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July 2009 ESL Newsletter

Hello ESL Teachers!

Welcome to another great month in Asia! July usually marks the end of the academic year and many of you are probably gearing up for some exciting travels throughout Asia. Good luck and safe travels! For those of you that have just arrived we hope you are enjoying and adjusting well to your new life in Asia! Reach To Teach is always here to offer support and guidance during your time here.

In this month's issue you will find the story of a new ESL teacher in Taiwan, some helpful teaching tips and a review of a new restaurant in Taipei. Enjoy!

The Reach To Teach Team

Teacher Profile - Owain Mckimm

ESL Teacher Owain Profile Picture

When I landed in Taipei I was met by a very small man in a very large taxi who took me to my temporary accommodation. He beeped his horn at everyone on the way and nearly killed about a hundred people on scooters. I knew from that point that I had made the right decision in coming to Taiwan. A general rule for assessing a country's people is: if they drive like maniacs, they're probably just lovely in everyday life. All the aggression gets poured into whizzing around like chaotic lunatics, leaving nothing but joy and kindness for later.

I took the job at very short notice. Within 10 days of signing my contract I was out in Taiwan's neon hub looking rather confused and disorientated, to start a weeks training before beginning to teach. The speed of it though gave everything a kind of blurred momentum. There was no time to worry, to feel homesick or nervous. Everything had to be dealt with as a brief and valuable experience which really helped with settling in.

Before I knew it I had my own flat in Yong-he - which while being quite a traditional Chinese area, proudly exhibiting an unashamed host of seniors, shirtlessly drinking an inexhaustible supply of tea, is also packed full of great shops, pool halls, KTVs, a night-market of its own and even a South-African pie shop for those essential creature comforts.

The teaching side of things can be challenging. I teach people from the ages of 3 to adults, and doing so really makes you a versatile teacher to say the least. But even though it can be difficult, especially if you have no experience as I did, the work is ultimately very rewarding and, though clichéd, very character building! Teaching kids can be a fantastic thing, and when classes go well it really is a brilliant feeling.

Couple this with the fact that, as I initially guessed from my first cab-ride, the people here are possibly the friendliest, most genuine in Asia, so much so that even after many years of being bombarded by English teachers, the concept of a 'foreigner' is still an exotic and fascinating thing. You will get stared at, unashamedly and unabashedly so; people will refer to you as a 'Weiguoren' or 'foreigner' openly and within your hearing - something that would never happen in Britain for fear of violent reprisal! But it is all done out of fascination, curiosity and ultimately a great desire for friendship. Even though I've only been here a few months I have already been approached several times on the MRT, by strangers, and been asked to swap numbers or been given someone's email address - a little over zealous perhaps, but flattering and pleasingly eccentric I think too.

When it comes down to it, I think my decision to come was a great one, certainly better than struggling to find work at home. I have a great job, which is both challenging and rewarding, a decent wage which allows comfortably for every need, and more freshly cooked lamb-fried-rice than I can eat - what more could a man want?

Owain Mckimm

Teaching Tips - Lesson Plans

ESL Teaching Tips - Lesson Plans

Don't be lazy! Please, prepare a proper lesson plan for every class. A proper lesson plan for a children's class includes more activities than you have time for. Be over prepared in case one or more games don't please the students that day. Always have several backup activities.

Lesson plans need to have a clear language target. What sentence pattern are you focusing on? What vocabulary? What are you going to review? A lesson plan that answers all these questions clearly is one that provides focus and direction for the teacher. In practical terms it can mean help in choosing the type of activities you will do. Having a clear focus also helps to build on previous lessons, and to integrate the vocabulary and patterns of old lessons into new ones.

Even very experienced teachers should have a detailed lesson plan. If you think you can do it off the top of your head, then you're doing it by ROTE!

Tastes of Taipei - The Diner

Tastes of Taipei

How does a Philly Cheese Steak sound? If it sounds pretty damn good but are at a loss as to where to find one in Taipei, The Diner might be just the place you are looking for. Owned and operated by two Taiwanese locals, The Diner offers a great selection of delicious burgers, sandwiches and other authentic American-style food that can't be found anywhere else in Taipei.

The star attraction in my mind is The Diner's all-day brunch. The two-egg breakfast, breakfast burrito, pancake breakfast, and three kinds of eggs benedict all include a glass of fresh orange juice, fruit, and bottomless coffee or tea. It really can't be beat and the fact that they are served all day makes a daily trip here all the more tempting.

It's hard to find anything bad to say about The Diner, except that it's too popular. Expect to spend time in line if you arrive on a weekend during brunch hours. Even visitors on weeknights sometimes have to wait a few minutes for a table.

The Diner now has two locations, the first is located near Daan Park and the second is located just off Dunhua Rd. Both are easily walked to from MRT stations.

Address (1st): 145 Ruian St. (台北市瑞安街145號)
Address (2nd): No.6, Lane 103, Sec. 2, Dunhua Rd. (台北市敦化南路2段103巷6號)
Telephone: (02) 2700-1680
Open: 10am to 10pm; closed Mondays
Average Meal: NT$300
Website (Chinese): www.thediner.com.tw

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