Are words really important?

What does it mean to communicate with another person? This is something that I've been wondering about lately as I've been getting into the swing of teaching. A major part of learning a language is to use that language for communication purposes, and as a language teacher I'm beginning to feel my responsibility for making sure these kids can use the English that they learn to communicate effectively.

So what goals do I set for the end of the year for my 小朋友們 that will constitute communicating effectively? How do you define communicating effectively? When I first arrived in Taiwan, my Chinese was rusty, and I was incredibly unfamiliar with the traditional characters having always studied simplified characters. Even ordering food was a challenge those first few days. But through translator apps and various pointing/acting methods, I didn't starve and was able to order what I wanted. Sure, my language skills weren't stellar, but I was able to communicate what I wanted through more than just words. 

My latest example that has me pondering effective communication is..... Yep, you guessed it: the adorable students that I have the privilege of teaching.  My relationship with my students is an interesting one because, on average, the most I've ever said to them outside of class (aka not related to lessons) is "Hi!/Hello!" with some hand waving and smiles mixed in. Granted this has still been the first few weeks, and I'm slowly having more short conversations with them as my Chinese improves and they grow more comfortable around me (the fourth graders even put my hair in a ponytail for me this morning). But it comes down to this.... Even having had such little verbal communication with them, I'm amazed at how much I already know about them.  I know who struggles in English and who is so far advanced they are bored out of their minds.  I know who doesn't care much for English class or using their English to communicate with me, but our 5x daily ritual of "Hi!" and enthusiastic hand waving/high fives is something they will never miss.  I know which kids may not be doing exactly what you want them to do when you ask them to do it, but they will do it eventually in their own time if you leave them alone.  I know who to continuously check in with when working on workbooks because they need the reassurance that they are doing the assignment right. Overall I'm just truly amazed at how good of friends we have become (as good friends as tons of tiny students and their teacher can be), how happy we are to see each other, and how much fun we have together all with bare minimum verbal communication.

Classroom at school with a bunch of adorable Grade 3 students

Drawing from this experience, I think it's sometimes hard to forget how much body language and facial expression plays a role in communication when you live in a country where your first language is spoken everywhere.  Needless to say I will never underestimate the power of the mighty smile, wave, and high five ever again. 

One of the things that has stuck with me is something an administrator from my school said on day 1: "Our goal for having you here is not to make them into the best English speakers.  We want to the kids to experience interacting with a foreigner in addition to you teaching English."  As much as I hope by the end of the year they could be some of the best English speakers in Taichung, realistically I've set my goal to something I feel is much more realistic:  I hope by the time I leave my students will know how to respond when someone asks them their name, reciprocate the question, deal with the question "How are you?", know a little more about how different the world can be (in both appearance and culture), have the confidence to make friends/attempt to interact with someone who doesn't speak their language, and to learn how to use more than words to communicate.

Quick updates:

It's official- I am now a celebrity to Grade 4, Class 1.  I had my first small children mob experience with all of them demanding that I write both my English and Chinese names on whatever they could get their hands on.... paper, textbooks, and yes, their actual hands. 

This week on Thursday is 中秋節/Mid-Autumn Festival so we do not have school Thursday nor Friday.  But we only got Friday off because we all came in on Saturday and had those Friday classes on Saturday... yes you read that right... on Saturday. I had a 1 day weekend.... not fun.  But because of the festival I have had a continuous supply of 月餅/moon cakes and 柚子/pomelo fruit, all of which is delicious.  For my four days of a much deserved break I'll be visiting Taibei and Yilan.

In desperate pursuit of trying to find a way to connect with my 5-6 graders, I realized that I had a moral standing that I could not ask them to learn English vocabulary words if I did not even know them in Chinese.  So I have been making it a point to be able to fully translate their dialogues and vocabulary.  As a result, I came up with the idea that every time they have a vocab quiz/test, I will also take the same quiz/test (the students ask me the questions while I write my answers on the board).  This could have potentially been awesome or undermined my authority, but luckily.... they all loved it.  If anything, it brought us closer together as students and teacher because 1- it brought me down to their level that I am a language student too, 2- they were very impressed I could write Chinese (they knew I could speak a little, but I don't think they expected me to be able to write as well), and 3- they LOVED helping me when I forgot parts of the characters or wrote it wrong (seriously, it was kinda scary as to how much they loved correcting me).  But probably the coolest part of this experience for them came from their reaction when my co-teacher told them that they would be giving me a test.... "Wait... we're going to give Teacher a test?" It was like I had said I can breathe underwater.  I couldn't tell if they were more surprised that they were allowed to quiz a teacher or that I was going to be tested on writing Chinese.  Either way... it worked! And now every time they have a test/quiz, so will I.

Just as a final summary on how I'm doing.... I absolutely love living here.  Especially now that I've gotten into the swing of things.  I love my job, I love my apartment, I love my room mates, I love my friends, and I am so happy with my life here.  Granted, its all very tiring, but it's worth it.  My language skills aren't improving as fast as I had hoped, but if that's the only complaint I have, I'll take it. 

The insane amount of pills I had to take when I got sick (and this is just the "after dinner" round)

Amanda Teacher

Have you ever had a whole crowd turn and look at you almost simultaneously? Well I can check that one off my bucket list.  Being the "new beautiful blonde foreign teacher" (yes, that was how I was introduced to the school at the welcome-back-to-school assembly) at an elementary school, I have probably been stared at more times in the past 3 days than in my entire life.  That is definitely true if you include this past month.  However, I have never waved at so many smiling faces as in the past 3 days either.  Sometimes the kids would willing start smiling and waving their hands a potentially wrist snapping pace. Sometimes the kids would just stare with a blank look on their face.  But once I waved and smiled they would join the children from the previous category.  And of course there were some that just kept staring and walked away (awkward).

*Cute story time*
First graders.... so adorable. Today was my first day with the first graders (<- no pun intended).  Occasionally one would come up to me and ask, "你是外師嗎？/Are you the foreign teacher?" or something to that effect. I would respond "是/Yes," and their face would light up like a Christmas tree. For what reason, I have no idea. Maybe it was because they got to speak to the new foreign teacher, maybe it was because I could speak Chinese. You could definitely see the looks of relief on many faces when I was able to ask them in Chinese if they had an English name.  If they already had an English name, they knew how to respond to "What's your name?"  If not, they would just stare, and their face would start to fall until I said in Chinese, "你有英文名字嗎？/ Do you have an English name?" at which point they would confidently answer with "沒有/No." At the end, some just skipped right by me out the door, some purposely came to show me how pretty their new name tag was with their English name, and some came just to whisper "Bye!" before promptly running out the door in sheer terror at what they had just done.  And the best part? The first graders don't ask you too many questions.  So if I don't understand what they say, I can just smile and nod (maybe even throw in a high five), and they are perfectly happy.

Miss Emily..... I didn't learn her name until Day 2, but on Day 1 she walked by my classroom at least 5 times in one day.  Each time she waved from when she could see into the classroom/caught my eye all the way until she couldn't see me anymore (and windows run the full length of the classroom), and I'm pretty sure she doubled back once considering as soon as she disappeared she reappeared for another waving/smiling round. 

I have so far been asked why my eyes are blue. And many Taiwanese are shocked that my curly hair is natural. They can't believe it.  Most thought I permed my hair.  Nope, just add water here.

*Not so cute story*
I was the source of potentially over 50 dares on Day 1... say hi to the foreign teacher and run away giggling with your friends, don't even wait for her to respond. The first couple were funny since I knew I was the shiny new toy so to speak, but I was losing tolerance after #25.  Luckily, they have now switched to "hello teacher" or "老師好."

Teaching so far
I haven't done much teaching so far, only a self introduction. And that went well. I had some funny pictures that the students (aka 小朋友/little friends) loved. I have played some games in certain classes, and so far so good. I'm holding my breath for when we move beyond Day 1 school which could be a whole different ballgame.  *crosses fingers*

Apartment move in!
I am now in my new apartment with my two awesome room mates (one boy and one girl). Two of us share a bathroom and the other gets their own. We live in a FANTASTIC location, and it couldn't be more convenient. So overall, I think I'm really gonna like living here.  Although I am getting eaten alive by 小黑蚊/little black mosquitoes (aka noseeums). But today my teachers shared with me their choice brand of bug spray... ideally the little mosquitoes don't stand a chance.