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Jonathan Powell

Young people share their experience of the mainland

Name Miggie Shum Man-hei

Age 24

Job Speech Language Pathologist (SLP)

Location Shanghai

The chance to become a pioneer in her field lured speech therapist Miggie Shum back across the Pacific following a university education in the US.

As Ms Shum was completing her masters degree in communication disorders at Emerson College, Boston, last year,   she learned that a former student   had plans to open a specialist centre in Shanghai.

'I found out from one of my professors that my current supervisor was going to start a special education consulting company,' Ms Shum said. 'I wanted a challenge, and I didn't want to be an SLP in an American public school. I'd been in the States for five years and wanted a change of scene. Also, my Dad started working in Shanghai a few years ago, and I thought it might be fun to join him.'

The company works closely with international schools in the city, offering services to assist with language development. They treat youth suffering afflictions such as dyslexia, mental retardation, and autism.

'Since services related to special education and speech therapy are very limited in China, my co-workers and I are acting as pioneers and it's very exciting,' said Ms Shum.

'I'm hoping to help develop programmes for children who require special attention and assistance in terms of learning. Now we are working with English-speaking expatriates, but our goal is to work with local Chinese schools in the future.'

Ms Shum's colleagues are a mix of nationalities from America, India and Germany, as well as a few locals. 'The Americans have a more relaxed and informal working attitude, while maintaining their professionalism at the same time,' she explained. 'Chinese staff may not be so familiar with the field of special education, or working with a diverse group of people. Sometimes they require more explicit directions to complete a task.'

Keeping an open mind is key  to settling into mainland life and work, she added.  'Hong Kong people tend to have a lot of stereotypes toward mainland Chinese, which could be quite incorrect or outdated, especially applying to big and modern cities like Shanghai. It is important to be aware of the differences between our cultures and living habits. We speak a different dialect, and we use different terms for many things, which can cause a communication breakdown.'

However, she sees a bright future: 'Living here, working with international schools with families from all over the world, is definitely an amazing experience, and I'm enjoying every bit of it.'



Strictly speaking, it's a great place to work