Young teacher finds satisfaction in rural Shanxi

At the beginning, when she launched an English lesson for Grade 6, she found the students had a weak foundation and were shy about speaking up. So when she prepared for the English class, she began adding distinctive elements, such as English songs and games to boost the students' interest in the language.

With their joint efforts, the students saw great improvement in English listening, speaking, reading and writing.

During leisure time after class, Chen would pass along information about health, safety and daily life to help improve their ability to care for themselves.

She also told them interesting stories about what was happening outside the village to help them learn about the country and the wider world.

"I will never regret spending my early teaching years with children in the village," she said. "I received a lot of love and happiness here."