By Elizabeth Zhang
A lot of my students keep trying to speak Chinese in my class (especially because they know I can understand), so I’ve been making them stand up if I hear them speak Chinese. Surprisingly this actually works and the students remind each other to not speak in Chinese. This week I’ve definitely been more strict, but I think I’ve found the right balance and classes have gone smoother with less interruptions. I’ve realized some of the patterns in every class and try to alter my teaching style according to the group I’m with, considering their English level and the group dynamics. Especially with the different games we play, I’ve realized that sometimes they’re too shy to play or maybe they’re not 100% sure how to play, so I have to demonstrate and honestly just be silly and act like a kid sometimes. Also partnering up and teaching with a buddy definitely helps because when one person teaches, the other can make sure everyone is listening and not talking over the teacher or whoever is speaking. Not only is the teaching going smoother, but the kids are also opening up more and willing to try different games! We’ve also decided to combine some of our classes and stay in the classroom to teach because it is HOT.
This week’s lesson was on food & drink and here are some funny things kids have said because of the differences between English and Chinese and the literal translation of some foods:
lobster - 龙虾“dragon fish”
crawfish - 小龙虾🦞“small lobster”
eel - 鳗鱼“slow fish”
avocado - 牛油果🥑“cow fruit”
Every time I get back home from school, I’m tempted to just go to my room, turn the AC on, and just sleep or go on my phone. However, seeing my host brother (Arthur) and their family friend Jordon in the living room, I decide to hang out with them for a while because a lot of times this is the only time I can really spend with my host family because the parents are always busy with work or taking care of the 2 year old. We ended up helping my host mom cook (aka stand around and taste things) whole chatting about our day. Today was a rare day when 弟弟(DiDi, the 2 year old) was at his grandma’s house, so we could actually talk with each other without the kids screaming at each other or for their mother’s attention. After dinner, my host brother 海宝(Arthur), Jordon, and I took turns playing 五子棋(this game is basically like connect four except you need five in a row). Arthur was extremely competitive and he kept on asking to play again and again. He refused to go to sleep until he could finally beat me, and he demanded that I didn’t go easy on him. This went on for quite a while until I eventually let him win LOL. Later that week, Arthur and I also got to go watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 preliminary round (Macau vs Sri Lanka) after his soccer practice because it was in the stadium near the field where he practiced. Arthur LOVES soccer, and I was super happy to watch him play & also watch a game with him!
This weekend was the Dragon Boat Festival! Our family celebrated by eating zongzi together. My host family wanted to take me to an island and stay overnight but we had to change our plans because I already promised some of the No. 9 students I would hang out with them. Because it was a long weekend, we had time to hang out with a lot of the No. 9 middle schoolers. We went to the mall, the movies, and even tried stinky tofu together! This weekend has been super fun, but now it’s back to work. We only have 2 more weeks of class...then it’s time for the final performance!
