Showcasing English language learning in Cambridge to 800 million in China

27 October 2011

Bell Educational Trust was delighted to host a delegation of leading educational online opinion leaders from China who visited Cambridge this week as part of the 'Tweet UK' campaign.

The social media campaign, brainchild of the British Council and Education UK, focuses on promoting UK education and culture to over 800 million Chinese people through the social media channel QQ.com, the largest web portal in China.

With the UK reported to be "the second biggest destination for international students" (BBC News, 2011), the 'Tweet UK' campaign has enabled millions of prospective students in China to read frequent blog updates and enjoy photos regularly tweeted by the delegates, showcasing their cultural and educational experiences of Cambridge.

The delegates, who included a former spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Education and Education Director of QQ.com, visited Bell Cambridge for an insight into life as an English language student. As part of their visit, the delegation met with Chinese students currently studying at Bell, and experienced first-hand how Bell students develop their language skills through a variety of creative and participatory language learning activities, including pronunciation exercises.

One of the delegates, Jiang Fangzhou, a famous youth writer and columnist who started her prestigious writing career at just seven and has 10 published books to her name, commented that pronunciation and speaking skills are areas of English language learning that Chinese students find most challenging. She also pointed out that many Chinese teachers do not always pronounce English words correctly and, therefore, one of the major benefits to studying in the UK is the opportunity to interact and listen to native speakers of English in everyday life.

During their visit, the delegates were also immersed in British culture with a guided walking tour of Cambridge including a visit to King's College, where a memorial to the famous Chinese poet Xu Zhimo is on display. This was followed by a punt along the River Cam to give the delegation a true Cambridge experience.

Tony Anderson, Director of Sales and Marketing at Bell, explained why this visit was so important not only to Bell, but to Cambridge and the UK as a whole. "Tweet UK has presented a wonderful opportunity to showcase all that studying in Britain has to offer. Cambridge is the hub of education and innovation, home to one of the world's top universities, and Bell is dedicated to preparing international students for their future academic and professional careers."

Ends

Media and press enquiries:

Caroline Davidson
Bell Educational Trust
Hillscross, Red Cross Lane
Cambridge, CB2 0QU
England

Telephone: +44 (0)1223 275567
Fax: +44 (0)1223 275592
E-mail: caroline.davidson@bell-worldwide.com

Notes to Editors

About Bell

Bell is a leading educational charity and one of the largest British-owned providers of English language education services. Each year, Bell helps over 100,000 students, from more than 120 countries through one of its 27 worldwide teaching centres and e-channels, primarily to learn English and other languages. The organisation also provides teacher training, educational management, consultancy and project services to international organisations, universities and governments.

About Bell International College Cambridge

Bell International College, an elegant manor house next to Addenbrooke's Hospital, is one of the most prestigious English language schools in Cambridge and is currently undergoing a multi-million pound make-over. The school offers a range of courses for students 16+ from General English, Exam Preparation including IELTS and Academic and University Preparation courses to teacher training programmes and bespoke group courses.

About the British Council

The British Council is the UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. The British Council works in over 100 countries worldwide to build opportunities for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people.

About Education UK

Education UK was developed to encourage students who are considering overseas study to choose the UK.

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Tweet UK delegation of leading online opinion leaders from China