The week of August 21 was a very busy one for JESIE, with joint training for our new JESIE teachers and the inaugural run for JESIE's TEFL Training in China program. Our first batch of TEFL trainees were 12 in number, ranging from the US, Europe, Asia and Africa – if we had had someone from Australia and South America, we could have had a TEFL Olympic Games! Like athletes preparing for that most important of athletic events, the 7-day TEFL training involved grueling mental effort and stamina to complete each learning-packed day. 

The trainees covered educational and ESL theory, as well as working on practical applications. The culmination of the intensive training was the micro-teaching held in the last 3 days. The trainees displayed the fruits of their endeavours through their demonstration lessons. Some examples were truly awesome in show casing a natural teaching gift, while others had creative ideas that would be amazing with a little polish. One could see how observing these short lessons inspired the trainees as a group, and the camaraderie that had been formed over the last few days through the feedback and support the trainees provided each other. It was undoubtedly a valuable experience for our trainees (and instructors). JESIE wishes a successful and splendid teaching career for everyone!