Teaching ESL in Handan, China

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Teaching ESL in China for me was such an incredibly rewarding experience. I mainly went to China to see exactly what China was really like. I have to admit before I left I was a little afraid of the unknown. My thinking was really influenced by the media but I always told myself you have to really see it for yourself. There were even times when I would talk myself out of going. When I accepted my job offer and I received my visa that is when it was really going to happen. Shortly after that I got my first correspondence from the school I was going to be teaching at. When I read the email I felt more relaxed where I was going. The person who emailed me was so friendly it was very comforting. I knew nothing of Handan, China but now I know something about Handan. Handan is one the oldest cities in the world and it is filled with much history and culture. The students that I taught in Handan were incredibly intelligent and had a serious desire to learn. I have been an ESL teacher for awhile with much experience and I had never seen so many children raising their hands. Of course sometimes stickers had to be given out in order to initiate participation but usually that was only for the real difficult lessons. I found if I could get the students to have fun and laugh and just relax they would learn. Being a clown sometimes and just being their friend was very helpful for them. English is an intimidating language for Chinese and just getting the students to relax and enjoy made it much easier for them.  I am so grateful for this experience and  the people that I met and all of my friends many of whom I am still friends with. One thing the little, little children were always the best. Here are some photos from some of my life in Handan, China. If you would like to be a favorite link or if you would like information on teaching jobs or teaching programs in China contact me here tanukichamptranslation@gmail.com