Name, city and age group you work with
Hey there! My name is Jennifer Roman. I am in Wuhan, Hubei, in the
middle, and I work with university students.

Briefly describe what it’s Iike working with that age group
I have no regrets choosing this age group. Specifically, I teach
freshman and sophomore English major college students (18-20 years
old). Although they are still learning, and there is a range of
abilities and motivations in the classroom, the students personalities
shine through and they are generally really fun. They have a very good
foundation of English already – I love writing the topic of the day on
the board, and just asking them what the Chinese word for it is – then
they chorus it back and I know I’m good to continue the lesson and
develop the topic.

Best thing about teaching in China?
You get served up a big pile of opportunities – it’s just up to you
how many you want to grab! At my fingertips I can practice Chinese,
learn about the culture, see something new and eat amazing foods.
Money is okay, and there is a lot of free time so there’s often no
reason not to try something – it’s more of a question of how much you
want to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge would have been “wintertime” – the pollution and
cold weather for that season was really tough for me! Of course
there’s language barriers too – I can’t read about all the nice things
on a menu at a restaurant.

Favorite city you’ve visited in China & why?
In the first week of October we went on a road trip – it was so unique
because it’s rare for foreigners to have access to a car. The cities
we stayed at (Jingzhou, Tianmen, Tongcheng, and Yueyang) were nothing
spectacular – far from the normal tourist trail but that’s what made
the trip so special. The independence we had with the car meant we
could follow our nose, get lost on the backroads, find little gems of
restaurants and interact with lovely locals. It’s my vote to say that
often the big and popular cities don’t guarantee the best time and
experience.

Advice about teaching in China
Go out of your way at the beginning to make friends – they will be
your support network. Try delicious food. And talk slow in classes.
All the best!


Jennifer is doing a monthly blog on our YouTube channel about her time in China. Here’s all her brilliant videos so far!

Blog 1: Before Departure



Blog 2: First Impressions



Blog 3: Settling Into Wuhan



Blog 4: Halloween performance



Blog 5: Visting Xi’an



Blog 6: Reflections of the First Semester



Blog 7: How’s China?