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English Teaching in East Asia: More than a job, not less than a journey

State News: May 2008

All teachers love that moment when a student’s face lights up, when concepts and information fall into place and understanding occurs.

“Teacher, when you explain it and we practise it, I can understand!”

Imagine getting that response from students who come from a rote learning (memorization) educational system, where making sense of what you learn is not assumed.

Imagine students coming to your class excited about learning, highly motivated and willing to persevere when the going gets tough.

Imagine sending those students to another teacher next term, who also makes learning English fun and challenging – students who may transfer their ‘allegiance’ to another educator, but still delight to meet you on the street and say hello.

Imagine this repeating over and over - students commenting on how they love coming to school, how much teachers care about them…Then going on to use these skills at work, gaining a reputation for having good English and urging others to learn at the same school.

And you know that this is not about the good fortune of having good staff. You know that the students, so sensitive to spirits that they will not sleep in a dark room and hate being alone, are aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit, even though they cannot identify Him.

You know that while they are getting excited about new ways of learning, they are also seeing new ways of living.

You come to trust that students will be looking beyond their esteemed teacher to the One who lives within him or her and is refl ected in their life, outside the classroom as well as in it. Your established credibility and reliability over the nitty gritty questions of grammar, sentences, pronunciation – mean that as students come to the bigger questions of life, they just may ask you, and that’s when the journey really begins.

How much will it cost?

One of our students, Pon, works as a manager selling coffee machines and supplies (an area close to the hearts - or stomachs - of many teachers!). After gaining 43% in a mid term test, I asked if she would like extra classes during the mid term break, to help her catch up. She lit up with delight – then asked almost immediately, “How much will it cost?” It is often taken for granted that any extra help or services mean extra costs – and astonishing for students when they see the differences in our approach.

How you can get involved

There are many opportunities to teach English, vocational skills, and university lecturing in Asia. Contact your local OMF Office for more details.