Starting to Teach

As with many people who go abroad to teach, I didn’t have much prior teaching experience. I had ‘taught’ for a month at a summer school in India, however ‘babysat for 3 hours in the morning’ would have been a much more accurate description. Some people take to teaching immediately, and I remember talking to other people who were working at the same school as me who from the first week seemed to be fitting in quite well. They would animatedly talk about how much they were enjoying it and how well they were getting on with their students. Whilst I nodded along sagely, in reality I had no real clue what I was supposed to do in the classroom. The problem was twofold; I was still quite nervous to be in front of 45 students (albeit ones who were 7 years old) and I was not really sure how to structure a class properly. For me I think that when you solve the second problem the first solves itself.

The first class I taught was a fairly classic example of me having no idea how to teach a class or knowledge of activities to use. The children were supposed to be learning ‘What is your name? My name is..’ Assuming that the children would pick it up immediately I got them to repeat the two sentences and set about asking them their name. It turned out none of them could say the sentence clearly (apparently one repetition is not enough for fluency), they didn’t actually know what it meant and besides which none of them had English names (apparently it was my job to provide them with English names). It was then that I realised that other than getting them to repeat the sentences after me I had no real idea what games or activities to use, and that I still had 35 minutes of the class left with very little idea of what to do in it. Talking to some of the teachers who were in their second year was greatly helpful as they were able to tell me a variety of games and activities that could be used when teaching words and sentences. The other thing that I learnt by experience was how quickly (or slowly as is usually the case) to cover different topics and how to go through things in a step by step manner that the students can understand. Once I had a better knowledge of how to actually teach and what to do in the classroom the confidence just came with it.

I still remember the turning point when I reached the lofty heights of being a semi-competent teacher. Having wrapped up a class on prepositions of place, which some of the students even understood, I turned to my co-teacher to see her grinning at me. After asking what was making her smile she replied that that class was actually ‘quite good’ – it only took two months.

 

 

Winter in Wuhan

As the winter draws in over the Yangtze it seems an appropriate time to talk through probably the most challenging time of the year for foreign teachers living in Wuhan….winter! It’s not all doom and gloom though as winter means the appearance of some  delicious seasonal food which tastes all that much better when you need warming up.

Wuhan is absolutely freezing in winter and for people coming from countries where central heating is in the majority of homes it can be a real shock to the system. During my first winter in Wuhan on a barmy sub-zero Sunday evening I found myself sitting on a chair in the shower under a heat lamp reading a book…and I never read.  I must make it clear that I was very unfortunate with my apartment which was particularly cold and most teachers will be much better off than I was. Wuhan’s temperature in winter isn’t particularly low and whenever I check the weather it always seems to be a few degrees warmer than London. Despite this because of the lack of central heating it feels so much colder in Wuhan, pack plenty of warm clothes and buy a thick duvet and blankets around October time then you should be fine. Some lucky people will have an air-conditioner unit in their apartment which really heats the room up although it can get a bit stuffy as the air pumped out of those machines aren’t particularly fresh. If you head down to Walmart you can pick up and electric radiator for 200/300 RMB which is a better option especially if the school cover your electric bill as many do meaning unless you’re big on the environment you can go mental. Electric radiators are also a live saver when drying clothes in winter without them it takes about 3 days to dry anything.

During interviews applicants have asked me about Christmas and whether it’s a holiday in China. Christmas is a normal working day but some schools will allow their foreign teachers to have the day off as they realize the importance of the holiday. We cannot guarantee that you will have the day off but if it’s really important to you then it’s something you should bring up with your school early on. Issues such as being allowed time off can depend on your relationship with your school. If you work hard during the first term and involve yourself in extra-curricular activities I’m sure you’ll be allowed the time off. From my experience former colleagues that have stayed in China for a second year at the same school and were allowed to go back to their home county to celebrate Christmas although don’t expect that during your first year. Christmas is acknowledged in China and shopping malls will have Christmas trees and decorations but it isn’t really celebrated and many Chinese people go shopping on Christmas day.  

It has been mentioned in previous blogs but I cannot emphasize just how good hot-pot is especially on a cold winter’s night. Hot pot is cooked on your table so you can feel the heat from the fire and the soup component of the dish really warms up your insides. It’s one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I’ve had anywhere. It’s relatively easy to order for non-Chinese speakers, delicious and suitable for any dietary requirements as the customer decides exactly what ingredients are included in a hot pot. In December when it begins to turn cold I usually go for a hot-pot at least a couple of times a week which isn’t excessive as there are many different types. It’s not too expensive  but it’s best to go in a group of at least 4 to split the cost. You can keep topping up the hot-pot and adding more ingredients as you go and is a very social way to eat dinner.

Winter……Thick socks….essential  

 

 

Chinese Traditions

Since being in China I have met many Chinese people preparing to embark upon a trip or period of study in the UK asking me worriedly about the culture and traditions of England. Fearful questions about whether speaking during dinner will earn them immediate ostracism or using their fork with their right hand will cause irreparable loss of reputation have been met by myself with baffled bemusement. I have many times assured people that in fact, yes, whilst traditional etiquette dictates the fork be used in the left hand, it is unlikely to be something that anyone would comment on or be bothered about. The reasons not to be too afraid are twofold, one: even if a tradition exists, most people are not especially fussed about it and two: even if you were to do something slightly against etiquette (asking someone about their salary on a first meeting for example), most people would put it down to you not being familiar with the culture and move on.

For people who are concerned about traditions and ethics in China, it is very much the same situation. Whilst there are certain ways of acting and a set of manners, most people do not get too hot under the collar about it, and failure to conform is usually forgiven on account of being in a foreign environment and perhaps unaware of the customs. Most schools for example will play the national anthem in the morning as the students are arriving. At my first school, from the first note to the last all the students and teachers would stop in their tracks and remain still until the end of the anthem. Personally I was never sure if I was expected to also remain motionless, or if it not being my anthem made me exempt from this. To be on the safe side I joined in, however on occasion if I was in a rush I continued walking – neither receiving disapproving stares nor an immediate lynching I thought it safe to categorise that as a custom that I needn’t adhere to rigidly.

A number of other traditions appear frequently in guides for China, however I think most fall within the aforementioned category. It is considered unlucky for example to place chopsticks vertically (in a bowl of rice for example) as it resembles the sticks placed in graves. When drinking alcohol, rather than drinking freely people will usually clink glasses with someone prior to every sip (for further etiquette regarding the clinking it is a mark of respect to place your glass lower than that of the host when you raise glasses). At some point or another I have broken all of these customs (either through forgetfulness or ignorance) and never been the recipient of criticism or judgement. On occasion people might correct your transgression, but this tends to be in a kindly manner as they do not necessarily expect foreigners to be aware of Chinese customs. In fact it can sometimes seem that Chinese people disagree on what is ‘Chinese culture’ and what isn’t. I have been told before when enquiring about the cost of having Chinese lessons that “Chinese people do not like to talk about money” yet the regularity with which taxi drivers ask me my monthly salary seems to contradict this assertion.

Every country has a number of customs, traditions and systems of etiquette. Yet my advice to any foreigners coming out to China would be not to worry about it – you won’t have your visa revoked for saying the wrong thing at dinner.