Inspired by the butterfly effect — the idea that a small change like the flap of a butterfly’s wings can have larger ramifications down the line — a group of students at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla is looking to make a small change for people in China that could have life-altering benefits.
Bishop’s students including Hailey Zheng, David Lai, Sara Lu, Chloe Wong and Felix Yang have been meeting weekly online with residents of China to teach them English. They’re doing so through an English as a Second Language tutoring program facilitated by a student-run charity organization known as Project Butterfly.
Project Butterfly was started in 2021 by San Diego-area students with an ESL branch aimed at helping participants improve pronunciation of English words, expand their vocabulary and learn about American culture. Since its founding, the project has had 65 American tutors and more than 350 Chinese students. Currently, 110 students are enrolled.
“The tutoring program is one of Project Butterfly’s most important initiatives,” said Felix, 15.
The students commit to 40- to 60-minute weekly sessions with their Chinese counterparts, who often are similar in age. Many of them live in rural or remote areas and have limited access to resources.
There are formal lessons through the ESL program, and what is known as the “English corner,” which is more conversational.
“It’s an opportunity to connect with people overseas,” said Sara, 13. “The people are very nice and proper. I like seeing the connections between the students and tutors. It’s nice to see that blossom.”
Hailey, 16, said she wanted to get involved because “I wanted to make a change in the world, and when I discovered this club, I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to have a positive impact and contribute to a positive cause.”
She called the experience so far “rewarding” in that “I get to see their improvement, and the kids are always super enthusiastic. I enjoy guiding them through their English-learning journey.”
To keep the lessons lively, many of the students play word games such as Hangman, Guess Who and crossword puzzles and watch videos with subtitles so the participants can practice reading in an entertaining way.
David, 16, said he had a class of adults last summer and tasked the participants with writing a speech about a topic of their interest. “One person talked about their fitness routine and then gave a speech,” David said.
Many of the participants watch popular movies and TV shows with captions to learn more about American culture. The student instructors also made videos from different high schools to show and discuss what American students’ lives are like.
“American culture is unique and I feel like the students in China don’t have as much access to learn about that,” David said. “It’s really beneficial to learn about other cultures and see how others experience the world.”
For his group, David focused on Disney movies and held discussions about American politics.
The Chinese participants seeking to learn English do so for a variety of reasons, Sara said.
“Most of the kids are middle school and high school students, but some are younger and there are some adults,” she said. “Some of the adults are chasing a career and some of the students want to enhance their English abilities. I know a few of my students are planning to move to America, so they have been brushing up on their English skills.”
Chloe, 13, said “English is a world language and many people in different nations speak it, so learning English well is a positive thing for many people.”
Project Butterfly held a virtual gala Feb. 16 in honor of the Chinese New Year. During the event, the Chinese students were able to perform for the American tutors.
“We wanted to get as many students and tutors together as possible … so we could see what they can do,” Chloe said. “We see our students during the classes, but many of them have talents such as dance that we never get to see, which was great.”
Learn more about Project Butterfly at projectbutterflyca.org. ◆
