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Culture shock eases for Chinese teacher
(by Sue Hoffman - October 29, 2008)
Culture shock eases for Chinese teacher
By SUE HOFFMAN
Before she traveled to the United States last July, Xu Yahui had heard that American classes were small and informal and that teachers had to deal with students talking and eating during their lessons.
So she was in for some cultural surprises when she settled in for her one-year tenure at Kenston intermediate and middle schools, she said.
"In the classroom, they behave very well" and are similar to their peers in China, she said about her American students. "Outside the classroom, they are very different."
There are other contrasts, she said, such as the length of the school day. In China, the day runs from 7:20 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with a two-hour break in the middle, she said. Students in China generally live at school during the week and go home on weekends.
"I wanted to learn about American culture and bring it back to my students," said Ms. Xu, an English teacher at Song Nan Middle School, a public boarding school located in Zhuzhou City in Hunan Province. Other reasons for coming to the United States are to share the Chinese culture with her Kenston students and to improve her English, she said.
Ms. Xu, who has a bachelor of arts and is completing her master's in English education, is teaching weekly classes to all fourth-graders at the intermediate school through the school year. At the middle school, sixth-graders are studying Chinese with her every day during nine-week rotations.
Her students are learning everything from printing the Chinese characters to using chopsticks. They're counting to 10 in Chinese, learning words for foods, animals, sports and countries and gaining an understanding of the culture of China.
Ms. Xu combines lessons with games of all sorts. She distributed about a dozen small pieces of paper with Chinese numbers on them to each student. The student who picked up the most numbers with chopsticks and could translate each number into English would get a gift. In another game, students were told they could not say certain numbers, and those who forgot and mentioned them had to perform for the class.
"It's fun to do a different language," student Garrett Scocos said.
"I like learning the numbers," said Kaitlin McGrath.
"The hardest part is learning to use chopsticks," said Michelle Navid.
Others said they enjoy having their choice of names in class which mean "leopard," "dragon," "tiger lily," "chocolate" and other favorite things.
Zach Eyler said he likes the way they begin the class. "We stand and say hello in Chinese," he said.
The word for "hello" is "nihou," the class said.
"I'm proud of my students' work," Ms. Xu said, displaying the artwork her fourth-graders had just completed about their families.
Emily Kelley, whose Chinese name means "little boat," had drawn her family tree, using Chinese characters for the various members. The tree includes her father, "baba," mother, "mama," grandfather, "yeye," and grandmother, "hainai." At the bottom of the tree are "gege," her older brother, and "wo," herself. "I love my family," Emily wrote in Chinese.
Ms. Xu said her classes will celebrate Chinese holidays. She is planning a festival in January with music teacher Kathleen Bowers. Students will present a program to their parents which will include Chinese dance and songs.
Kenston school officials decided last year to incorporate Chinese into the curriculum. The district plans to add Mandarin Chinese as a course at the high school in 2009-2010.
Kenston High School Principal Nancy Santilli and middle school Principal Patricia Brockway traveled to China last summer as part of a delegation to bridge U.S. educators with teachers there.
The guest-teacher program is a partnership of the College Board and Hanban, China's Office of Chinese Language Council International. Hanban provides the teachers with monthly stipends and international transportation, while host school districts provide housing, local transportation and administrative fees.
Selection for the guest-teacher program is considered an honor, school officials said. Many guest teachers, like Ms. Xu, are married and leave their families for the yearlong commitment because of the honor involved.
Ms. Xu said she talks daily with her husband, Lu Xianglin, using a computer and video camera.
For the first half of the school year, Ms. Xu is staying close by at the home of Sue and Loren Henry, who have children at the high school and Timmons Elementary School. During the second half, she will live with Susan and Matthew Levine and their children in Bainbridge.
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