Tag Archives: textbook
New Material
I’m teaching at an ESL summer camp for the next two weeks. This school is as poorly organized as a typical Chinese “English center”, which allows me to test my theory that I would absolutely love that life, if only … Continue reading
Textbook Case
Look, another post where I hold up something to which I’ve contributed to in a tiny way! My Craftsman Farms blog and I are mentioned in this business communications textbook! I’m on page 5, so this will be covered early … Continue reading
Illiterate At Best
I’ve hit a frustrating plateau with my Chinese-speaking. When I speak, I give the tones a good shot, and hope for the best. If I can’t get the tone of “glass” right, hopefully the rest of the sentence, usually “I’d … Continue reading
This Picture Is Not Photoshopped
This week most of my English classes were rescheduled and moved to the McDonalds as a cultural field trip. Instead of doing regular lessons, I was to teach them hamburger, fries, chicken, ice cream and Coke. Yes, Coke and not … Continue reading
That Was Easy
I ran into our school’s headmaster last night while I was putting up my Halloween bulletin board. He was on Sunday-night duty, which means waiting for the kids to come back to school after their weekend at home, so he … Continue reading
Wee Ones
At our “meeting” the other day it was decided that the foreign teachers should observe our Chinese counterparts’ classes. This is the kind of edict that makes me wonder if certain people in our school have ever seen children. So … Continue reading
Rorschach ESL
Fall has come rapidly to Yantai, as if the weather is trying to match our textbook’s explanation that September, October and November are autumn. It’s beautiful here, although it’s strange to feel fall and be going back-to-school on the other … Continue reading
Ji, what were you thinking?
Last week my boss Ji took my class of Demon Children when I went out with Fresca. The Demon Children, and not the homesickness or lack of hot water, brought me closest to going back to the states. I am … Continue reading
Still Not Over The Staring Thing
As Jeff and Fresca both said, mere words cannot describe the constant staring in Kafaqu, but I’m going to try anyway. (Sorry to bore the old China hands.) I can understand it on some level, a foriegn girl playing games … Continue reading
Alien Abduction
My contract promises me the chance to teach 12- to 18-year-olds, but it doesn’t expressly forbid me from teaching other ages. Ji asked me to teach a “demo lesson” for a few young children. “What’s a demo lesson?” I asked. … Continue reading
