UCLan Alumna, Rebecca Winter, talks about her teaching career
When Rebecca graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Dance Performance and Teaching, she started her career in China to become an English Language Teacher.
Rebecca chose to study BA (Hons) Dance Performance and Teaching because the course offered a range of modules that allows practitioners to develop and grow as artists, teachers and individuals.
Reflecting on her degree choice, Rebecca said: “Most of my lasting memories involve the practical elements from the modules. The euphoria after a performance, the joy after remembering a technique routine, the excitement of creating something new and the relaxation of somatics.”
After graduation, Rebecca travelled to China to teach English through the arts in a training school. A year later, Rebecca moved to the main university in Zhuzhou to teach spoken English. At the university, she created a club called Jump-In where students were free to explore movement and different styles of dance whilst using English for communication. Rebecca also completed a master’s course in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages with Applied Linguistics.
After a stint at the main university in Zhuzhou, Rebecca was offered a job as an English Language Teacher at Hunan University of Technology. Her role involved teaching English as a foreign language, planning lessons and creating presentation topics to engage learners through imagery, song and dance.
In recent years, Rebecca has moved back to the UK and is currently working in a college within Greater Manchester as an English for Speakers of Other Languages Teacher.
Reflecting on her time at University, Rebecca said:
"“I would like to thank all the tutors who taught on the BA Hons Dance, Performance and teaching course for believing in me and for giving me the best start in my career."
She continued: “Studying Dance Performance and Teaching at UCLan has had a great impact on my life. Although I am not directly teaching dance, I use the skills gained from this course daily. This course gave me the confidence to develop and challenge myself in ways I never would have thought to be possible.”
When asked what advice she had for graduates and students wanting to follow a similar study path, Rebecca said: “Don’t hesitate, do it!”