Exposing young minds to genuinely immersive global experiences

Nerves were well-hidden when the first group of Melbourne students to fully immerse themselves in Haileybury’s school in China arrived in Tianjin earlier this year.

The five students stepped up to join the inaugural Horizons program – a six-week international exchange that sees students from Melbourne board and study at Haileybury’s Tianjin campus.

Open to Year 10 students studying Chinese from both Chinese and non-Chinese backgrounds, Horizons is an opportunity for young people to solidify their language skills, and gain new perspectives and an understanding of what it is like to live in modern day China.

Students attend school full-time with local students and take part in a series of travel and real-life experiences. This includes trips to Beijing to visit the Temple of Heaven, the 798 Art District, the Great Wall and to learn the art of mastering Mahjong.

They learn about the history of Tianjin and northern China at Tianjin Museum and visit the Ancient Culture Street lined with traditional Chinese shops and eateries. During a weekend in Langfang in the heart of Hebei Province, students sample local foods and explore parks and ancient temples.

Throughout these cultural experiences, students develop stronger language skills and greater confidence to speak Chinese more often inside and outside the classroom.

“My child was completely reluctant to speak Mandarin at home prior to attending the program. Since her return, she has been confident to speak short phrases with speed and correct tones. I am very impressed,” says one parent whose child took part in the Horizons exchange.

Dr Stephan Muller, Deputy Principal (Experiential Learning & International), says the success of the pilot Horizons program will see it become available to future Year 10 students wanting to enhance their understanding of Chinese and day-to-day life in China.

“For any young person studying Chinese – background speakers or not – everything they do during the six-week immersion boosts their Chinese language proficiency,” says Stephan.

“We are a proudly diverse school and we have a huge number of students who study Chinese. This experience allows them to practise their Chinese, build resilience and independence away from home in a different country, and gain an in-depth immersion into contemporary Chinese culture by being with local Chinese students.”

In the future, the Horizons experience could be made available to non-Haileybury students.

“Horizons could be an attractive option for a Chinese-background family living in Sydney, for example, who may take their children to visit grandparents in China, but who have no other access to immersion in the country. There are a large number of families in Australia living bilingually, with roots and connections in more than one country – who want to connect their children to China in a more meaningful way,” says Stephan.

Horizons is only one of a series of international immersion experiences available to Haileybury students across Melbourne and at Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin.

Earlier this year, Year 12 student, Isaac, left behind the warm weather and the familiarity of Darwin to travel to Haileybury UK. Isaac was the proud recipient of one of two scholarships that enable Haileybury students to spend three weeks studying and boarding at Haileybury’s prestigious partner school in the UK.

One scholarship is awarded to an organ scholar while Isaac received a highly competitive general excellence scholarship.

“Architecturally-speaking, Haileybury UK was the grandest school I’d ever seen – the buildings looked like something straight out of Harry Potter!” says Isaac, who stayed at Thompson Boarding House.

“Some of the most memorable experiences were attending the Sixth Form Winter Ball and being part of different clubs and societies within the school. They were unique experiences and I was also surprised by the broad range of nationalities of students at the school. Some of those students have become friends.”

Haileybury’s international immersive experiences – whether in China or the UK – encourage students to build confidence and resilience as, while the trips are carefully managed, students who visit Haileybury UK must travel solo.

“Travelling solo for the first time was daunting, especially as I was flying internationally,” says Isaac.

“Being placed in a completely unfamiliar environment, academically and socially, was moderately scary. The English winter also took some adjusting to, but I embraced new experiences and approached each challenge with optimism.

“My confidence and independence improved as I tried to make the best impression I could. The exchange to Haileybury UK was the single best opportunity I’ve had to grow as a person and meet new people from across the world.”

In a spirit of reciprocation, Haileybury Rendall School in Darwin and Haileybury Melbourne also host two students each year from Haileybury Turnford in England. The government school, separate but allied with Haileybury UK, selects students who spend three weeks boarding in Darwin and one week attending Haileybury in Melbourne, hosted by a school family.

From China to the UK, Haileybury’s comprehensive international exchange program illustrates not only the school’s commitment to being a great world school, but also its focus on ensuring Haileybury students develop a truly global mindset.