Alice’s story

Alice was around 8 years old when she took her grade 4 GESE at primary school. She had already been studying English for a few years at that point, and her teacher and parents encouraged her to take her studies to the next level.

“I can still remember the exam – it was a really unique experience. GESE is a really practical exam and we talked about really interesting topics."

Alice found her exam experience really helped build her confidence in her English skills.

“It was a really valuable experience – you have the chance to communicate with the examiner and the atmosphere is very friendly. The examiner helps us and motivates us to speak more.”

Once Alice had one exam under her belt, there was no stopping her!

“The first time I took the exam inspired me to learn more English – about half a year later I decided to take grade 6! It’s not just a language exam, preparing for it really expanded my knowledge!"

After school, Alice decided it was time to spread her wings and travel to an English-speaking country to continue her studies.

“Because of the exam, my confidence in speaking English grew, and I really wanted the experience of going to a foreign country to study. So when I was 18 I went to Durham in the UK for a while, and then I went to Sydney, where the weather was a lot better!"

When she returned to China, Alice started working in an international school, where she was able to inspire the same passion she felt for language learning in her students.

“For me I think learning another language is not only about language it really opens people’s eyes and also gives us the chance to experience another culture. As a science teacher, I motivate my students to explore science using the language as a tool.”

“I’m trying to help my learners overcome the language barrier and to use this language as a tool to discover more knowledge. I’m want to eliminate their worries and to encourage them to speak as much as possible."

It’s not just our language exams that Alice is passionate about – she also wants to spread her enthusiasm for our music certificate exams in her learners.

“I’m really interested in becoming a teacher of Trinity’s Music Certificate exams because I find the way of teaching young kids is really brilliant. It’s doesn’t put too much stress on things like the flexing fingers technique, and focuses more on the feeling of music, the knowledge of composers, and the culture behind it."

For the kids, it’s the sound of the piano which fascinates them, not the idea of how hard they should work. Thinking about my experiences, that’s why I want to encourage more kids to appreciate the beauty of the real music instead of focussing only on physical techniques.

"I would encourage kids to listen more and use your instrument as a tool to express your feelings. You need to take it seriously, but not too seriously!"

“The first time I took the exam inspired me to learn more English – about half a year later I decided to take grade 6! It’s not just a language exam, preparing for it really expanded my knowledge!”

Find out more about Trinity Music Diplomas
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