The title reads ‘I want to go to China’
This is the biggest piece of news I have been looking forward to sharing with you all the most. I am delighted to announce that I have been granted funding for an internship in Chengdu, the business capital of Sichuan province. It has been a month now since I received the good news, and now that most of the reservations have been made I am eager to tell you all the details.
What exactly is the internship?
Generation UK funding, which is awarded by the British Council, is available to UK citizens to complete an eight week internship in their chosen field. However, there are some other eligibility requirements which you should read through on the Generation UK website. There are various seats, from commercial law firms to business consultancy agencies. There are three prime locations where internships are offered – Qingdao, Zhuhai and Chengdu. Interns share apartments during their stay with other interns on the programme, and are provided will full support from the agency. The GUK funding covers some of these costs. As we speak, the agency is currently sourcing firms from their panel for me to complete my internship with, so where I will be next summer I am still not quite sure (Big up Clare Pearson from DLA Piper, Asia!)
Who is Intern China?
Intern China are one of two agencies (the other is CRCC Asia) selected by the British Council as an Internship provider. Whilst CRCC Asia focuses on the more westernised parts of China, such as Beijing and Hong Kong, Intern China offers opportunities in more cultural parts of China. They have an office in the UK, and an office in each of their destinations.
What is Chengdu like?
Chengdu is famous for three things: spicy food, pandas and rice wine. It has an urban population of eight million people and a suburban population of fourteen million. The economy in Chengdu is attractive; in 2007 Chengdu was surveyed by the World Bank and declared the “benchmark city for investment environment in China”. There are thirty of the Fortune 500 companies present in Chengdu, such as Microsoft, Nokia, Semiens, HP, Intel and IBM. These technology giants give Chengdu its position as a national base for the electronics and IT industry.
What about language barriers?
At present, I am currently using a mixture of textbook and software based learning for Mandarin. I am currently taking advantage of the Worldwise Learning Centre, which offers UCLan students access to Rosetta Stone. Whilst Mandarin is the worlds most natively spoken language, it is not the only language spoken.
There are many dialects in China, such as Cantonese and ‘Sichuanese’. But, the written language is consistently Simplified Mandarin, and most of the younger generation are fluent in Mandarin.
Mandarin is a language which is heavily dependent on context. Words can instantly change their meaning when more words are added to the sentence. As well as this, there are different ‘tones’ which change the meaning of a word. Just like when you ask someone a question, you bring the tone up by the end. There are four tones: mà mǎ mā and má. Note that all these words mean different things because of the tone. The pitch of the tone is the little line above the vowel, so for example ǎ, the pitch drops down and then rises back up again. Yes, it is all very complicated and I am nearly through to Level 2!
Why did you apply?
As a student with not so fantastic academics, I am what I like to call myself a ‘late starter’. Although my grades have been improving as my passion for a career in law grows stronger and stronger, it is because of my average A-Level grades that I am facing significant rejections from law firms for vacation schemes and training contracts. I do not think that rejection means time to quit, but time to find another open door. They say that “people who really want something always find a way to get it”, and I guess this internship opportunity is my way of finding a way around. I am hoping that this opportunity will launch me ahead during the next round of training contract applications, where I will be able to demonstrate to employers: a knowledge of another (and increasingly popular) legal jurisdiction; the soft skills required of a good lawyer and more importantly my ‘well-rounded’ personality.
How do I apply?
Now I have recently spoken to the guys at Intern China, and I am informed that a high volume of applications for funding are coming through for the limited funding which is available. It might be a good idea to press on with your application as soon as possible, and if you get cold feet there is always an opportunity to back out before signing the paperwork. There are a few documents you need to have ready, including a reference and a valid UK passport. There are some other requirements and terms and conditions which you should always read through on the Intern China website. Do not forget to mention me in the ‘How did you hear about InternChina?’ section!
Please note that the above should not be construed as an offer and terms are always subject to change. Always to the official guidance notes on the British Council website.
SOLICITOR TO BE 