English Friend is Yaxley China’s flagship educational programme. It is a 21st century pen friend scheme designed to connect many thousands of Chinese and English speaking youth. Chinese students will benefit linguistically and culturally by connecting one on one with British counterparts. In turn, British students will benefit by having their minds opened to the most populous and rapidly developing nation on earth.

CONTEXT
English Friend offers a unique learning experience in China’s rapidly expanding English language training market. Numerous studies have shown that even after many years of school and university level English education, many adult Chinese still lack the confidence to clearly communicate even basic information in English. As modern China develops and moves away from a ‘Made in China’ model to a ‘Designed in China’ one, its government has recognized the need for its young people to develop the skills necessary for a fundamental change in thinking. Cultural understanding, creative thinking and a move away from traditional ‘learning by rote’ have opened up the opportunity for more creative learning programmes, such as English Friend.

OBJECTIVE
The principal objective of English Friend is to enrich lives through connecting Chinese & English speaking youth. Yaxley China’s objective is to offer the scheme to self-funding wealthy middle class children as well as to less privileged youth as a Corporate Social Responsibility product.

BENEFITS
Students participating in English Friend programs will benefit from:
• A dedicated pen friend and the opportunity to enjoy an ongoing long distance friendship;
• Cultural exchange with a greater understanding of respective cultures;
• Greater self expression;
• Creative thinking;
• More self –confidence;
• Discovering the pleasure of communication;
• A course completion certificate

UNITED KINGDOM
Yaxley China’s teachers will deliver an introductory seminar about China’s culture, present day life, economy, history and education system – subjects likely to be unfamiliar to many. Over the eight weeks, British children will receive messages from their Chinese friend on the subject of conversation that has been covered in China that week. It will naturally be far easier for the British child to respond and to engage in building up an ongoing conversation. The UK side of the programme will be lead by a teacher within the school. For those children who are learning Mandarin, there will be opportunities to use this during the programme.

CHINA
Delivered over eight two-hour sessions, Yaxley China’s teachers will cover various topics of interest to young people. Topics will be broader than those covered during traditional English language lessons at school and will encompass for example current news, books, media, home life, sport, or British youth and popular culture. The curriculum can also be adapted to suit students’ preparation for examinations. The main focus of each session will be the creation of a message to the Chinese child’s English friend. Students will be required to write in English, so for the Chinese children a primary aim will be to develop confidence in the use of English with a “real life” British contemporary.

ACCREDITED PARTNERS

CCTF CHINA CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS FUND
CCTF is China’s oldest charity and the largest children’s charity. It works predominantly in the areas of providing educational opportunities to disadvantaged children across China.