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Teaching Web Development in China @ Yango University

Shortly after the end of the Covid Era, I spent time teaching web development at Yango University in the city of Fuzhou, Fujian. I had always wanted to try life and work in China.

Students learning web development and coding at Yango University in Fuzhou, China
[ THE CURRICULUM ]

Teaching the Foundations of the Web

My role was to introduce students to the fundamentals of web development.

We focused on things like:

→HTML and semantic page structure
→CSS and responsive layout
→JavaScript basics
→How browsers work
→What is the Internet
→The client–server model behind web applications

Instead of only teaching theory, I tried to keep things practical as much as possible, classes needed to be fun, that is what motivates students the most. The goal was always to get students building something they could see working in the browser.

Even a simple landing page or interactive UI was enough to get people excited about programming.

Student presenting web development project and topic at Yango University class
Student presenting their project to the class
[ THE CHALLENGE ]

Teaching in a Different Culture

Teaching in China came with some unique challenges.

Language differences meant that long technical explanations didn't always work well, I taught my classes in English, and not every student could understand. So I relied heavily on visual demonstrations, live coding, lots of diagrams, and examples.

One thing I noticed quickly is that code itself becomes the common language. Once students start experimenting and seeing results in the browser, the barrier disappears.

Female student working on web development HTML CSS JavaScript exercise at Yango University
Male student working on web development HTML CSS JavaScript exercise at Yango University
[ THE INSIGHT ]

Why Teaching Makes You a Better Developer

Teaching programming forces you to understand things at a deeper level.

When you have to explain concepts like:

→How HTTP requests work
→How the DOM is manipulated
→Why CSS layouts behave the way they do

You quickly discover which parts you truly understand and which parts you don't.

That process made me a better developer in several ways:

🧠

Clearer Thinking

About how systems work

⚡

Stronger Fundamentals

Core concepts over frameworks

💬

Better Communication

Of technical ideas

All of those skills matter just as much as writing code.

Students presenting their web development final project at Yango University in Fuzhou China
Students presenting their final project
[ PERSPECTIVE ]

A Global Industry

One thing that stood out to me while teaching in China was how global software development really is.

Students in Fuzhou were learning the same core technologies used by developers everywhere: web standards, JavaScript, APIs, and modern development tools.

The problems developers work on are surprisingly similar no matter where you are in the world.

But yeah, infrastructure is quite different and confusing.

Students collaborating on web development project learning HTML CSS JavaScript at Yango University
Collaborative coding session
[ REFLECTION ]

Looking Back

Teaching web development was an experience that stayed with me. It reinforced something that I still believe strongly: strong fundamentals and clear thinking matter more than any particular framework or tool.

And those fundamentals are the same whether you are teaching in a classroom or building real software.

KEY TAKEAWAY

Strong fundamentals and clear thinking matter more than any particular framework or tool.

[ MORE ARTICLES ]

Keep Reading

Check out more technical notes, guides, and lessons learned from my experience.

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