RUNNING round the playground, engrossed in games such as Sticky Toffee and Duck, Duck Goose, 15 Chinese youngsters appear totally at home.
A mixed group of Chinese and English girls pause, and through gestures, smiles and words, share a joke.
Back inside her school, Barnes Farm Junior in Chelmer Village, Chelmsford, eight-year-old Sophie Gedde, removes her coat and grins.
"It's not every day you get the chance to welcome some children from a distant country into your school," she said. "It's been brilliant – they are really fun."
It's the end of a two-week visit by the pupils from Beijing who have spent each day shadowing their UK counterparts at the Chelmer Village school.
It's been their opportunity to be fully immersed in an English education and – most importantly for them – have the chance to listen and speak the language.
Claudia Yang, 10, has been having English lessons for four years.
She said: "This is the first time I have been to the UK. I was nervous on the first day but everyone has been very nice to us and they have told us what to do."
Tomas Xu Haoting, nine, agrees. He said: "This school is great. I have felt happy here as the English students play with me and have taught me some new games."
Hatty He Jinglu, ten, admits that she too has most enjoyed interacting with the other children. "I have felt happy here. I have enjoyed playing games in the playground and meeting the English children. I've enjoyed the lessons. My favourite has been PE."
The feeling is mutual among the Barnes Farm children, some of whom were allotted Chinese partners to look after during their visit.
Izabella Niven, nine, said: "I've liked communicating with the Chinese pupils. At first we had to use gestures to show them when to put their coats on and where to put their bags, but now they are understanding more English. A lot of them speak it very well."
William Rooney, eight, said: "It's not a chance we get every day, so when we were told we were having Chinese pupils spend two weeks in our school I was really excited."
The Chinese pupils have followed the English curriculum as closely as they can while at Barnes Farm.
A highlight of the visit was a chance for them to spend a Saturday morning at the home of their English counterparts.
Sophie said: "I had two girls come round and we did lots of things including icing gingerbread, making bracelets, playing games, and then we went to the park."
The fortnight ended with a Chinese New Year day celebration when pupils took part in workshops looking at calligraphy, making dumplings, trying out Willow plate artwork and performing a Chinese song and dance.
