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November 2006 ESL Newsletter

Teachers of the Month: Amy & Jarrod

Amy & Jarrod - English Teachers in Taiwan Amy & Jarrod are happy together in Taiwan

"Let's go teach English in Asia so we don't have to join the real world right away. I hear the money's decent" This is what Amy and I said after we graduated from college last May. Amy likes the idea of being in a modern, clean environment, like Japan. I prefer a more rustic and quiet life, like I imagine Tibet or rural Thailand to be. We compromised and chose Taiwan. So far (three months), we are beyond delighted at the variety of lifestyles, landscapes and cultural opportunities here.

The language barrier instantly (still) makes for some interesting experiences, but that's what we signed up for, right? Is it Chung-li, Jhong-li or Zhong-li? Are they the same? When the lady told us to go to the next next next street, she means the third, right? Of course some of the cultural differences are both humorous and frustrating. What, we can't drink the water? Can all the dogs drink the water? Don't flush the toilet paper? Then where do I... oh, never mind.

With that said, however, we have now come to like most of the things we first thought were a bit weird. Nightly garbage collection is great. Feeding food scraps to the pigs is wonderful resource management. The public transportation in Taiwan is second to none. Between the MRT system in Taipei, the trains around the island, and the thousands of buses cruising the roadways, almost every part of the island is cheap and easy to explore. So far, using only public transportation, we've visited hot springs in Wu-Lai and Jiaosi, white-water rafted in Reishui, snorkeled on the northern and southern most points, and hiked in the mountains. Amy and I are from Iowa in the US, where we would have to travel hundreds of miles to the nearest mountain range, ocean, or major city. It's great to have so many attractions packed in such a small area.

Oh yeah, we teach English too. Like any job anywhere, there are good days and not-so-good days. For us, though, the good days far outnumber the latter. The kindergarten children are caring and appreciative and the older kids, for the most part, lack the pretension and cynicism of American youth. I can't wait to look back in a year to see how these kids, and we too, have evolved.

Culture Shock

You've arrived in a new country, found an apartment and started teaching some classes.

In a short period of time, you feel as though you have learned a lot and find your surroundings new and exciting. You have made some friends, seen some cultural sights, and generally feel pretty well adjusted. After a month or so in your new home, you feel you have gone beyond the initial shock and are settled into your new life. It should be smooth sailing from here, right?

Actually, this is the exact time when many people start feeling the effects of culture shock.

First, it's important to understand that culture shock hits different people in different ways. No two experiences are exactly the same. Some people find the experience of living abroad difficult from the very beginning: It's a new language, new culture and day to day life can seem strange and confusing. For others, culture shock never really sets in. They find things they enjoy doing and settle in as though they were back at home. However, most people do go through a period of culture shock and it can often be a very challenging experience.

What is culture shock?
Many people would think that culture shock involves not understanding the language, adjusting to the food and weather, etc. Figuring out how things work, establishing a social network and even simple things like finding your favorite brand of dish soap or which kind of toilet paper is best, take a long time. However, for many people culture shock manifests itself in a much different way. Most people experience culture shock as a more general emotional reaction. They become easily frustrated and less patient with their job and with those around them. Things in their life seem harder to do and they may find themselves feeling depressed and not as active as they once were. Other symptoms of culture shock may start to appear such as homesickness, boredom, lethargy, irritability and hostility to the host culture.

In sum, culture shock can be broken down into stages. See this link for the exact stages of culture shock: www.kwintessential.co.uk

Driving in Taiwan on scooters - ESL Abroad Adapting to your new life is a daily challange

What should I do?
Battling culture shock can be a difficult thing to do. First of all, you may not even realize you are going through culture shock! If you find yourself having these feelings, the first step is recognition. It's ok to be feeling this way: Everyone does! The next step is to realize that you will be fine. Look at the people around you and see that they have been through the same things and are fine. Next, one of the simplest things you can do is reach out to fellow westerners. Tell someone how you are feeling and ask if they had the same experience. Go out to a western restaurant and have your favorite dish! The most important thing you can control is your own attitude and perspective. Stay positive and in a few weeks you may find yourself wondering if that frustrated person was really you!

It is also important that you be active in adopting the local culture, as this will help you feel less like a foreigner. If it is common for most people to go to the night market a few times a week, you should too. Not only will it help you understand the culture better, it will be a place to meet people from your neighborhood. Truly immersing yourself in a local culture is a very long process. Really putting yourself in the mind of those around you can be an enlightening experience, but you have to be ready and willing to do so. If you fall into the trap of assuming that "Western" standards are better, you will miss out on a much deeper and satisfying experience.

When is the time that most people are fully adjusted? Many studies say you will reach a higher comfort level between your 3rd and 6th month. At that point, you should be settled into your daily routine and have come to a comfortable understanding of your surrounding environment However, there is no clear set rule. Culture shock is as individual an experience as someone can have. It's very important to be realistic with your expectations. The key is recognizing when you are going through culture shock and proactively seeking out ways to enjoy yourself. After all, living abroad is supposed to be a challenge!

Interested in reading more about Culture Shock? Here are links to other articles about culture shock:

  1. www.ips.uiuc.edu
  2. www.studyabroad.com
  3. www.studentservices.engr.wisc.edu

Monthly Events

Teach hard, Play hard!
Every Sunday Reach To Teach fields a team in a local flag football league! All games are at Taipei Junior High School on the corner of Nanjing and Dun Hua. Whether you want to play, or just want to watch and support the team, it's a good time!

For more information contact Captain Alex Justice at: alexlynkjustice@yahoo.com

Sunday Afternoon Volleyball
Location: NTU volleyball court (Tai-Da University)
MRT: Kong-Guan (Green Line) Exit 3
Time: 2PM
Contact: Jolyn@ReachToTeachRecruiting.com

Scuba Diving
Several Reach To Teach teacher will be taking a Scuba Diving course soon. If you are interested in joining, email Amy at: amy.ludovissy@hotmail.com

Are you a Reach To Teach teacher with an event you would like to list here?
Contact Reach To Teach and we'll put it in the next issue!

Teaching Tip of the Month

The Human Video Game
This is a great game you can use with your students and works with pretty much any lesson plan!

Setup: You are essentially turning your class into a Human Video game. Some students will be the video game characters and others will be the controller.

Actions: Break the class into (at least) two groups. One group will be the characters in the video game, the other group will control them. The "characters" should stand in front of the "controllers". When you say, "GO!" the controllers begin pressing buttons on their controller (Note: the controller can be anything you choose: a piece of paper, notebook, etc.) while TELLING the students what to do based on the lesson plan. The characters then have to do what the controllers tell them to do (jump, run, etc.). Using light music in the background also works well.

Issues: The biggest problem is making sure the students are telling the characters what to do. If they are just pressing buttons without communicating then the point of the lesson may be lost!

Interesting Chinese Idioms

Chinese Characters Literal Meaning English Meaning Pinyin
十個老外九個禿 Nine out of Ten foreigners are Bald The same meaning, unfortunately! shi(2) ke(3) lao(3) wai(4) jio(3) ke(3) tu(1)
脫褲子放屁 Take off pants to fart It's absolutely pointless tuo(1) ku(4) zi(3) fang(4) pi(4)
耳邊風 Wind blowing by ears Goes in one ear and out the other er(3) bian(1) feng(1)
鴨子聽雷 Duck hearing thunder Having a hard time understanding ya(1) zi(3) ting(1) lei(2)
人山人海 People Mountain People Sea It's really crowded ren(2) shan(1) ren(2) hai(3)
對牛彈琴 Play music to a Cow A waste of time duei(4) nio(2) tan(2) qing(2)

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