Jeff Byrne

It is quite extraordinary to find a young person in China speaking almost flawless English without ever having lived in an English-speaking country.

But, at the age of 15, Janet Wu is an extraordinary person. This week she is due to fly to Australia to complete her secondary education and then go on to university.

“I found out two years ago that I was going to Australia. I was thrilled to be going to another country. It just sounded so amazing,” she said during an interview at the weekend.

She has two older brothers and a sister who were educated in Australia, as was her father, Raymond Wu.

What was it that gave Janet the drive to learn English and how did she manage it?

“My Dad used to sing English songs to me when I was a baby and I grew up liking it (the language). If I like something, I can work very hard and it is easy to learn,” she said.

She has been attending the Nanshan Foreign Languages School where her proud father says she has been top of the class for the past three years. A more modest Janet says she has been “near the top.”

“When I was, I think, about 3, I used to watch English cartoons on television and then I learned English from everywhere... newspapers, books, television. I just wanted to improve.”

She sometimes spoke English with her schoolmates but it was somewhat limited. “They just learned from textbooks and didn’t seem to put in extra time.”

One of her main worries about going to Australia is about getting fat.

“Food won’t be a problem but I worry about getting fat because there is so much fast food. My Mum doesn’t allow me to eat too much of that here (in China) so I think I can maintain this lifestyle.”

She will be attending Adelaide High School in the state of South Australia for the next three years and then go on to university, but she is yet to decide on a career.

Her parents are both accountants but she is unlikely to follow that profession. She wants to find something she will like doing as a career.

“I’ll probably study business administration but I am really interested in design, the arts and I like all kinds of music. I’ll probably choose a career along those lines and combine it with business.”

She will miss family, friends and the lifestyle, but knows she can stay in touch over the Internet.

“I worry a bit about fitting in when I’m in Australia. I’ll probably be staying in other people’s homes so I hope I fit in.”

With her determination and devotion to her studies, friendly nature and balanced outlook on life, her fears would seem to be unfounded.