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October 2006 ESL Newsletter

Teacher of the Month: Andrew Wong

ESL Teacher Andrew with his English students in Taiwan Teacher Andrew with his K2A students

Andrew has been teaching in Dong-gang, Ping-dong county for over one year. Below Andrew has shared some of his experiences as a teacher in Taiwan.

This is Andrew and I am from New York City. I’ve been teaching in Pingtung County in southern Taiwan for a year. The experience so far has been very exciting as I now have the opportunity to actually be able to work, live, and explore this different culture. Teaching has been both challenging and rewarding. It has enabled me to better work with children at many different levels, appreciating the role of a good teacher much more. Outside of work and living in Taiwan has also been a great experience. I continue to learn from the people here as I live among them.

The people of Taiwan are extremely traditional compared to the States. I enjoy the different experience, such as outdoor gatherings of a street wedding or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. But other customs disturb me such as the amount of pollution emitted through ghost-money burning and scooter exhausts, which seem to be very much part of the culture here. Sometimes I feel certain traditions should be thrown away, but I also enjoy the feeling of seeing practices of my ancestors.

The friends I’ve made have been very helpful and supportive. It’s become one of the best things that have happened to me here. None are from New York like I am, so we have great times sharing experiences. If you browse throughout this article, italicized words are those I’ve adapted from some of them. My mates have been very comforting to have around being away from home and great company every time during holidays, at work, and going out.

There are so many kinds of foods here, so I’ll just name my usual favorites. What’s shakin’ in the mornings are egg and ham pancakes from the Beautiful and Beautiful breakfast shop, which can be divine. For lunch, fried rice with beef and green peppers is a special one here. And a recent personal favorite for me are stir-fried noodles with beef and seafood pieces in tomato sauce! Other favorites are rice with steak or tuna that can just make your day.

During my free time I love to ride around town, shop, or relax by the nearby river or small beach by the Taiwan Strait. I would also take that time to prepare for my next lesson plan. My favorite lesson plans are those that involve conversation with the kids and our lives. I find it most effective when they partake in dialogue. Zhen de ah!

Although it is exciting to experience the spontaneity of life, another tip that I leave for those coming here is to not be timid of what things or types of people you will encounter next and at the same time prepare for it. Do not be afraid to expand on your ideas and open up to new ones. The Taiwanese are very friendly and curious as to what you will present to them next as you are eager to see what Taiwan has to offer. This technique has made my days much more enjoyable as they should be. So if you decide to come here (especially to Southern Taiwan!), pack your sun-block and shades and get ready for the heat. Cheers!

Monthly Events

The Shannon Bar & Grill, Taipei - ESL in Taiwan

The Shannon - Irish Pub
Saturday October 21 2006

Specials for RTT party:
Pints of Beer (Erdinger, Heffewiessen and Carlsberg) - 100NT
Glass of wine (red and white) - 100NT
Well Drinks - 100NT

Get your PRAT on (Practice Random Acts Of Toasting!)

Map to The Shannon, Taipei - ESL in Taiwan

ALL Appetizers are 100NT!

  • Nacho’s
  • Loaded Potato Skins
  • Paddy Whacker’s
  • BBQ chicken Wings

Address: 1F, No. 6, Dunhua N. Rd, Taipei
Phone: 2772-0948
Website: www.shannon-taipei.com/

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

Teaching Tip of the Month

Letting your students know you care:
Showing your students you genuinely care about them can go a long way towards gaining their respect in the classroom. How can you do this? There are a multitude of ways and let’s discuss a few of them below!

1) Create a positive atmosphere in the classroom.
If you are having a bad day, check those feelings at the door! Kids (and adults!) are very perceptive. They can tell if you aren’t in a good mood and this will affect their performance in the classroom. Walking into your class with a big smile and loud “Hello!” will start the session off on the right foot.

2) Make sure you are using new games.
Kids will get bored if you use the same games (or variations of the same games) over and over again. Kids will recognize if you aren’t preparing properly. Keep track of the games you use. Make sure you keep things fresh. A good rule of thumb is this: Don’t use the same game more than once in every five periods.

3) Get to know your students
Nothing tells a student you care more than asking them how their day was. In many ways, these kids aren’t used to having someone say, “How are YOU?” in a genuine way. Get them to really tell you how they are doing! By showing your students you care about them, they will show you respect 10-fold, in return. Taking 5 minutes before and after class to casually chat with your students usually translates to greater success in the classroom.

4) Get on their level!
Remember when you had a teacher ask about Atari, when Nintendo had been out for YEARS? Nothing seemed more strange and out of touch, right? Learning a little bit about what your kids like can help a lot in the classroom. Working in an example using their favorite video game, or cartoon character, can work wonders. It’s all a part of relating to your kids. Put a little time into finding out what they enjoy out of the classroom, and then use it to your benefit in the classroom!

5) Reward success
Remember having a few teachers who would run a semester long contest, or have a pizza party? Remember how much you loved having teachers like that? Try doing the same things for your kids. Whether it’s a sticker contest, magnets, or a pizza party, they will appreciate you doing something for them. Plus, it’s fun for you too!

ESL Teacher Amanda with her English students in Taiwan Work towards creating a positive environment for you and your kids!

Five Chinese phrases

Chinese Characters English Meaning Pinyin
你叫什麼名字? What's your name? Ni(3) jiao(4) she(2) me ming(2) zi ?
可以跟你要個電話嗎? Can I have your number? Ke(3) yi(3) gen(1) ni(3) yao(4) ge dian(4) hua(4) ma ?
你幾歲? How old are you? Ni(3) ji(3) sui(4) ?
你喜歡吃些什麼呢? What do you like to eat? Ni(3) xi(3) huan(1) chi(1) xie(1) she(2) me ne ?
你要不要去看電影? Do you want to see a movie? Ni(3) yao(4) bu(2) yao(4) qu(4) kan(4) dian(4) ying(3) ?

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