Most people will ask，“What is GAP？”Let me explain briefly。GAP Activity Projects Ltd is a UK charity，which offers young people aged 18 and 19 the opportunity to do valuable work abroad after they leave school and before they start their university course。At the moment it sends about 1200 young people to 33 countries。GAP volunteers（also known as“GAPpers”）have been coming to China since 1990.They are sent to help students and teachers in Middle Schools to improve their spoken English。GAP Activity Projects Ltd is not a government organisation，and I（as the GAP Project Manager for China）work closely with the Provincial Education Departments in six provinces（Zhejiang，Jiangsu，Fujian，Sichuan，Guangxi，Yunnan）and one municipal educa-tion bureau（Qingdao）。We aim to send about 140 young people to China each year。Until 2001 all the GAPpers came to China from the UK，but since 2001 we have also sent Australian GAPpers。From September 2005 we shall send Canadian GAPpers as well。
What can these young GAPpers offer Chinese schools？Primarily，of course，they offer their skills in the English language。They are selected carefully to ensure that their spoken English is of a high standard。Because our policy is to send them to schools，which might not otherwise have the opportunity to have native English speakers，they are often the first native English speakers that students and teach-ers have met。The schools welcome them with open arms and make their life in China comfortable。In many schools the GAPpers prove to be as helpful to the Chinese English teachers as to the students。
Secondly，although they are not trained and experienced teachers，the GAPpers use different teaching methods from the traditional Chi-nese method。Their classes are active and often noisy because they encourage the students to participate fully in discussion and activity。In this way the students become familiar with everyday English rather than textbook English，and they gain the confidence to express them-selves in English。
Thirdly，they are young and enthusiastic。They and their students are almost the same age。This means that they are keen to have con-tact with their students outside the classroom。It is common to find the GAPpers playing basketball，table tennis or football with their stu-dents on the“caochang”。Some of the better GAP footballers have helped with the football coaching in the school。These are occasions when the conversation is totally in English。Moreover，many students invite the young British or Australian boys and girls to their homes to have en evening with their families so that both can exchange ideas about their national cultures。In these ways the GAPpers become not only teachers but also friends。
Finally，there is the cultural exchange。Many of the ideas about Britain and Australia in Chinese textbooks are out of date，and the presence of young people from abroad helps to make the Chinese more familiar with what life in Britain and Australia is really like。
The benefits of the exchange are not all in one direction。The GAPpers also gain a lot from living for six months in a Chinese community。People in the west know very little about the modern China：they get their information from newspapers or television，which usually provide only one side of the picture。Living in China helps the GAPpers understand how China is developing。Equally important，their contact with the ordinary people gives them an insight into what they are thinking。They discover how friendly and hospitable the Chinese are，and many come to love China and to wish to return again and again。Increasingly，they develop an interest in learning the Chinese language，and many stay in China to attend courses at Chinese univer-sities when they have finished their teaching。It is interesting to find that having a son or daughter living and working in China encourages their parents to come to visit them so that awareness of China in UK and Australia spreads more widely。
There is another side of the GAP Project in China。Each year we select a number of Chinese English teachers to go to UK or Australia to work in schools for one year。This is an important experience for the Chinese teacher who can observe life abroad with his or her own eyes。They have many opportunities to travel，to observe teaching methods in other countries and to increase their confidence in English。When they return they will be able to teach English with greater au-thority and confidence。The teachers are also ambassadors for China in the schools where they work。They will introduce the students to the Chinese language and to Chinese culture。
I have been working with GAP in China since 1995，and I have seen how both sides have benefited from the programme。The co-operation I have had from the Provincial Education Departments and the individual schools has been tremendous so that the work has been able to go ahead without any difficulty。I regard the people I have worked with in China not only as colleagues，but as personal friends，and I am immensely grateful to them for their support and their friendship。I have discovered that to have a friend in China is to have a friend for life。
The Project started its co-operation with Quzhou No。2 Middle School in September 2002，and so far we have sent nine GAPpers to the school and we have taken two Chinese teachers to work in the UK。Headmaster Xu，William Pan，Emily Liu and their colleagues have done a remarkable job in making the GAPpers feel at home and welcome，and I hope that the GAPpers have responded by offering reliable and effective support to the teachers and students。I am sure that we can continue and develop this co-operation successfully。
We are different，but we are equal。The GAP Project in China helps all those who take part in it，whether Chinese，British or Australian，to begin to understand the differences，but also to discover how much we have in common—our cause。
