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Former Kilsyth Academy<\/strong> pupil, Amy Buck<\/span><\/strong> has embarked on an exciting journey of discovery taking the brave step to accept a one year scholarship to study Chinese at the University of Tianjin in China<\/strong>.\u00a0 Amy<\/span><\/strong>, who left Kilsyth Academy in June of this year after 6 years, said of her first few days in China \u201cit\u2019s fantastic here, I\u2019m loving literally every moment of it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Amy<\/span><\/strong> was lucky enough to have a two week experience in China last year through The Confucius Hub<\/strong> and was very excited about the opportunity to go back for a further year.\u00a0 Talking about that initial opportunity Amy said, \u201cwhen my German teacher told me about an opportunity to learn Chinese at a two-week summer course in 2018, I assumed she meant a quick jaunt into Glasgow every day, and having a few hours of classes in one of the university buildings. Needless to say, when I found out that what she actually meant was a two week long immersion course in China, I was floored. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n After a few months of suitcase-packing and anticipation, the 8th of July finally rolled around and I set off, with a group of ten others from Our Lady\u2019s High School in Cumbernauld. The trip consisted of 10 days in the city of Tianjin with a few days in Beijing either side, and were full of sightseeing and cultural activities. While the trip was a fantastic window into the culture and daily life of China, I was sad when it was over, as I’d only had a glimpse of this country, and there was still so much of the real China to experience.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Earlier this year the opportunity arose to apply for a one year scholarship in China with Amy<\/span><\/strong> saying, \u201cSo you can imagine how excited I was when, a few months later, our Head Teacher at Kilsyth Academy, Mr Orrock, announced a scholarship programme for a year’s study in a Tianjin university.\u201d<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n However, she had to successfully navigate a rigorous selection process with applicants from across the country, to secure a place on the scholarship programme together with 21 other young people from Scotland.<\/p>\n The Confucius Institute<\/strong><\/em>, based in Strathclyde University,<\/em><\/strong> facilitates the scholarship programme for Scotland\u2019s Schools, taking 22 sixth year pupils from all over Scotland to China each year. \u00a0\u00a0Amy<\/span><\/strong> said, \u201cAfter discussing it with my family, I began the application process, which consisted of a written application, then a formal interview, and then, a few days later, an email telling me I had been accepted. At the time of writing this, there are just three days left before I leave Scotland for almost a year, and yet I\u2019m not scared or worried at all \u2013 I\u2019m just excited to start this new chapter of life, in a country half way around the world.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThe purpose of this year abroad is, above all, to learn Chinese. Whilst my former school Kilsyth Academy doesn\u2019t currently offer Chinese as a subject, my experience of languages at Kilsyth has no doubt fostered an interest and a passion that has eventually led me on this path abroad. Studying German from being an absolute beginner in first year up to achieving an \u2018A\u2019 in Advanced Higher this year, and crashing Higher French in which I managed to also achieve an \u2018A\u2019,\u00a0<\/strong>has been one of the highlights of my time at school.\u00a0There’s a certain magic about not just forming sentences in a foreign language, but being able to understand and think in the medium of a foreign language that I believe is unmatched by other subjects. You learn o<\/strong>ther subjects, but you live a language. Promoting bonds with other countries and peoples is vital; language study not only opens one up to other cultures, but it has also been proven time and time again to improve understanding of one’s own language as well as developing one\u2019s brain and cognitive ability. There are so many benefits to language learning, and a scholarship like this is a fantastic opportunity for developing language skills as well as travelling and experiencing new things. So whatever this opportunity leads to in the future, I\u2019m so glad to be part of it, and will do all I can to make the most of my time abroad.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Claire McAdams<\/span>, Principal Teacher<\/strong><\/em> of Modern Languages<\/strong><\/em> at Kilsyth Academy<\/strong> <\/em>said \u201cit was clear from early in her first year at Kilsyth Academy that Amy had and interest and aptitude for learning languages that quickly became a love of languages.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0 Head Teacher<\/strong>, Gregg Orrock<\/span><\/strong> said \u201cthe school is very proud of Amy\u2019s achievements and we are sure she will excel during her time in China.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Former Kilsyth Academy pupil, Amy Buck has embarked on an exciting journey of discovery taking the brave step to accept a one year scholarship to study Chinese at the University of Tianjin in China.\u00a0 Amy, who left Kilsyth Academy in June of this year after 6 years, said of her first few days in … <\/p>\n