*Special thanks to IG2-Terry Lu's parent - Ms Shi Ying

As stated in YWIES's "Mission, Principles and Practices":

"We believe that Learning Communities best enable students and teachers to creatively and holistically explore different fields of knowledge, fostering individual and collaborative learning skills critical for the 21st century."

YWIES has always been committed to preparing students to graduate with genuine respect and understanding of cultures around the world, who are bilingual in English and Chinese and other modern languages, and who can meet the challenges of the times with determination.

Not long ago, a special lecture answered and responded to this.

We were so proud to invite Dr Chaolun Lam, a renowned British Chinese and Queen's Laureate, to share what they need to do with the YWIES families to prepare for applying to top universities in the UK.

Dr Lam is a professor at Durham University and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguistics. He is also a witness and facilitator of Sino-British political, economic and trade cooperation and humanistic exchanges. He has a deep understanding of the British language, culture, society, the British political and business environment, and the British way of thinking and behaviour.

Dr Lam shared with YWIES families how to support their Chinese children in language, reading, social life and life from three perspectives of self-competence, English language skills and parental support, to be well prepared for applying to top British universities in the online family workshop.

And Dr Lam also analyzed the issues and provided concrete solutions. The problems and solutions discussed can be applied to upper and lower secondary school students who wish to study in the UK and to families of YWIES students in other years.

Students' Words

G5 - Tony Wei

“Although I am a primary student and it seems that I have a 'long distance' from studying abroad, this does not affect that I have learned a lot from this lecture-the methods are specific, and the cases are detailed. It also made me understand how to lay a solid foundation for the future study abroad in the UK and let me know how I should prepare.”

G8 - Jason Chang

“Although Jason is only a lower secondary student, he has set his university goals early on - top universities in Europe or the US. As a student who is about to enter upper secondary, I have determined my university goal, and the content of Dr Lam's sharing is exactly what I want to know.For example, the '10% rule' mentioned by Dr Lam reminds me to develop the habit of reviewing regularly. Another example is that 'seeking help' is seen as a skill, not a 'weakness'. Its core is 'how to quickly mobilize resources and get things done with the highest efficiency. In the Q&A, I am very grateful to Dr Lam for giving me detailed answers to my questions about how to plan university studies, which also made me more confident in my future. With these gains, I will continue to move towards the goal. Thanks again for the school and Dr Lam!”

A2 - Emma Huang

“I am honoured to be a host of this sharing session. Dr Lam, as a university professor, British Chinese, translator, etc., shared the precautions for studying and living in the UK and academic and career planning from different perspectives, which has benefited me a lot. This lecture reminded me even more that 'learning community' is the goal of our future efforts. Studying in a foreign country will encounter various challenges, but in the end, we aim to broaden our horizons, enhance our knowledge, and explore different fields of knowledge. By 'integrating Chinese and Western cultures, we can truly eliminate the negative influences and behaviours caused by prejudice and stereotypes. Eliminate it, and become a veritable 'global citizen' who undertakes the world culture and can face the challenges of the new era.”

AS - Allen Yuan

At the end of the lecture, to thank Dr Lam, Allen from AS grade also sent an extraordinary gift. In such a particular period, Allen's paintings contain profound meanings: Eventually the clouds will disperse and the sun will appear - the storm always passes. It won't last forever. The rain always stops and give way to good weather. The brightest and warmest of days still to come. Please wait for the sun.

Allen said: “First of all, I would like to thank Dr Lam again for his wonderful speech, which enabled us to absorb and understand much knowledge and content about studying overseas. Secondly, It is my great honour to prepare a gift for Dr Lam. As you may see from the screen, I captured a rainstorm scene and then painted it afterwards. I want to use this painting to express that even though we are now in the face of the lockdown because of the pandemic, as long as we have hope and lights in our hearts, we will eventually see the sunshine, overcome the difficulties and have a better and brighter future.”

As Chinese Principal Ms Linda Li said: “YWIES has always been committed to preparing students to graduate with genuine respect and understanding of cultures worldwide. They shall be multi-lingual in English and Chinese and other languages and can meet the challenges of the times with determination.

And YWIES is committed to helping students have a successful future. Success is measured not only by academic achievement but also by developing a caring, motivated and globally conscious young generation. It requires Yew Wah families and schools to interact and learn together, building a learning community in the YWIES community and helping children grow together.

We are very grateful to every parent, student, and teacher who participates, where we learn, discover and create knowledge together. We are like-minded active learners, we observe, document and celebrate learning processes and outcomes, and we share to achieve learning goals. It's not just about good interaction with each other. It's the creation of a true learning community.

In the future, we would also like to invite more parents and friends from the Yew Wah community to 'self-recommend' or to make referrals, to pass on the baton together, to continuously build and strengthen the learning community of our Yew Wah community, and to contribute to a better future together.”