Now that summer is well and truly here the pace at work has slowed thus greatly benefitting the cause of going to the beach. Teaching has been and continues to be a surprisingly rewarding experience. When I decided to give teaching English a go the plan was one of practicality, how the hell was I going to earn money in a foreign country? The thought never entered my head that I would actually enjoy the job. My first few weeks at the school were a real trial by fire. Being new to teaching I wanted time to prepare lessons and make sure that I understood the language points before being faced with a student but I was confronted with 10 hour teaching days without a break between lessons let alone for lunch. Thankfully the other teachers were amazingly supportive through my first panicked weeks. When I first started I felt like the worst teacher in the world but slowly I am getting into the pace of the work and can begin to anticipate problems students will have with the language.
The students are a mixed bunch ranging from people learning for pleasure, people sent to learn by their companies and those learning to improve study or job prospects. There have been some unexpected moments in one lesson I asked a group of students to give me a list of what is healthy first answer, “making love is healthy” - some Italians can’t help but live up to their stereotype. Being asked out on dates seems to be another hazard of the job and has recently necessitated the invention of a boyfriend. The one thing I learnt very quickly is to never let a conversation class stray into Italian politics which is too emotive a subject for a harmonious lesson.
It’s only since teaching English that I have begun to comprehend what an amazing (and infuriating) invention language is. I have always loved literature and words but now, rather distressingly, even grammar is exciting. It’s nice to find myself working with like minded people who will happily discuss the relative merits of a semi colon or the significance of the Oxford comma which, for the record, I believe has it’s uses - we’re probably not the most exciting bunch of people to hang out with. Recently I headed to Venice for a lecture by the famed Michael Swan – the author of “Practical English Usage” the ESL teachers bible. Now to most people spending three hours listening to someone talk about teaching English grammar would be slightly less preferable to having teeth extracted without an anaesthetic but I found it inspiring and left promising to become the best teacher I possibly can be. Talking to experienced teachers I begin to realise what a seductive world English language teaching is. Once qualified the world becomes you oyster, the teachers I spoke to had worked in Japan, China, Chile, Bolivia, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and the list goes on. A quick look at the daily job listings finds opportunities in such far flung places as Bhutan, Tanzania, Thailand and Kazakhstan.
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| Yes I did get my copy of "Practical English Usage" signed and yes I understand this renders me incapable of being cool - EVER. |
For now I am happy enough in this little place in northern Italy. I’m still finding my feet and feeling my way in this job. Not having ever followed one line of work long I do wonder if my present enthusiasm will continue but there is a great sense of satisfaction as I watch students learning. Last week some students asked me to explain one of the trickiest grammatical points for learners of English; when to use the past simple or the present perfect. Four months ago I would have withered into a shrivelling mess at the question but not this time. It took five minutes and two sentences before one of the students said “you've made it really clear.” I don’t think I have ever been prouder in my working life than at that moment – the students aren’t the only ones learning it seems.
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