farewell speech

I just came back from the 10 week English camp at Huairou. Came back Saturday. It was an emotional farewell between my class. We shared quite an experience together.
I was asked to write a speach on behalf of the teachers at Huairou. This is it. It’s over the top hippy but I wrote in in the spirit of my late Godfather Joseph Garr. I wanted him to see and hear me standing here, in Beijing China, talking to Olympic officials, speaking about peace, love, and harmony. He would have loved it, and that was my inspiration.
rickymay
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As an American I have an appreciation for the individual. In America this is the cultural norm: we value and treasure the individual person. This is in contrast to the Chinese. In China, we value and treasure the group, the collective. This cultural difference is one of many, but it is important to understand. We must understand the differences between people, if we are to improve our understanding of each other. We must understand each other, if we are to live in peace.
When I talk about culture, I talk about language. Language and culture are inseperable parts of each other. When one studies a foreign language, one learns about a foreign culture. As part of the language training, I discuss cultural differences in my class because the success of the Beijing Olympics depends, in part, on these people’s ability to work effectively with people from many different cultures. I discuss cultural differences in my class because an opportunity for people from different cultures to learn about each other is a golden opportunity, and in that opportunity lies the hope and promise of a great success.
Today we welcome you to Huairou. We invite you to watch us sing and dance and role play and we hope you will see our triumph and achievement. We would be honored if you considered this specialized NTO training a success. I believe that we have had great success because I have seen these student’s dedication. I have seen them work through their frustration and discouragement. To improve their English and improve their ability to serve the Beijing Olympic Games, I have seen them take chances, make mistakes and lose face. As a result of their hard work, each student has made personal improvement in his or her English ability.
While each student made great individual progress, all of us can enjoy a collective success. Together, as the students stumbled and struggled to improve their English levels, they learned how to support and help each other. If there was discouragement, they encouraged each other. If there was fear, they faced it together. This exchange was not only between the students. In our 10 week experience, the teachers and students learned about each other. Through the clash of cultures, we saw our differences and began our understanding of each other.
At this English Camp, we had many tests. There were grammar tests and listening tests, reading and writing tests. There were also tests of character, tests of our endurance, patience, and willpower. At Huairou, people of different cultures came together with a common goal. Working together at the Huairou Camp was a test for us to bridge the language and culture gap and I believe we all learned that it is possible to do so. It is possible for us to see our differences and improve our understanding of each other. It is possible for us to do this in the name of peace, and I believe that, with this thinking and continued effort, we will make it possible for the world to enjoy the most successful Olympic Games ever—the Beijing Olympic Games!
On behalf of the teachers here at Huairou, I would like to bow and say thank you. First, to BOCOG, for the opportunity to serve the Beijing Olympic Games. Second, to English First, for your best and tireless support. Finally, to the students, for your trust and patience, and for teaching me about you.
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