to stand out from the rest, I believed international experience was the key. (Why international experience? Well why not? Firstly, I wanted to prove to myself that I could survive in another country. An internship in China was an excellent choice for this kind of experience as it was totally different to what I was used to in Australia. Different culture, different lifestyle and most importantly, a different experience. A three month experience would definitely test my adaptability and versatility. Skills and attributes that all future employers look for. (Having not spoken a word of Mandarin, in the first month in China I undertook a one-month intensive Mandarin course so I could get by in the country. My small class had only four people, which made learning quick and easy. It was also great to meet other people who were new to China. Being able to get around on your own in a foreign country where limited English was spoken is a very rewarding feeling. I also used this opportunity to discover what China had to offer by visiting all the touristy spots. After my language training I was placed in the technical team at China Radio International in their English department for two months. (I was given a variety of technical tasks to complete throughout my two-month stint at CRI. These included things such as implementing an email server, attending to IT issues around the office and to developing an online broadcast platform for the department. Each task had a time frame, which I had to adhere to. To complete these tasks, it required me to apply previous skills I had acquired at University but also I had to learn a lot of new things as well. For example I was familiar with the first task where I had to build an open source email server, but the second task required me to develop a Microsoft Silverlight application. I had never experience any Microsoft programming so this required some intensive research and experimenting. In the end I produced a prototype with full documentation for what my supervisor could further develop and implement. (Apart from the technical tasks I was given, I also had the opportunity to be involved in some media tasks. As I came from an English speaking country I was sometimes asked if I could read English articles that some of the local editors had written. This was an extra precaution just to make sure their articles made sense. Most of the time their articles were excellent and never needed any correcting, but I was pleased that they involved me in their writing process. Another non-technical task was when they needed someone to do English voice-overs. I was put in a recording booth to do voice overs for an ad or story they were creating. And thirdly I was asked to be in an advertisement video, which I also assisted with the video editing, which was a lot of fun. (My time in China has been one of the greatest experiences so far in my life. I honestly would like to thank the entire IES global team for their support during my stay. In the future I plan to revisit China and maybe if the opportunity rises, live there. I highly recommend this program because of its great flexibility and reward you take after completion. (Finally I would like to say (I LOVE CHINA!).

After my intensive Mandarin course, IES Global found me an internship that matched my preferences. They placed me in a small company, which I prefer because I can learn more and get the real Chinese experience. I have great workmates that help me every day in my job. I had the opportunity to take company trips, to get some insight on what the company is about. I got to visit the suppliers in the Shanghai region, as well as the major clients and the commercial teams from other regions.((My intention is to return to Spain and use my new knowledge and experience to create a new company, or even work for an import company. Maybe I can extend my life in China because it is a really amazing place with a different point of view. It is an exciting place to be, especially with the Olympics just around the corner and the country constantly changing without losing their cultural roots.((I would like to thank the IES Global staff for giving me personal attention for all my necessities. They helped me find accommodation, start my life in Beijing, organize activities, getting me involved in the country. I recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a new cultural experience.

I started off my internship with summarizing articles and writing questionnaires. As time went by I received more and more responsibility and I started writing my own articles from interviews I made together with a Chinese colleague. Being interested in the clothing industry I focused on writing reports that related to this topic. So far I've had interviews with the owner of one of the few vintage stores located in Beijing, the director of the official website of Beijing Fashion Week -09 as well as the chief designer of a major Chinese label. (When I wasn't busy reporting in Beijing I was sent out of town to take part in trips. Travelling as the only foreigner in a group of 20 Chinese reporters from different media gave me an exclusive insight on China through the eyes of a reporter, an experience which in today's society I consider being priceless. Through the internship I visited places like Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wenzhou and Suzhou to mention a few, and practiced my skills as a reporter when interviewing important people at press conferences and events taking place throughout the journey.

The teaching itself is really fun and satisfying. I can feel happy when I walk away from the class knowing that these kids will benefit from something I have taught them. The accommodation is good considering, a little basic but when you're here for a year it can very easily be made into home! China is fantastic - the odd tropical storm never hurt anyone! The local people stare in fascination and the people you meet are so happy to meet you and to be able to say they know a westerner... it's unbelievable! In all, an amazing and life changing experience that I'd recommend to anyone!!

China is amazing, but even better if for some time you can really be part of it. I decided to go to China although I wasn't really sure. Looking back it is one of the best decisions I ever made. Comparing different cultures is great, I learned a lot about the eastern cultures and about my own. I was placed at a kindergarten, and although it wasn't my first choice it was fun every day and I'm still amazed by my students level of English. The students in the kindergarten pick up new English words very quickly and they love having English classes with a foreign teacher. For my classes I used a lot of songs and flash cards to teach them new English. (IES Global even helped me with a part-time job so I could teach adults in the evening. I still talk/email every week with people all over the world who I met during my Teach and Travel program, and made friends for life. (I'm not sure I'm going to use my TEFL ever again, but the skills I picked up, the confidence I gained and having it on my CV can only be a good thing.

I was back at home feeling bored and decided I wanted to do something interesting and exciting. China had a lot of appeal to me and the Teach & Travel China program sounded perfect for my situation. When I got here I didn't know what to expect but that anxiety was quickly extinguished. The IES Global staff was incredibly helpful, I met some great friends from both China and overseas and thoroughly enjoyed my placement where I got to teach a bunch of enthusiastic kids. To properly see another part of the world, experience the culture and its people and considering the skills and memories I got to take away, the program truly was worth every penny I spent.

The Teach and Travel China experience has been one of the most fulfilling and exciting things I have done in my life. The program offered me a chance to see and live in China for an extended period of time and discover the richness of Chinese culture. The program trained me how to teach English and I am now qualified to teach English as a foreign language. The staff at IES Global were fantastic, helping with all aspects of settling into a new lifestyle and culture. This program allows participants to meet many interesting people and make friends from all over the world. For anyone considering this trip, my advice would be to just go for it, I've had some amazing experiences and made some life long friends, it's been thoroughly enjoyable.

Teach and Travel China (TTC) has been the most exceptional experience of my life so far. I went from being a typical 18 year old in Essex, to a kindergarten teacher that the kids love. I have never been happier working and I wake up every morning ready to handle the children (with or without lesson plans). This experience has set me up for university because I was tackling the challenges of living away from home head on. Although I felt scared and really homesick at the beginning, now I am in love with China and I cannot think of leaving. It's the trip of endless possibilities, just go for it, come here with an open mind and you'll have the experience of a lifetime.

The TTC staff, as well as being a truly fantastic bunch of people, put themselves out to help you when you have a problem. They are very accommodating and I'm glad I had that support behind me. My school was incredible and if I could take it home with me, I would! The teachers were extremely friendly and the students are affectionate and inquisitive. Everybody wants to be your friend and learn English from you. Two students have even told me that I should live in China permanently instead of going home. Living in China certainly tests you sometimes; plans change last minute, often without an explanation; it can be especially frustrating when others shrug everything off saying 'That's China' but it's just a case of accepting the Chinese way of life and rolling with it. It's a fun ride. The whole experience has been made of both good and bad parts but when things go wrong, it only adds character and priceless memories. Overall, it has been absolutely amazing. Teaching in China was not what I had intended doing with my gap year, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

I came to China to get a real image of a country I knew nothing about. I really wanted to avoid the tourist trips in a hurried two week stop off on an oriental tour. Teach & Travel China offered the best way of doing this. It's really not the China I was expecting, not the Kung Fu Panda scene of idyllic villages and ox drawn karts but mental buses, deep fried Sea Horse and friendly taxi drivers who take the Highway Code as a bit more of a guide. That's not to say the idyllic villages don't exist, you just have to find them. There's so much to explore it's impossible to settle into a routine. There's this impulse to get out for the weekends and take the train down to Sichuan or Hong Kong. Every province, almost every town has a really distinct feel to it, the good bits and the bad. The people you meet really make the trip too. There's already a plan to go on a train journey around China for a couple of months with some of the people from the program. It's not just the other teachers either. The students at our placement are always friendly and we constantly get cheery shouts of hello or invitations to their houses, out for meals or to join games of basketball. It's a totally different culture, and it's all incredible. Of course you have to be open-minded, but if you can manage that, the whole experience will be one of the best you will ever have.

At the start of 2009, I found a program for young people called Teach and Travel China. I am not a teacher and I am not a native speaker, I am an old lady. At the end of the year I will be 69 and I used English a lot during my professional life. What an adventure I thought, to live for half a year in China as an English teacher. I have never been a teacher, the same as most of the other people on the program, and we did not speak Chinese so we needed some very special preparation for teaching English to Chinese students. Our task was to help the Chinese students with their pronunciation, understanding and speaking of the English language. After this training, TTC sent us to a school. Participants were placed all across China and so we were sent on our travels to our new home. I was placed with a 27 year old Scotsman. I was sent to Tangshan, around 220km east of Beijing. Initially I thought that I could go alone to any place in China. However, time told me that I needed the company of this intelligent, friendly and funny young man. I became more patient, more modest and I learned a lot about China. If you want to know more about China, come and join the Teach & Travel China program!

Travelling in China has proven to be an exciting and adventurous journey, and I was glad to have the Teach & Travel China program there at the beginning to give me an introduction to the Chinese culture. Not only is China a great place to travel, but it is also a great starting point for anybody who wishes to experience teaching English abroad. In my experience, the school I joined was helpful in providing sufficient housing and the international office was always easy to reach for assistance. I also liked that I had the freedom to practice different teaching methods in the classroom. The best advice for any new teacher in China is to get involved with your school, keep an open mind, and try to keep a positive attitude with every situation you have to face. I've met many life-long friends through the program, and it's also been beneficial to have the IES Global there to answer all of my questions throughout my stay. TTC truly is a great way to teach and travel China!

I came to China to do something a bit different, to kill my boredom that was my life back in Australia, to learn about a culture and have some fun teaching English at the same time. Nothing could have prepared me for the amazing, fun, quirky and off beat roller coaster ride living and teaching in China has been. There's nothing quite like getting a true Chinese food baptism of fire from the school cafeteria serving up some delicious foods, some downright strange foods and some foods I would not bother going back for seconds let alone eating ever again. There's nothing like walking down the school corridors to a chorus of excited Chinese kids screaming Hello at you as if you were some kind of Rock star! There's nothing like miming your way through conversations and realising that it's not important so much what is said but that you're both still smiling or better yet laughing at the language barrier predicament you're both in. Teaching English in China is not only a great way to fund your travels but also a great way to live and immerse yourself in the Chinese lifestyle. Simply there's nothing quite like the experience you will get living and teaching in China. China is the place to be!

Through Teach & Travel China I've had the opportunity to experience China for 8 months. It's been a great time. I've learned a lot about the country and it's people, but also about myself. In February I did the TEFL-course in Beijing. It was a good opportunity to meet people from all over Europe. The course was pretty intense, but there was enough time to explore the city as well. Visiting the Great Wall, celebrating Chinese New Year, shopping at the silk market, it was all worthwhile. In my opinion the true China experience didn't start until we were moving to the schools though. I would be teaching at a kindergarten in Fujian province down south and luckily my roommates from Beijing were placed in the same school. Again it was an amazing experience, especially because we were part of Chinese society now. You can visit as many tourist sites as you want but it will never give you the experience that living and working in China will. As a foreigner you're something special in a good way and the people were all very nice to us. In no time I made lots of friends, foreign as well as Chinese. Working as a teacher opened my eyes to a lot of things. Especially with small children (I taught 6-7 year old) it takes a lot of energy and creativity. If you're having a bad day it can be a real hassle, but when a lesson works well and the kids are into it, it's very satisfying. I really got attached to the children and the Chinese teachers I worked with were very helpful. In the end I had a really hard time saying goodbye. One thing about China I really had to get used to was the way they organize things. Long term planning simply doesn't exist. You really need to be flexible. No way will the school tell you things in advance. Also if you need to get something done don't expect them to handle it right away. Staying patient and flexible are traits I got to work on a lot. All in all it was an amazing experience I will remember the rest of my life. I'm grateful IES Global helped us through the first weeks to make the transition a little smoother. I've seen lots of beautiful temples, climbed mountains, trained kung fu with Shaolin monks, competed on a television show, but most important of all I've met many wonderful people and I really hope I can go back one day!

I originally came to China in 2008, the Olympic year. Along with the usual attraction of the Far East it also promised something unique. It was the coming out party for one of the world's largest and least understood nations, it was indescribably exciting and there was a palpable atmosphere, to me at least. Beijing was the place to be! (I taught at a middle school in a village just outside of Beijing and was fortunate enough to have a timetable that allowed me to have long weekends off. I made the most of it. Trips near and far, trains and planes filled the months leading up to Christmas. For me the teaching was good, but seeing China was great. North, South, East and West, all had a different delight to offer. Each left me wanting to explore that little bit more. It was like having Europe, Africa or the Americas as my canvas, China is so vast and there is so much to see I wanted to see it all in one go but sadly time did not allow. (After spending New Year in Hong Kong, I returned to England where I went back to a more traditional way of life, a typical 9-5 office job in a bland cubicle of a generic office building situated in a nondescript business park. It became apparent very soon that China had left an impression. Fashions, customs, social interactions, foods and even restroom facilities and functions are all very different. When visiting a foreign country how much do we really consider about the possibility of this difference. I know for me, what annoyed me at the time, after a week back home only endeared me to the experience and called for me to return. So I did. (Now back in China, I plan to stay at least another year and I am currently working for IES Global, the company behind the Teach and Travel China program, which first brought me to begin my China adventure in 2008. Working as a Project Coordinator for the company I now look after and advise participants on a daily basis and help them to overcome and settle into this fascinating and unique country. It's great to be able to now share my own past experiences of life in China with new people each semester as well as creating whole new experiences for myself!

After feeling a little bored with my usual life back home, I came across the TTC/I-to-I website and was automatically intrigued by what I saw. Feeling a little apprehensive and nervous I booked the TEFL course and began my journey. The on-line course was intense, but brought me back to my school days and also refreshed my knowledge. Now using that knowledge here in China to teach these wonderful children was worth all the hours I put in. The feeling of satisfaction when a child in the classroom gives you that look of totally understanding what you are telling them is very fulfilling. It can be tough sometimes but it wouldn't be a worthwhile challenge if it was too easy. China in itself is a crazy but wonderful and beautiful country. I have had the pleasure of visiting some wonderful cities and meeting some wonderful people. All the people here are very friendly and they make the experience even more special. Being stared at is not uncommon and the constant Hello's to strangers will leave you parched. The IES Global staff have been amazing and are always on hand for any issues or questions I have had. I have made some lifelong friends here whom I met during the orientation week in Beijing. Being here now has made me realise there was nothing to be afraid of and I know after this amazing journey I will never be that afraid of anything again. If you're considering doing it, stop considering and get it booked!

I think Teach & Travel China is a good program. Without IES Global I wouldn't have had the chance to come to China, let alone have the chance to teach English here, because I never could have organized it by myself. I think it's hard to get in contact with Chinese people, because of the language and cultural differences. But with IES Global it was possible. That's really great.

My school has welcomed me very well. Their local English teachers are very interested in improving their English, especially by talking to a foreign teacher. Some of the teachers are very helpful by showing us around in the city etc. I am also improving my Chinese as I have been talking to them every day. My students are aged 2-6 years. The 2 years old are a challenge to teach as some of them don't even speak Chinese yet and they can't sit still or keep focus but they are adorable! The 3 years old and up are easier to teach and are a lot of fun to teach.

So far, I have gained a lot of self confidence from the Teach & Travel China program, not to mention met some amazing people and generally just having a great time. IES Global provided me with a lot of support to make it as problem-free and enjoyable as possible. After being here a while, I now know that it really takes a lot to get things running smoothly in China and I would have been completely lost without them! The teaching is great; I have learnt a lot more about working with young people, meeting and moulding to the culture here. My biggest piece of advice is to keep your mind as open as possible, and be ready for knocks and shocks because you will get them. But, at the end of the day, they make the experience all the more interesting, and it definitely makes for brilliant stories back at home. Be patient with the culture and the people here, they are more helpful than necessary sometimes, but they always mean well and are amazing fun if you go with the flow.

I travelled to China at the start of 2010 not really knowing much about china and more than a bit panicked over what i was going to do when i got there. However there was nothing to be worried about at all, from the outset IES Global did everything in their power to make our stay as brilliant as possible. Any worries you had or problems you could just tell them and it would be almost instantly sorted out. The TEFL qualification we gained gave us the ability to deal with any problems we encountered in the classroom, and for only a months worth of training was incredibly well detailed. I've now had two teaching intern placements all organised by IES Global and have had no problems with them. Each placement has been amazing and the program itself has not only given me a chance to see China, but also meet some amazing people who are now friends for life. I would definitely say to anyone who was unsure to just go for it, there is nothing to worry about and you really will have the time of your lives.

Teach and Travel China (TTC) gave me the opportunity to have an awesome experience and one that I found unique and intriguing. I was in North East China, which I knew nothing about and i enjoyed it immensely. I made great (lifelong) friends who I will stay in touch with for the rest of my life. I taught Senior High, really cool, when you have 50 kids re-enacting 'Robin Hood' you know you have a great job! You have to see the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors and (if you are luck enough to be here at the time) the Harbin Ice Festival! Once in a lifetime sights! 100% rommend it as a great introduction into China.

I joined this programme initially for one semester but ended up staying for the full year. The support received by the team in Beijing was second to none. The school they placed me in was excellent, the facilities and help provided really made my stay in China an enjoyable one. Right from the beginning I found the service provided first rate, the week long orientation helped me to settle in and prepared me for everything very well. Throughout my stay TTC were on hand to help deal with any problems or even just to advise me what to see when travelling! I would highly recommend this programme to anyone wishing to start their TEFL career, whether they plan on staying in China long term or just using it to gain experience. As for teaching and living in China, it was the best move I ever made. After the initial culture shock I settled into life very quickly, the people are warm and friendly and with all the holidays through the year there was ample time to travel and see all the wonderful sights the country has to offer. The added bonus of doing this TTC programme is of course that you are never truly alone, and you will meet many new friends, most of whom I am still in touch with now. Go on, take the leap, I promise you will not regret it!!