ESEC gathered attention and support from people in many walks of life. These people gave selflessly of their time, money and services. In China, ESEC was welcomed by the government and the institutes of higher education. A mutual commitment of cooperation has allowed ESEC to expand its programs; ESEC offers English language learning programs, contemporary teaching methodology, international trade and commerce, medical education, higher education evaluation, service to the disabled, and special education. To date, this effort has involved more than 300 Chinese institutions, as well as 150,000 participants from around China trained by ESEC.
The 29 years that ESEC has served in China marks three historical decades of rapid progress and reform for Chinese society. It is in this setting that ESEC discovered its purpose and defined the incumbent challenges ahead. ESEC appreciates the opportunity to participate in the remarkable development of US-China friendship, and is especially grateful for the many friends who have joined us in this pilgrimage.
As a Christian ministry in educational services, we humbly seek:
- To open doors of opportunity for Christians to explore God's calling to overseas service.
- To provide excellent training and field support which develop professional skills, spiritual growth and credible ministry.
- To advance our students' educational level and quality of life.
- To appropriately communicate the good news with our lives, our service and our words.
- To partner with local churches for the spiritual growth of God's family.
Our Intention for TIP: Educational Services Exchange China (ESEC) developed this project to provide free training for elementary and middle school English teachers from China’s impoverished regions. This, we believe, will enable the development of the local community and, in turn, stimulate the reformation of China’s educational system. We are inviting partners, whether nonprofit organizations, business enterprises, or individuals who care about Christian ministry and education in China, to join forces with us in this venture.
The Background of TIP: The Government of China has advocated for a long while the need for education reform, especially the need for innovation in English education. In the past 28 years, ESEC has worked in China and partnered with over 300 Chinese institutions and government agencies in the English training of about 150,000 individuals, mostly Chinese scholars, businessmen and government officials going abroad to study. Although we have done exceedingly well, we continue to be disappointed because even with the many years of efforts by many groups, China’s English situation has not improved. Instead, English learning has become a leading challenge for Chinese schools and a major source of psychological pressure and aggravation for Chinese children.
In September 2006, ESEC partnered with Peking University to set up at Chang Ping Campus a model TIP (Total Immersion Program) for the purpose of equipping school teachers with oral English proficiency and contemporary teaching methodology. Since then, we have completed 31 TIP sessions, graduating 5000 English teachers who showed marked improvement. All students, including those who may start with zero oral proficiency in English, will graduate from TIP in a matter of 18 days. Not only will they acquire a new teaching methodology about “learning English happily”, they will also advance in their oral English proficiency, as evidenced at graduation by their completion of a 15-minute presentation in English using only an outline or, for many, without notes. TIP aims to send them back to their schools so they never teach English in Chinese again. The unique aspects of TIP are the speed in transformation and the quantity of students the program can handle. Making a dent in China’s English system is therefore now viable.
In 2009, ESEC will develop TIP into the TIP Institute. The plan is to train in the first year 10,000 English teachers (20 sessions a year with 500 students per session). The number is to be increased by 15,000 trainees per year. Our 5 year target for China’s Western regions is to train 200,000 teachers who will in turn, with the average teaching load of 100 students per teacher, impact 20 million Chinese students per year.
TIP Next Steps: We are inviting friends who are involved with China missions and ministry to partner with us in this endeavor. We already have several nonprofit organizations in China and in the USA who are committed to this development. In the near future, we need large numbers of trainers and material resources to accomplish this goal. We solicit your participation to help recruit Christian volunteers and English teachers from the West. (If you are interested in sponsoring Chinese students to participate in TIP, please also contact us.) In appreciation for the partnership of Christian denominations, organizations and mission agencies who will systematically provide TIP with teaching personnel and support, these partners will be memorialized at a central location of the TIP Institute campus.
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In 2001 ESEC celebrated its 20th Anniv for a summary of our first twenty years |
Distinctives
1. ESEC was founded by Chinese-Americans who are interested in fostering a healthy relationship between the USA and China. An ever-expanding community has sustained ESEC and its work by providing economic and moral support.
2. The guiding tenet of ESEC's partnership is mutual respect. ESEC is founded on the concept of Christian humanitarian principles. Our creed is "to serve, rather than to be served." As partners we focus on understanding and appreciation for one another. Our cooperative relationship is one of equality.
3. ESEC does not send individual teachers: we send teaching teams. We do not emphasize individual performance. We mold our teachers as team members. With strengths that compliment and empower the whole, they can overcome personal limitations. Prior to leaving the States, we extensively train our teachers in teamwork and teaching methodology so they can function effectively.
4. In the training of our teaching teams we also emphasize cross-cultural sensitivity. Equipping our teachers to work with their Chinese partners, we strive to integrate Western and Oriental approaches to education. We employ the latest teaching methodologies while giving close attention to the psychological and cultural habits of the students. As a bicultural organization, ESEC's goal is to overcome cultural boundaries and barriers while respecting the differences of the two cultures.
5. We seek continual growth. We average a new program every two years. We have employed an effective protocol for developing new programs - beginning with pilot testing, then establishing a model and finally duplication for the masses. After we perfect a curriculum design, we immediately seek to multiply the program to as many locations as possible, thereby reducing the cost per student trained. ESEC has been recognized for its ability to produce low cost and high quality education with optimal results.