Volunteers really do make a difference!
While on a recent site visit to China, Global Volunteers CEO and Co-founder, Bud Philbrook attended a presentation where a local woman, Joyce Gao, was giving a speech. Joyce was a student from the first group taught by Global Volunteers in 1996. In this speech, she details how Global Volunteers not only helped her with her English, but more importantly her attitude towards life. Volunteers often wonder how much they can do within two or three weeks. Here is a living example.
Thank you so very much for giving me this opportunity to express my gratitude to all those who have meant so much to me in my life. First of all, I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Bud Philbrook, president of Global Volunteers. Thank you for making the decision of choosing Xi’an as part of your service program and for sending so many wonderful volunteers to our city to assist people here. Your program has really worked miracles on people like me.
Then I’d like to thank Mr. An Wei, who have introduced this program to Xijing Foreign Languages School where I first received Global Volunteers’ service 12 years ago. My special thanks also go to Mr. Ma Ke, who has always been so kind to invite me to such important occasions to meet the Global Volunteers, which means so very important to me.
As an English speaker and teacher, I’ve always been asked these two questions- The first one is “Why do you speak good English?” and the other one is “Why did you choose to be a teacher?” I always give them the same answer “Because I met the Global Volunteers.”
As what Mr. Philbrook mentioned the other day on the welcome ceremony of team 148 “One of the things Global Volunteers are doing here in China is to assist teachers of English in their teaching.” Here is how they have helped.
What students actually learn from Chinese teacher’s English class is primarily language skills, which I would put it as second-hand English; while what they get from their Global Volunteer teachers classes is first –hand information about the other people, their customs, way of life, etc., which are defined as “culture” that has been known to be vital in second language acquisition.
Since I was lucky enough to have participated in Global Volunteer’s service program in various forms throughout the years such as conversational English classes, English Summer Camp, radio program conversations as well as welcome and farewell ceremonies, I got the chance to experience that culture thing from time to time even till now, therefore I speak good English.
As to why I’ve chosen to be an English teacher, I’d say the objective of Global Volunteer’s service program accounts for it, which is “Helping others through service” Compared with the United States, China has a much longer history, but with regard to its overall national strength, it is still very young.
The Chinese nation has a tradition to learn from others. The young students in China are now well prepared to absorb whatever is useful for the development of their country. And they need the tool of English to achieve this goal. I happened to have some knowledge of English. So I guessed I might do them a favor with what I know.
It was the spirit of Global Volunteers that has inspired me and gave me the courage to take up such a career, which is though not good-paying but so rewarding. When some of my colleagues are complaining about their salary, I always get sense of satisfaction derived from helping my students with their English studies.
Thanks to Global Volunteers and STA (Shaanxi Translators’ Association), I now become what I am. Thank you again for once having me as part of your wonderful program. It is my sincere hope that the Global Volunteer’s program will create new wonders on more young Chinese like me through your seemingly ordinary but significant services. Thank you!"
