A few weeks ago I was approached by a student about judging and English competition I figured I’d wait for Wendy to mention something before I made any inquires. I’m not going to lie, I was hoping the comment would come to nothing, what do I know about judging an English competition.

No luck, Wendy approached me last Friday and asked if I would be willing to participate. Of course, for Wendy I’d do anything. As the Foreign Teacher I was to ask questions for the practical application section.

2009 Business English Speech Competition. Yes, I know it says 2008 but "Welcome to China!"

The competition consisted of three parts. First: Read a provided text regarding business. [Students would be judged on pronunciation, intonation and fluency]

Second: Provide and explanation on a graph displayed. The topics varied and so did the graphs. [Students would be judged on content, clarity and explanation]

Third: My part, Answer questions from the foreign teacher using an advertisement provided. No pressure just direct the questions and confuse the poor nervous participants.

I’ve never participated or even watched a language competition before, so can some one please tell me how I qualified to be a judge. Yes I know I speak English but what qualification is that in the world today?

Some examples of the above stated advertisements.

Questions: What three services are provided by this company? Is this a convenient service for the customer?

Questions: To what group of people is this advertisement marketed towards? What are the selling features of this product?

Robinson and Roxanne hosted the event, their English was great! I'm not going to lie they are my top students.

During an intermission a few students sang songs, it took me about two verses to figure out these girls were singing in English.

Matinda took 1st! I felt it was well deserved. (She is my Chinese tutor, she teaches in English)

The panel of judges and winners.

After the competition the teachers presented me with a beautiful kite.

"Zhou Jing" one of the Seven Beauties in Chinese Literature

Wednesdays are always horrible days for me. They are my busiest. The first change I make next semester is my Children’s night class. I’m putting my foot down and refuse to do it on the night of my craziest day. A full day of classes and then a night class just about does me in.

I woke this morning in a slight depression no real reason but I just can’t seem to shake the funk. Thank goodness tomorrow is Thursday and I get to see the rest of the gang for lunch. Okay if I can just make it through the afternoon and then the evening things will brighten.

Well off to class.

If I didn’t know with certainty that the Chinese are incapable of subtle hints my first Christmas present would have offended me. Two students dropped by for photos Friday afternoon. I’m really quite touched my students want to take pictures, they don’t seem to want to pay attention or participate in class. But hey the Chinese will never miss a photo sho0t, which is what “Can I come to your apartment for a quick picture” really means.

By now I know the drill. The standing half hug with the victory sign, then the stoic face, then the sitting leaning, then we get all crazy and take pictures all over my living room (the backgrounds varying, the nativity and scrolls seem to be the biggest hits). They always come bearing gifts, usually oranges, crackers or the occasional  bracelet. Today’s was a shocker. It was a Christmas gift Lucy said as she knew Christmas was coming soon. I was touched, my first Christmas gift of the season!

I really hope my face didn’t give away my taken back feelings.

I’ve stopped wearing make-up as of late because well I’m just lazy and really who am I trying to impress around here? My first thought was she was trying to make a statement but that was very very wrong of me. Lucy would never, could never make such a statement, wish I could say the same for some of her classmates. I was debating to pick up a new blush so now I’m good.

So Merry Christmas to all!

Matinda cornered me the other day and asked if was busy on Sunday, I hesitated to answer wanting an explanation of the impending proposition before I replied. She quickly responded I want to cook dinner for you. Oh in that case, I’ll be unbusy for you. Her offer seemed out of the blue until she followed up with, then after could you help me with my English Competition speech. I’ll do just about anything for a home cooked meal so listening to Matinda’s speech was a very small price to pay.

She is one of Dantzelle’s second years, her English is pretty good. I still don’t get how I got roped into coaching Adam and Dantzelles students but hey I’ll do it for dinner. I only insisted she would teach me along the way as I am keen to learn some dishes to take back home for Dad.

She cooked a SiChuan dish which is known for its spiciness! Spicy SiChuan Chicken. It was delicious, spicy and for me to call something spicy it is burning!! The spice comes from a combination of dried red chilies and Red Chili paste. The dish is about as close to a curry as China seems to get. It is a dish of vegetables with the spicy sauce and is eaten with rice, not necessarily on top of the rice but alongside.

(I was hoping to add the recipe but can’t seem to find it)

I am not a slave driver. Recently I have felt like I am as I have had student after student make me dinner and bring me food like I was incapable. They offer I don’t ask.

Several weeks ago two of my students asked if they could cook me dinner, I swear they offered. Of course I accepted with a thankful heart as I hate cooking and my idea of a homemade meal is a a noodle packet. Joy and Roxanne made two amazing dishes and were just tickled pink I liked them so well. They offered to make them again for me later in the semester.

Roxanne

Last week I asked Roxanne if she was up to teaching me how to cook the dishes. She enlisted another student who insisted she was more qualified to teach me and the lesson began. Joy was unable to come unfortunately.

I learn two dishes, a stringed potato dish and a cabbage dish. I was never one for cabbage before China but have grown quite fond of it here.

Roxanne & (okay this is horrible but I can't remember her name)

The food was great, although to be perfectly honest I think Joy’s potato dish was better.

I love Roxanne’s cabbage dish.

This is so sad but I couldn’t remember her name, I didn’t have the guts to ask her to repeat it. I have gotten really good at faking knowing people’s names here.

String Potatoes

Ingredients

-3 Potatoes

-3-4 cloves of garlic

-1 Anaheim Chili

-3 tsp. salt

-2 tbl .vinegar

1. Skin potatoes, thinly slice potatoes

2. Thinly slice chili

4. Chop garlic in large chunks

5. Cover wok with oil heat garlic, add potatoes

6. Add a little soy sauce for color, stir

7.  Cook for about 1 min then add half a wok of cold water.

8. Cover and let simmer until potatoes are soft.

9. Add salt and vinegar to taste.

Cabbage

Ingredients

-1 leek

- 1 Anaheim Chile

- 1 Cabbage

-  1/3 cup of oil

- 1/2 tbl. white vinegar

- 1 1/2 tsp. salt

1. Chop 1/2 leek and thinly slice chili

2. Cut cabbage into thick short slices

3. Heat oil add leek cook for 30 sec.

4. Add cabbage and chili, stir continually

5. Watch heat, don’t burn cabbage.

6. Add vinegar, continue to stir, add salt to taste

I had invited a few girls over for the afternoon hoping to get some tips on Chinese music. I want to start listening to Chinese music to increase my exposure to the rhythm and pronunciation. In exchange I gave a quick run through of English artists.

 It was starting to get late and I knew they would have to return to their classrooms for the nightly lock-in. I really don’t know what I was thinking when I asked if they wanted dinner. I guess I was eager for company. I didn’t promise anything fancy and boiled up spaghetti.

We had a delightful dinner, spaghetti, bread and butter, and a tomato and cucumber salad with ranch (Thanksgiving leftovers). It turned out to be a real hit and they all were thrilled to eat with forks.

It was nice to cook for a group. So maybe there is hope for me and cooking in the future. After dinner I wrote them all excuse notes and they stayed the evening chatting. I had a splendid evening. Maybe there are some perks to socializing.

Emily is on my left, Navy across from me and Hedy is on the front left.

As I sit at the half way mark in the semester I am beginning to question my abilities. What did I sign up for? Why did I think that getting my TEFL certificate, was going to turn me into an English Teacher? Seriously how does a 120hour course turn a novice into a professional even if only marginal. People go to four years of school to be a teacher and here I am thinking I could do it after taking an online course with a weekend workshop.

I feel as if I am slapping all real teachers in the face with my certificate. I have no book and no experience to draw from. Oral English is the biggest joke. What is an Oral English class suppose to be? My idea was a class where you practiced conversations. Not reading and listening skills but on your feet conversations that will better prepare you for the real world. When traveling you will not be able to stop and write a dialogue. You will be forced to respond in a matter of seconds to the speaker at hand. Life is not a script, Oral English is to prepare a student for that fact but none of my students seem to feel that way.

They can all write dialogues great but heaven forbid they answer a question with a complete sentence. What am I suppose to do? I try to make class engaging but I don’t know how to get my students to talk. Discussion groups on guided topics turn into cellphone time or nap time. Reading lyrics to music doesn’t do any good. Chorally reading is the only way I can get at least half the class speaking in complete sentences but I guarantee they have no idea what they are saying they are just repeating words. Is that really helping?

My waiban has suggested debates but my students don’t seem to be at that level if they can’t respond on their feet. Maybe I’m just under estimating their abilities. Who knows.

DAD WHAT WAS I THINKING??

Yesterday two of my students, Roxanne and Joy, asked if they could come over and cook me lunch. I was more than thrilled. The girls came over and kicked me out of the kitchen telling me they would call if they needed anything. I skyped home for a recipe as they cooked. They were both intrigued when Dad wanted to speak to them. They are both from my favorite class and are great students.

They were 30min into preparations when much to their horror they received a call saying their health exam had been moved up for their freshman class. Things were at a stopping point and they promise to return as soon as they were cleared.

An hour later they returned and finished. It was worth the wait. They made a string potato dish that was to die for and a sauteed cabbage dish. Sorry no pics this time around.

I made them promise to come again and teach me the next time. Really the recipe will be for Dad but perhaps I might be able to manage a dish or two on my own someday.

I am beginning to fall in love with Chinese food although I don’t know where I’m going to find good Chinese food in Tulare. Roxanne asked if there were any Chinese Restaurants in my home town. I could only think of two, the Mandarin House then the Buffet in the Albertsons parking lot.

To prepare for class I wiki-ed Halloween (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween). I didn’t have a firm handle on the origins of Halloween and its traditions and I wanted to be prepared. Intriguing article by the way, really sad that most reported cases of candy poisoning actually turn out to be the child’s parent’s fault.

1st class: I begin by explaining the origins of Halloween, the Celtic belief that on October 31st the Spirit world had power to cross into the real world and haunt the living . People would dress up to scare the spirits and keep evil at bay. Halloween began being celebrated in America in the 1840’s when the Irish, fleeing from the potato famine, brought over many traditions.

We still dress in costumes today but not all are scary. It is a time now to dress up in fun costumes that can represent anything.

Jack-o-Lanterns we originally carved into turnips and were passed of a fable about a man named Jack who tricked the Devil into the trunk of a tree and then was cursed to roam the earth with the only light he had at the time a candle.

2nd class: By the second class I had dropped the part about Halloween being brought over by the Irish and where Jack-o-Lanterns originated from.

3rd class: The Celtic tradition was gone by the third class, it was just getting to hard to explain and they really didn’t get it.

4th class: I think I finally had the structure down but trying to explain costumes to a culture who never dresses up is depressing. I would ask them to think about what they would be if they went trick-or-treating, it was liking pull teeth! For heaven sakes who doesn’t have a costume on the tip of the tongue? Even if that might not be really what you want can’t you just think of something, anything?

5th class: I had watered it down even further and just gave examples of what we did rather than try to explain why we did it. Costumes: Scary outfits most popular, Children often wear fun costumes. Parties: Bobbing for Apples, the String game (what do we call that game?), watch a scary movie or go to a haunted house. Jack-o-Lanterns a fun tradition to scare away evil spirits.

6th class: To be honest I’m glad I had watered it down because the last time I gave the lesson it was to my most difficult class. I had a hard time keeping their attention with this version. I can’t imagine if they had been my first class.

The blackboard by the end of the lesson.

they’re letting me teach an English class to children!

Wendy came to me a few weeks ago with a proposition, the English teachers on campus proposed an Oral English class for their children twice week if I wanted an extra job. Okay for those of you who know me, know my initial reaction, an absolute NO WAY JOSE! But if China has taught me one thing it is to hold my tongue until all the chips have fallen and even then it is just best to swallow and keep opinions to oneself. Besides the extra cash would be nice for traveling. I agreed to meet with the parents and see the students levels first before agreeing to anything.

Wendy agreed to do all the translating and help with the negotiations. 10 students between the ages of 6 and 10 years old. 2 nights a week for 1 hour. I’m too much of a Reagan to do much negotiating which will change next semester that is for sure. If there is one thing about the Chinese I’ve learned they will squeeze you for all your worth and still try and make you feel like they are the ones getting the bad end of the deal, but because you’re you and you seem alright, they will live with the decision although you really should understand they are the ones suffering here. So with that said, I have to work Friday nights and underpaid in the tutoring world.

From Left to Right: Xuan, Rose, KeXin and Margaret

I did request all the students be given English names as I know it would be pointless to slaughter their Chinese names class after class. When speaking to the parents they just suggested I name the children as I saw fit. Maybe I’m uptight but that just didn’t sit well with me. Naming children is the responsibility of the parents in my book and I told the parents I would feel more comfortable if they discussed with their child and selected a name. Of course this method left the door open and I still have two students who have insisted on their Chinese name so Xuan and Ke Xin it is and slaughtered each week they are.

I have to admit the more I teach the more excited I get about the class. I don’t know what is happening, I think the world is coming to an end and I am growing a soft spot for children. For the first time in my life I am beginning to understand my parents love for kindergarten. The absolute joy on the children’s faces when they understand a new word or get an answer correct. Then of course there is they’re sweet smile and burst of applause at any Chinese I use.

Preparing for the one hour classes is labor intensive and I put more time into that one hour than anything for my college students, sad to say, but then the return is so much more from my ten children than all 8 classes combined during the week.

My only real run-in when teaching this class is getting the parents to accept the fact that I am an American, born and raised with a Western Education with two amazing parents who do not encourage parroting teaching. I finally put my foot down and told the parents if they wanted a Chinese style class they would be better off getting a Chinese teacher. Chinese students are great readers and boy can they memorize, some of my students can knock your socks off with their vocabulary but get completely confused the moment you give them a complete sentence. The parents and I had a little disagreement on simple sentences and what was appropriate for their children.

What it really all boils down to is the definition of what an Oral English class is. Unfortunately, that is not a question I’ve been able to get answered by anyone in this country so far, not even for my college classes. The parents where upset with the simple “I have…” sentences I had the students practice when I asked them about their body. When I give a direct question they are able to answer but when given a simple instruction to describe something they freeze.

I’m slowly and at times painfully learning but all in all I am happy I took this job and who knows by the end of this semester I just might be able to say I like teaching kids.