My Students Rock

While reading my students' first paper, I quickly discovered that they are incredibly smart! Their English skills far exceed typical American students studying a foreign language during their second year of college. Granted, in Chinese high schools, English is stressed as a more important subject than foreign languages are in America.
My students exemplified expansive vocabularies, using words such as "inquisitive", "eloquent" and "versatile". Their grammar does warrant some attention. They like to add a lot of unnecessary commas and need a lesson in quotations and tenses. Although, overall, the papers were well written.
 
I was impressed not only by ability, but also their comments and the experiences they shared. Many shared profound insights and wrote quite poetically. I even spotted the use of a few metaphors. Some favorite books mentioned were Jack Kerouac's On the Road and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, which is so cool. A few wrote about how they are from poor villages and hope to eventually build better schools or other facilities there, and innovate ways to provide the residents with more opportunities. One student shared how she has already helped establish a work-training program that has helped many youth from her hometown land better-paying jobs. My students are not only intelligent, but incredibly interesting!

Beyond their notable papers, they offered some great perspective on how I can best benefit them in the classroom, and make class more engaging. I was not only appreciative since I am new to ESL instruction, but relieved for the helpful suggestions since the other foreign teachers complained that their students declined to offer any suggestions. The most significant information offered was that they have only written formal papers, mostly argumentative. Therefore, they are interested in learning different writing styles. Many wanted to do a few lessons on poetry. Also, there is a strong desire to learn more about American literature. Most of these requests were vague, but a group of girls offered one specific subject - They want to understand the influence of religion on American novels. So I received some wonderful feedback, which has proven immensely helpful in drafting my syllabus and lesson plans.

Again, my students rock!

Relaxation or Aggravation?

Taime, the Japanese foreign teacher, brought me to get a Chinese massage. First of all, it is so cheap! For an hour, full-body massage, it is $25 RMB, which is only $3.70 USD. I got a special that includes 11 one-hour massages for $200 RMB, less than $30!

On the other hand, the massage is not like one you would receive back home. The cozy, calming atmosphere created in a Western spa is not provided. You will not smell the sweet scent of lavender incense, hear soothing sounds of the ocean and other relaxing music or feel warmth from the heated massage mattress. There are not private rooms; Instead, all the available beds are lined up in the front parlor. You keep your clothes on and no oils are used.

Furthermore, the techniques are different. Traditional Chinese Massage focuses on acupressure and it's intended use is for medical purposes, not relaxation. If you have knots, for example, a typical Western masseuse will use broad strokes with the palm or circular motions with the finger tips, circumventing the knot in order to stimulate the surrounding muscular area. The Chinese masseuse will take their thumb and dig directly into your knot. I understand the discomfort this would cause for many, but I found it absolutely wonderful - I was in seventh heaven!

Afterward, my masseuse recommended I get Gua Sha because my back and shoulders are really bad. Having no idea what that was, I figured "What the hell!" The massage was amazing, and he seemed to know what he was doing...

My shirt was rolled up in order to apply a thin oil. A long, smooth stone was pressed firmly against my back in broad, downward strokes. Essentially, my back was being scraped with a stone! I can't say that it felt good, but it surprisingly didn't hurt; It was rather uncomfortable. This was done repeatedly for maybe 5 minutes, creating a lot of friction.

Next, 12 glasses were literally suctioned onto my back! After lighting and extinguishing a match inside each cup (in order to remove the oxygen), he would quickly press and twist the cup on my back so that I soon had a dozen cups gripping to my skin. I was left in this position for a few minutes, which were not the most memorable minutes of my life. Again, I was never in any pain, but I was certainly not in the relaxed state that my massage allowed - I could feel my skin being pulled by the suction. Finally, the cups were removed and then my back was massaged with his palms in a downward motion. I was done!

Walking home, I could still feel the heat created from the friction, which was intensified against the cold, night air. Granted, I felt great! Although I was quite unsure about the benefit of such methods. Once home, I soon noticed that my back was covered with deep, red bruises! There were perfect circles where the cups had been placed. I freaked out, called Taime who reassured me they would be gone in a week and, then, I immediately began to frantically search the Internet.

I learned that two different therapies were applied. Gua Sha refers to the use of a smooth edge (the stone) to apply pressured strokes to the back. Gua means to scrape or rub, while Sha refers to the resulting redness of the skin. The other technique is typically called Fire Cupping. Both are ancient Chinese medical methods dating back over 2,000 years. Basically, both intend to promote circulation and metabolic processes and are claimed to help with several ailments beyond back pain.

You can check out this brief article about fire cupping. Plus it has a good pic of what the method looks like:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/12/earlyshow/health/main628788.shtml

It's been almost a week, and my bruising is nearly gone. Once they have completely disappeared, I plan to go back for my next hour massage. But if they recommend Gua Sha again, I will definitely say "Bu shi, Bu Shi!" (No! No!).

Idiom of the Week

To exemplify how culture and language are interconnected, I start each class with the "Idiom of the Week." After having my students guess what they think it means, I explain the vernacular. For example, the first week I wrote on the board, "To break the ice," as a lead-in for our 'Snowball' ice breaker.


This week's idiom was, "Call a spade a spade." I explained the cultural signifance of Westerners' desire or need to be straightforward and, at times, frank. Chinese, on the other hand, are very indirect in their manner of speaking. This indirectness can be very time consuming! When confronted with the language barrier, I will have a friend help by asking the question for me. I anticipate a quick answer, but the two will carry on for five mintues as if a simple "yes" or "no" is just not sufficient. I cannot wait till I can comprehend more Chinese so that I can better understand this sinuous conversation.

I am currently teaching the writing process through a descriptive writing assignment. The students seem to think that they can create their best work in just one sitting. Their homework was to compose a rough draft, which I asked for them to revise for next week, using the rhetorical tools learned in class. Most students had expected to turn in the assignment today and move on to another paper. After the bell rang, one of my few male students asked if their revised paper would actually be turned in next week for grading. Not wanting to say no (they will be learning the value of peer reviews next week!) and give him reason to not rewrite his draft, I hesitated. Sensing my hesitiation, he said, "Come on, Ms. Lindsey, call a spade a spade!"

Peach Blossom Festival

My friend, Tu, invited me to join a class trip to the Peach Blossom Festival. On Saturday, we took a bus at 8:30AM. I was surprised at how many students were already walking campus that early on a weekend!

Peaches traditionally symbolize longevity. In Chinese folklore, divinities ate peaches in order to sustain immortality. The Jade Emperor would feed the gods peaches to ensure their eternal existence.

The culturally significant peach blossoms are highly appreciated and marveled at each spring. 

The main attraction is, of course, the field of peach blossoms. Hundreds of people walked between the rows of trees to admire nature and take pictures.

Unfortunately, a cold winter has brought a late spring and most of the trees had not yet blossomed.

Like all festivals, there were also vendors and activities, including a large stage with performances. 

A Chinese cowboy singing!

This instrument made beautiful music!















An interesting sale item. They were also selling bunnies for pets. The chicks, however, are for eating.

They are making a crispy and thick, noodle-like treat.

Advertising his flutes.
















Check out the long fishing poles.

With Tu, my favorite person!

The entire class with their Chinese professor, Mrs. Sha, and me in the middle.

Some girls made me a flower wreath :)

While Peach Blossom Festivals have taken place throughout China for many years, this was only the second one near Jingzhou, taking place in a small, poor village in the countryside. Mrs. Sha informed me that the festival has been hosted here in hopes of bringing more economic development to the area. In the below picture, you can see a few village homes, of which there are only a few dozen. Just since last spring, the number of houses with plumbing has doubled, in part due to the festival bringing money from the cities.

Overall, I would say that the festival was a success! I sure had a great time!

 

Campus Life

Chinese students endure a very stressful and exhausting high school experience. Many students have told me that high school was more difficult and distressing compared to their college courses. In order to be admitted into a university, they must pass a State examination, which becomes their top priority. Passing this exam consumes all their time, academically and socially. 

Once in college, they are overwhelmed with so much free time! In the papers I had my students write last week, several commented on how they have more time available then they know what to do with. Regardless, everyone certainly enjoys the freedoms granted with more time available for non-academic endeavors, recreational activities and hobbies.

However, students' time is still regimented in college, albeit to a lesser degree. Chinese students are given a curfew. They must be on campus by 11PM and in their dormitories by 11:30PM.

The rigorous discipline in secondary school creates very dedicated, diligent students. Despite having less work now, you can still find hundreds of students studying in classrooms on a Saturday night! There are even classes held on Saturdays and Sundays!

All dormitories are gated. In accordance with curfew, the gates are closed at 11:30 each night. Then, the electricity is shut off. So any computer work, etc must be completed by then. With that schedule, I would have never passed my classes!

Dormitories do not have any heating or air conditioning (neither do the classrooms). Students are permitted from having space heaters to prevent potential fires. I feel so bad for students when it is really cold!

Everyone hangs clothes off their balconies, as Chinese do not typically use dryers. I only have a washing machine in my apartment.

Yangtze University has six campuses throughout Jingzhou. I live on the East Campus where the English Department is and most English majors live. (There are other departments on my campus as well.) Here is the building where I teach most of my classes:

I love the speaker system that's wired throughout the entire campus and plays music at intervals during the day! The music starts at 7AM and will continue till 10PM. It's quite loud, but it's nice to wake up to the pleasant sound of a piano or cello. The university will play classical, traditional Chinese and pop music, announcements and, occasionally, an English pop song. The first day of classes, I was taken by surprise when I awoke to a deep, male voice from the sky!

The campus is dotted with many statues and other artworks that were designed and/or created by students of the art school. Here is my favorite, which I can see from my kitchen window.

Another statue that is just inside the North Gate.

Just as the dormitory buildings are gated, there is a wall that encloses the entire campus. You can see the gate in the background. At night, a security guard is at each gate. Chinese students may be reprimanded if they attempt to return to campus after 11PM.

The campus cafeteria that is behind my apartment building:

A sitting area where you will usually see many students reading or hanging out. This pic was taken early, before my 8 AM class, so no students had yet gathered.

The East Campus track and field. The students call it the "playground." This is an aerial shot from the website.

Inside are greenhouses and a vegetable garden. I don't yet know if these are grown by students or staff.

Campus life is fairly similar to American universities. Students have about the same number of hours in classes each week, and classes are ran similarly, including lectures and/or discussions. When walking across campus, you will see students' abound, reading at picnic tables, laughing, playing sports, riding bikes and couples cuddling on the grass. 

Contrastingly, not as many student clubs exist, as extracurricular activities are not encouraged as a needed resume builder. There is a Student Union, of which one of my student's is Vice President. I want to learn more about the Union and their activities. Hopefully, that will eventually be another post! Also, Chinese students do not party like American students. There are students that drink, however, they consume alcohol in moderation. There are not issues with college binge drinking or excessive partying. My female Chinese friends are shocked at how many beers me and the other female foreign teachers can put down!

A Note

When leaving my classroom today, a boy (who is not in my class) quickly introduced himself, gave me a note and then had to get to his next class. The letter read:

Dear Ms. Lindsey,

Hello. I'm a student from the Medical School. My name is Qian Yuquan. I am shy. My spoken English isn't good. I hear you are a good teacher. I want to make friends with you.

Best Wishes!

Qian included his contact information. I thought this was a rather strange encounter! Keith, another foreign teacher, said that he is probably friends with students of mine who told him that I am nice and host an interesting class. We except that he wants help with his English and, perhaps, is looking for a tutor.

Keith also told me that once the word hits the grapevine, you will have students, who are not on your roster, attend your class. Then, in my afternoon class, I had three extra students. For a moment, I panicked because, after handing back papers, I thought that I had lost some of my students' assignments! It felt good to know that positive gossip is already spreading about my teaching!

First Week of Classes

My first round of classes went exceptionally well! My lesson plan went smoothly, and everyone seemed to enjoy the first day!

I was warned that many Chinese students will not immediately participate, and that establishing a comfortable environment that encourages participation is the most difficult task for foreign teachers. So I made my #1 class rule: When a question is asked, an answer must be given. However, I let them know that responses such as "I do not know the answer" or "I did not understand the question" are appropriate - just no silence! 

Moreover, I used a fun ice breaker in which everyone HAD to speak! First, I had them write down three facts about themselves. I then asked that they crumple up their papers into a "snowball." This generated some confused looks. Next, I told them we were going to have a "snowball fight" (In two classes, I had to explain what that is), and I threw my ball of paper at a student. The students' responses were hilarious! Every class just stared at me as if I was crazy, perhaps thinking that I could not be serious because this is not appropriate classroom behavior! I had to shout, "It's OK! Stand up and throw your snowball!"

Everyone thought this was fun, and had a good laugh. Eventually, everyone had another student's paper and they had to determine whose it was, and write down that person's English name. All students choose an English name so that non-Chinese speakers can pronounce and remember them more easily. Most pick common Western names. Others, however, just pick random words that they like, which can be quite funny. For example, in my classes, I have students named Coffee, Bee, Creek, Echo, Snow, Winter and Spring (which is a very popular name).

Lastly, each student had to stand up and read the three facts about their person. Many of the facts were about their hometown, family, hobbies and favorites. A few, however, got the class laughing, such as "I want to marry a handsome American," or "I think Ms. Lindsey has neat hair" The funniest fact attempted to send me a big hint, "I like to attend parties at the apartment of my foreign English teachers!"

After introducing myself and reviewing the class rules, the students spent the remaining 30 minutes writing a one-page paper about themselves that was turned in at the end of class. I hope that these papers will give me a good idea about their writing ability so that I can plan future lessons...

First Night Out On The Town!

My second weekend here, some of the teachers went downtown with the Russian exchange students and a group of French friends who work abroad at an air conditioning company in Jingzhou. It was a fabulous time! The pub we were at had karaoke, but it was not K-TV, the popular karaoke clubs that have private rooms with couches and large flat screens. (Although I plan to enjoy an evening there soon) Karaoke is extremely popular in China. The bar had only three English songs, and we sang them all! Here is most of our group singing "We Love Rock and Roll":

Our singing group was a gathering of nearly all the white people currently living in Jingzhou.... 

 From left: Roanne (British), Sean (American), Kate (Russian), Sky (Chinese), Me and Oleg (Russian)








Among young Chinese, giving the peace sign is a popular pose for pictures.
From left: Keith, Oleg, Charlie and me:

Teaching

Before starting classes, the foreign teachers were given no guidelines. There were no goals, objectives, requirements or materials provided. There are pros and cons to this approach. Essentially, I have the freedom to do whatever I want! On the other hand, it is quite overwhelming to have no direction in planning an entire semester syllabus, especially considering that I have never written a lesson plan before. More importantly, I have no idea what the skill level of my students' English will be.

I am teaching Sophomore writing. We had the choice to teach oral English or writing. Since I have always enjoyed writing, I thought it would be fun. I have a lighter schedule than those teaching oral because I will have papers to grade. I have only four classes per week that are one hour and thirty minutes long, which is a significantly less workload than I had expected. Can't say I'm complaining...

For the first week, I plan to have the students complete an in-class writing assignment. It will be impossible to draft any syllabus until I know how well they write.

The best aspect of having complete reign over the structure and content of my class is that I can format the course to my benefit, creating the perfect opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture. The discussion and writing assignments can be conducive to my interests and curiosities, while simultaneously allowing the students to learn more about America & English through a dialogue of cultural relativism. It will prove to be a great class in which I can learn more about Chinese culture and society!!!

Celebrating China

During the winter break, Chinese celebrate Spring Festival, which is the Chinese New Year, signifying the end of winter and the coming of spring. Spring Festival is China's most important holiday. Luckily, I arrived in Jingzhou early enough to celebrate the last few days of the holiday!
The festivities included carnival games, rides, fireworks, decorative floats and lots of street vendors selling candy and foods.

The Lantern Festival marks the end of Spring Festival. Red Lanterns adorn the streets and buildings:

At night, people make or buy their own paper lanterns upon which they write a wish (similar to our New Year resolutions). Each lantern has a metal clasp with a candle inside that is lit before the lantern is lifted up and sent up into the sky towards the Jade Emperor, the God of Fire, in order to have your wish granted.
My new friends and I bought a lantern that we all shared. We called it the 'Global Lantern,' as it had wishes from America, Britain, China, Korea, Russia and Japan. I wished to speak Mandarin well!
Here we are lighting and lifting our lantern:

Our diverse group and our obvious difficulties with sending our lantern to the sky attracted a crowd:

Unfortunately, our lantern got stuck in a tree, and never ascended to the Jade Emperor....

 Perhaps now I will never learn Chinese :(  .....