In general, I don’t cry very often. But in early August 2006, I did a lot of crying. All these tears were for one simple reason: I really, really didn’t want to leave China. But, I already had my plane ticket, and my work visa was about to expire, so I had no choice but to go back to America.

　　For a while, I was excited to be reunited with my family, my friends, and most importantly, my dog. I also enjoyed catching up on all the films, TV shows, and music I’d missed, and eating all my favorite foods again. I got a job at a coffeehouse in Red Wing (in Minnesota, America) until I decided what to do next.

　　Soon after I arrived home, I began talking with members of Red Wing’s Sister Cities Commission. I told them how I loved my stay in China, and how I hoped to come back one day. They said, “Maybe you can go again next year.” And now here I am, spending one whole year teaching oral English at Quzhou No. 2 Middle School.

　　My previous teaching experience gave me a wealth of knowledge that I am now putting to use. This year, I feel that I am running my class differently compared with last year. I came to Quzhou in 2006 feeling terrified about whether or not I would be successful as a teacher. In fact, I found that teaching came fairly easily to me, but there was still plenty of room for improvement. While last year my only real goal was not to do badly in class, I now feel secure enough in my teaching abilities that I even have a teaching philosophy. My philosophy is one simple word: interact.

　　Putting my philosophy to use, however, is another matter entirely. While it seems that, for the most part, Chinese students seem quite passive in class--the teacher speaks; the students listen--this is simply not an option for me as an oral English teacher. When I thought back on my classes last year, I realized that I spoke too much. Now I try to emphasize the “oral” part of oral English, and make the students speak for much more of the class period. The concept of “saving face” can make this difficult, though; my students are usually so afraid of making a mistake that they just will not speak. I try to counteract this with the constant refrain “Don’t be shy!” and remind them that it’s okay to make a mistake, and that even in America nobody speaks perfectly all the time. For most of the students, this is still not enough to get them talking, but there are usually a handful of students in each class who truly like to talk. I tend to overlook any mistakes, as I feel that making oneself understood is most important when speaking, and I don’t want other students to feel that their language is going to be scrutinized every time they open their mouths. I feel that this would mostly just serve to discourage people from participating. To me, the time to be picky about grammar is when students feel very comfortable speaking out.

　　Besides focusing on speaking, I also like to emphasize practical English. Occasionally I will look at a student’s English textbook and think that the topics they learn are, frankly, not very useful. I like to talk about words, phrases, and concepts that are truly common in America. But what’s practical can quite easily be boring, so this is a good time to be creative and put my “interact” philosophy to use. It’s easier for the students to stay interested in the material, and to remember it, if they are engaged with it. I like to play games in class when I can (although it’s quite difficult with the large class sizes in China), as well as doing art projects, acting, and simply having discussions.

　　I realize that, of course, not every student is interested in English. Many only care that they’ll do well on the college entrance exam. As long as these students aren’t disruptive in class, I have no problem with that. In some ways, in fact, I try to teach these students the most. If I can keep these students interested in my lesson, I feel I’m doing a good job. However, it’s the really excited students, the ones who really love English, who make my job worthwhile. They are the most active in class, and will sometimes go out of their way to speak English with me.

　　To teach English as a foreign language in a non-English-speaking country can be quite challenging at times. I feel it is probably more difficult for students to relate to the material if they are not constantly surrounded by English. Making things even more difficult is the fact that the English they do come across is often incorrect, or, while grammatically correct, is not at all native-sounding. This kind of English, I think, can actually be harmful to students’ learning. I t ry to use authentic materials from America to help them learn “real” English. However, maybe “Chinglish,” both written and spoken, is just one of the steps to building a country full of English speakers.

　　So, while China may have some circumstances that can make EFL (English as Foreign Language) teaching difficult, I think a truly passionate teacher can overcome these obstacles, provided they have some enthusiasm. Last year I wasn’t sure if enthusiasm was a quality I would possess, because I was so nervous. To my surprise, I found that I truly did care about improving my students’ English. And for the most part, my enthusiasm was reciprocated by the students, who really did want to learn, and were polite and friendly to me. In fact, nearly all the citizens of Quzhou acted this way toward me. It was just this attitude that made me love Quzhou so much, and that I missed when I left, and that made me so excited to come back. And who knows? Maybe it will be the reason I’ll come back again someday.