His son is nine years old, and like all kids in the Chinese school system he is learning English. He knows some basic words and phrases, but not too much. So, Sam has started to go every Sunday to meet with him and his mother in the upstairs part of the restaurant. After their first meeting, we all went over for lunch. The mother, the Chef’s Wife, greeted us very enthusiastically and started bringing over bowls and cups, which she selected very carefully to make sure were not cracked or dirty. Then, she brought a pot of tea over to our table and started to rinse off each bowl, into another bowl, and to rinse off sets of chopsticks and teacups. She said the tea was something she had specially brought over to the restaurant. She then started bringing dishes to the table. There were far too many for us to eat, which is generally the polite thing to do to welcome or thank people or just show your appreciation and respect while creating a good reputation or image. Luckily for us, though, the restaurant probably has the best food I’ve eaten in our neighborhood.

Meanwhile, we had also been introduced to the son, who was wearing an appropriately titled “monster” sweatshirt and an apron tied around his waste (don’t worry, he was wearing pants as well). He was “helping” with certain things around the restaurant, but mostly he was basically running around in circles, causing minor destruction in his wake. I think he could be best described as an ADHD case study, although, as I will soon get to, he is not much different from many of the other small children we have encountered recently. He is very cheerful and likes to joke around, making small jokes about or for us every now and then. I’m not really sure how it works for him to sit still for an hour while Sam tutors him, though. From what I’ve been told, I don’t think it actually works like that. I have a feeling his mother, who sits with them and every once in a while decides to scold him, is going to have learned far more English than him by the time Sam leaves. And, the situation works out well for us because we get free meals every week. Hopefully the rest of us will get to help Sam out a little so it’s not entirely her burden.

I have now taught two demo classes for a private English school. They have classes in the evenings and weekends, mostly for children and students. The first class I taught was for five seven-year-olds. They spend the entire Saturday morning at this school. During most of the hour that I sat in on their class and then taught a small lesson, they passed the time by falling out of their chairs, yelling at each other, and running around the small room. Focus was not really a goal of their regular teacher, who every once in a while would lose her patience and rap one of them on the head with a white-board marker. Other than that, she just yelled over them. During their break, which they spent running around their big common room yelling at each other, the teacher told me that they were very badly behaved and she thought it was because they came from rich families and were not used to being disciplined or scolded. She seemed pretty judgmental about it, but also resigned. She wasn’t about to be the one to start taking disciplinary action.

So that has been my recent experience with children in China learning English. I have not heard back from the school I did demo classes for, and I’m not really sure I will. I haven’t been told what class, time, or anything they actually need a teacher for, and I have a feeling they just like to bring in native English speakers to talk to their students every once in a while. I’ll keep up the job search though and see if anything else comes along.

written by  agentsarainkunming on November 9, 2009 from Kunming, China
from the travel blog: CHINA
Send a Compliment

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Ah! What a rich, riotous and brilliantly related Story, Doll. You are made of your Mother's Stuff to tolerate the chaos all of a Saturday morning (or any morning!). My teeth are rattling. Khol ha-kavod! (All the honor to you!). YOU ROCK. Keep up the explorations, the courage, the savvy and pluck. Incredible. Loving you with all my heart! Aunt Soobies.

written by  Terry Lilian Segal on November 9, 2009

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Number One and Only Daughter,

You, first and favorite, are a hoot! Enjoyed your "Chef's Son" commentary immensely! I have heard tell that one and only Chinese children, as precocious and charming as they may appear to be at first glance, are terribly spoiled and badly behaved. Your Story seems to support this nasty little rumor. Luckily, my one and only daughter is not spoiled in the least, and she is utterly charming and delightful and well-behaved, from all accounts...........

By the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, most beloved and honorable First Daughter!!!!!!

XOXOXO
Yo mama

written by  Jeanne Segal on November 9, 2009

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