While in China, there are tons of tour bus trips that visit various fragments and pieces of the wall contructed over the course of many eras and dynasties. The most famous segment was primarily constructed during the Ming Dynasty.

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Learn more about AmeriSpan's Shanghai Chinese School

Meet Aaron Duff, Director of Development at AmeriSpan's Shanghai Chinese School

What is your background?
I’m a 29 year old Australian who has married into a Chinese family. I have lived in China on and off since 2003 in the city of Shanghai and a small town of 2 million on the north Korean border called Dandong. I also have 2 young children who have a much better Chinese accent than me.

 
Do you travel abroad often?
Not too often, but I travel around China a lot as there is so many different things to see, foods to try and cultures to experience.

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I am a native English speaker, can speak fluent Mandarin Chinese and have previously learnt some Korean and French with varying degrees of success. I can also understand some of the local dialect of "Shanghainese".

When did you start/join your organization?
A little less than a year ago. I joined Mandarin House as it is the leader for what is a very fast growing and increasingly significant industry – Chinese language learning. It is a great opportunity to capitalize on growing demand for Chinese language worldwide and complements my passion to help more foreigners understand more about China.

What is your job or function at the organization?
Director of Development. This means a lot of things – everything from marketing to editing our self-developed curriculum. I often have to point out though that I don’t do any Chinese teaching. Compared to our teachers I am way too under-qualified.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I like talking in Chinese with other foreigners from all over the world.

Can you tell us about your school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
Our school is special not just because we are a pioneer of the Chinese language school industry but because of our emphasis on quality. We are the only school with international accreditation from IALC (International Association of Language Centres) and we have won and been nominated for a number of international language awards.

Further, our schools in Beijing and Shanghai are in the hearts of the city with modern, comfortable classrooms and facilities. Moreover, aside from our business Chinese and HSK programs, our self-developed curriculum is unique in that it focuses in ‘living Chinese’ with a choice of learning Chinese characters or not. Ultimately a major factor that sets us apart is the quality of our teachers. Our 100 or so teachers are all qualified to teach Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages and have a cumulative average of over 3,000 hours of teaching Chinese to foreigners.

Anything else you'd like to add?
If you have never been to China before, no amount of documentaries or travel guides can fully prepare you. The country has developed so fast and changes so quickly that it will amaze you. China is a great country and due to its difference from other countries around the world, in my experience people can either love it or hate it. To love it, approach the country with an open mind and be ready for anything.

Discover AmeriSpan's Shanghai Chinese School

Meet

What is your background?
I am 25 years old, and I graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University, currently I live in Beijing.

Do you travel abroad often?
Frankly, I have never been abroad before.

Have you studied abroad?
No, I have not.

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I speak Chinese and English.

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
I studied English as a major in the university, and now enjoy working in an language and culture exchange center.

When did you start/join your organization?
I started working for this school in 2007.

What is your job or function at the organization?
I am an Academic Director.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world.

Was a person, group of people or organization instrumental in your success?
My boss, Julia gave me the opportunity to get to know this business, and I really appreciated it.

Tell us one of your biggest challenges in starting your organization.
I used to work as a teacher, then I got a chance to work in marketing and admission area, at beginning of that period, I was facing challenges and felt great pressure.

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad.
When I worked as a teacher, I once had students from different language levels in the same class, and I sensed the inappropriateness, but I carried on teaching. I finally had to split them up!

Can you tell us about your school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
My school is not a language school- it's a culture exchange center, and also a big warm family. Every year, more and more students come from all over the world and join this family, and we care for each other- we help each other and we are hand in hand to create a better future.

Anything else you'd like to add?
China is growing and Beijing is growing, which provides more opportunities. If you are looking for success, please come to China – you won't regret your experience with us!

Find out more about AmeriSpan's Beijing Chinese school.

What is your background?
I grew up in modest surroundings.  We lived on a nice street lined with big trees, in the British and French colony district of Tianjin, a big industrial city in northern China. My parents worked for the science academy of Chinese military. We had a standard lifestyle for that period, comparable to other Chinese families. My parents presented an open minded and democratic family atmosphere.

In 1999, I moved to Beijing with my family looking for better opportunity in the capital city of China. Luckily, I discovered Beijing is full of opportunities for people who want do something in their life.

Do you travel abroad often? Have you studied abroad?
Yes, I enjoy traveling but haven’t had as much time since starting my language school. I studied in Germany and have traveled throughout Europe. In addition, I also speak English and most of my work is in English.

What is your professional history?
My major was marketing; there were more opportunities for college students at that time compared to now. My first job was at an import/export company and then I worked at a German joint venture company. After moving to Beijing, I worked for the marketing department at an advertising company until starting my language school.

How did you get involved with Study Abroad?
I enjoyed my other jobs, learned how to work together with other people and made some friends, but I realized my stronger wish was to be an entrepreneur. I wanted to create my own organization where I could influence other people. I had always loved traveling and learning foreign languages and knew there was a big demand to learn Chinese; so starting a language school was a logical next step in business for me. It allowed me to do something I loved while sharing my country and culture with people from all over the world. I established the school in 2005. Our target students are people of all ages from other countries who are interested in learning Chinese language and culture. We are happy to be their first stop when they come to explore, live and/or work in China.

Did anyone or any organization help you get started?
Yes, my older brother supported me with initial funding, designing our logo and company name.

 
Have you been successful?
We experienced strong growth from 2006-2008, and continue to achieve stable growth. One of the most rewarding aspects is returning students. Many students return each year and they tell us that our staff, teachers and homestays are part of their extended family. Our success is a result of having the most experienced and loyal teachers/staff. Finally, we always address the individual needs of every student.

Check out AmeriSpan's Chinese School in Beijing

The story of Li Cunxin tells about the strength and determination it takes to study dance as well as to pursue one's dreams. It also shows a glimpse of Chinese vs. American culture and the difficulties of adapting to living in a different country. 

Click to see the trailer for Mao's Last Dancer.

You can also check out Mao's Last Dancer on Facebook.

Go to AmeriSpan's Chinese programs.