After our Chinese language classes ended and the exams were taken, we said to each other, "what are we going to do with all this free time this summer?"
Well, now the answer would be "What free time?" I've been offered multiple teaching jobs, and I've committed to four! On Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, I teach a private class for 4 girls right in our own living room. We spend 2 hours each day learning new words and also some basic grammar rules- I have to say I'm loving it!
Although I don't have much experience teaching English as a Second Language, I really love teaching and as always, if I don't know what to do, the internet is my friend :-)
I've bought lots of prizes for these four girls, Tina, Lindy, Sherri and CeCi~ check it out: I've labled them all with prices. During the week the girls earn fake money if they win a game or complete their homework correctly (I don't believe in rewarding kids for something they are expected to do, but hey- it's summer school. I think they deserve some reward!) Then they use the money they've earned during the week to 'go shopping' in the prize chest. I saw most of them eyeing the colored pencils!!
They are all beginners.
Here we are saying over and over again "This is a pencil. This is a book." etc. I lay out the objects on the table and ask them "Lindy, please give me the flower." I read that this visual aid helps language students quickly associate the word with the object... so far that seems to be true!
Now, only three classes in, they can say "This is an umbrella. These are umbrellas. The umbrella is pink." It's so exciting to see their progress.
The second teaching job doesn't even feel like a student/teacher relationship. I tutor a young lady, June who is 21, every day from 7-9 pm. She is an Oxford University language student, so when I say "tutor" I mean we go shopping or go to a tea house or sit at her house using the foot massagers and just CHAT! Her English is phenomenal, and she has been traveling to English speaking countries since she was 16. (Needless to say, her family is loaded!)
June is a breath of fresh air for me. She has so much understanding of Western culture that there isn't any gap of communication between us. Every day I prepare a topic that we debate, and it seems to me that this girl should take up a job in politics! We talk about gun control, marriage relationships, our responsibility to the homeless/needy... I love having such adult conversations with her- and being able to be myself at the same time.
Thirdly, I teach for my own teacher on Saturdays and Sundays. She rents out a kindergarten and uses the rooms for private classes. There are seven classes in all, and I teach 4 hours a time- it's nice only having to prepare 1 lesson for 7 classes! We most recently had a gigantic birthday party for all the kids. I told them "Today is EVERY ONE's birthday!" and we learned new words that correspond with birthday parties and then we had apple juice and puffed corn cakes (no candy from THIS teacher) and every one got a pencil or an eraser as a birthday gift. We wrapped it up by playing "pin the tail on the donkey".... the best part of that is they started saying "rabbit" because I drew the donkeys ears too long! hahaha
My favorite student in these classes is a little boy with the name "Monkey". When I first heard it, I frowned and told him that isn't a real English name. But he is so quirky and funny, I decided it fit too perfectly to change it. Haha!! When we were studying weather, I asked them to draw all the forms of weather next to the corresponding word. Next to "stormy" he drew a picture of a tornado and a pig was flying around inside it. Funny, right?!!
Here is Scott (see way in the back ground) with a blue guitar strumming out the HOKEY POKEY. We were invited to an English Corner extravaganza at a prominent business man's office where people from 7 to 40 years old showed up and we played games and sang songs all night. We were really dreading it before we went... but how can you not have a good time when people are "Shaking It All About" ?
This English Corner was started by a very special man. I met him several months ago at the airport in another city. He saw I was sitting at the gate to come to Boone, so he came up to me and asked, "Little Sister, are you lost?" (thinking that surely a foreigner wouldn't be traveling to such a poor city). I explained to him that I live and study here- he was amazed!
Long story short, he offered me a ride home from the airport since I didn't have a ride. On the way home, he was trying to explain to me what his business was. I couldn't understand, so I asked him to point it out to me on the way home. We actually stopped at his office, which is a huge showroom full of miniature scale models of new apartments. He said "I own all this."
!! I was so amazed. Here was probably the wealthiest man in the city taking time out of his schedule to help a foreigner who didn't have any transportation. Since that day, we've spent time with him and his wife.... he dotes on her non stop. It is clear that they are deeply in love!
This man has taken the initiative to bring more jobs into this very poor city. He is in the process of building a huge cinema with 3-D movie screens, a golf course as well as several schools. He loves this city and so has also begun this English Corner to give more people a chance to study English. He asked me to participate, so I've taken on the small kids. Now every Friday, the adults at this English Corner will stay inside and chat, while I take the kids out to play games and learn more beginner level things.
I'm so happy to have new venues to do ministry... it's so much better than being in class!!!!
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