Anna Thorncroft

As a result of my experience of living in China I had developed a keen interest in international relations and I particularly liked that I could study Chinese together with International Relations at Leeds, one of the few universities that offers this combination. I loved the country and the experiences I had there. I always wanted to return and I regretted that I didn’t learn much of the language when I was there so I chose to study Chinese at University. 

I enjoyed the course immensely, it was interesting and challenging throughout. There was a contrast in the teaching styles and methods between the Chinese and the international relations modules but they complimented each other academically. The international relations lectures and coursework were also often a welcome break from the intense language learning.

I particularly enjoyed spending a year abroad and being able to see the progress and improvement in my language level. If I could change anything about my time at Leeds it would be to try to have further involvement with the societies and sports available at Leeds to create a better work/life balance. I do think the sporting facilities at Leeds are excellent.

I studied in Shanghai for a year after completing my second year and it helped me gain a lot of independence and confidence in my own abilities. Since graduating this year, I have now returned to China and I work as an English teacher in Shenzhen.