Gillis: A summer in China, teaching…

Austin Peay State University adjunct professor of history Greg Gillis had the opportunity to teach English to Chinese students over the summer. Gillis teaches world history at Fort Campbell (Ky.) High School and serves at the Austin Peay Center at Ft. Campbell Center as an adjunct professor of history.

During the month of July, Gillis spent three weeks in Jiu Jiang, China, teaching conversational English with approximately 30 10- to 12-year-old primary students and approximately 30 14- to 16-year-old secondary students.

Gillis was just one member of a team sent to China and Vietnam by the Crane House as part of its Teaching in Asia program. The Crane House, an Asian cultural center in Louisville, Ky., recently celebrated its 20th anniversary of teaching English in China.

Of his experiences, Gillis says, “It was wonderful, despite daytime temperatures in excess of 100 degrees for several days and the language obstacles in a rural Chinese city. The kids were eager to learn and everyone had a lot of fun.” Gillis plans on returning to China in the summer of 2009.

For more information, contact the APSU Department of History, (931) 221-7919.