On March 31st, the “International Teachers in China” Symposium was held in the Hainan College of Foreign Studies. Teachers from the United States, Egypt, Japan and Southeast Asian countries shared their Hainan stories.

Sarah Sinskie is an English teacher from the United States who has lived in Hainan with her husband John for five years. She said she loves working in the Hainan College of Foreign Studies and working with the college students. It’s a lot of fun for her. When speaking of Hainan’s changes in recent years since Hainan began to develop as a Free Trade Port, Sarah said she has seen a lot of infrastructure being built now, highways and bridges that will help Hainan develop into a globally influential tourism destination.
 
Ahmed is an Arabic teacher in the college and holds a Ph.D. in Arabic.What impresses him most about living in Hainan is the friendly people here, and he also loves the fresh air, comfortable temperatures, and beautiful beaches here. He is especially fond of Hainan's coconuts. He mentioned that some Arabic people have come to Hainan to open companies in order to improve cooperation between China and Arab countries in recent years because of the opening up of Hainan as well as the many preferential tax policies which benefit these international companies.

 
Seikou teaches Japanese in the Hainan College of Foreign Studies. She is ethnically Chinese. When she was young, she dreamed of being a bridge of friendship between China and Japan. “I think the language education which I am devoted to has made my dream come true. Thanks to the Hainan College of Foreign Studies for giving me the opportunity and making me realize my value”, she said. Seikou also shared her experiences living in Hainan, explaining that it was difficult to apply for a visa 5 or 6 years ago, but it is more convenient now because Hainan’s government is working to develop all kinds of efficient facilities and services, and Hainan is becoming better in her opinion now.