Ahead of Teachers’ Day on 10 September, 20 rural English teachers from across China returned to the classroom as “students” at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), learning new approaches to make their own lessons more engaging and effective.
The teachers, from 10 provinces and regions, took part in a public-benefit training programme organised by UNNC’s Centre for English Language Education (CELE). Launched in 2017, the programme has supported more than 800 rural English teachers from 28 provinces and regions, reaching 520 schools.
The training is designed around challenges teachers face in their everyday classrooms, from encouraging student participation to designing interactive activities and making effective use of AI-assisted teaching. Participants also put new ideas into practice through micro-teaching sessions and received one-to-one feedback from UNNC teachers.
For Na Wang, an English teacher in rural Hebei, the training has already made a difference. As the school’s only English teacher, she teaches across multiple year groups. After returning to school, she introduced new classroom routines and interactive activities to encourage students to speak and participate more.
“The children seem less afraid of making mistakes or speaking out, and more of them are volunteering to take part in activities,” she said.
As the programme approaches its tenth year, UNNC is continuing its commitment to bringing university expertise and professional development opportunities to teachers in rural communities.
Published on 10 September 2026