It has been several weeks since classes began. The students, most of whom are girls, arrive each day expecting a sort of entertainment performance. My status as a foreigner is reason enough for their daily attention, but I attempt to meet their expectations with as much enjoyment and constructive teaching as the school will allow, which is quite alot.
On a Wednesday afternoon my students are in their groups, I have divided them so as to increase their productivity. Above us the flouresent lights glare down from high ceeilings onto the 60 odd seats, nearly all filled. The walls are plastered and peeling, there is little color to the room. The surroundings feel cold and in winter will feel colder still. Outside, a mountain dwarfs our building from only a dozen feet away, it is covered with giant bamboo stalks, each growing high enough to reach out and graze our classroom windows. They sweep and sway with the wind and give a comforting sound during quiet study time. At the front of the class the floor ascends one step, allowing greater access to the blackboard and a prominent place for me to stand.
As the student groups finish their preparations I call each forward one by one. Our topic is stress, one which I am sure they are familiar with, and the group must role play separate stressful situations. The first several shuffle up, giggling, and begin acting out the scene: You have lost your passport at the airport, the airport official is not helpful, what do you?
"What do you mean you lost your passport?!"
"I'm sorry I don't know where it is"
"Well I just can't help you."
"What?!"
"It's your fault. Why should I help?"
"Oh...my....Lady Gaga."
The idea that I could hear Lady Gaga as a catch phrase in China never entered my wildest imaginations, but there it was. And it was very popular to say such things. After the students finished berating eachother in front of the class I let them sit down. They had decided to plead with the officer for several minutes until he gave them the name of someone else to talk to. I had given the same situation to at least four different groups in four different classes, none chose to get angry or retaliate at the official, which I found amusing. Instead they found a peaceful and compromising negotiation.
After I had observed several of the other situations involving stealing or a suprise test I let them sit down. They had done surprisingly well despite their normal shyness. Groups, it had appeared, were much better at making them comfortable talking in front of the class. The idea of individual speeches or role plays never even crossed my mind, as students would have jumped out the window before speaking by themselves. But students have appeared to warm up after several weeks of classes, and now at least can be called upon to read a passage or answer a small question during class.
Outside of class I have been given even more opportunities to interact with students. Both Chris and I often meet with tutors or Chinese friends and our office door is usually open to the myriad of students who want to speak to us about being foreigners (I have reduced the introduction and conversational questions to a basic formula, which has so far proved accurate for all Chinese students: Do you like China? Do you like Sichuan? Isn't the food spicy? Can you sing? Oh no? That's too bad because I have this Michael Jackson song I was going to ask you to sing.)
My own methods for interaction have been quite different than some other volunteers, and as Halloween approaches I have been given several interesting opportunities to share my interests. Halloween is my favorite holiday, I am a self-proclaimed horror and dark humor enthusiast, so when a student asks me what kind of movies/books I like I feel a compulsion to share with them R.L. Steins Goosebumps (grade 1 scary) to Steven King books (grade 5 scary) lying around the office. I don't tell them to read it but I do like to tell them a little about the plot. Don't worry, I (probably) won't keep doing this after Halloween, and both guy and girl students seem to like it anyway.
I have also taken it upon myself to spread word of the innumerable foreign bands out there besides Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson. It is a day by day process but I hope to make some serious progress on that in the near future, so wish me luck.
The classes, though, are going well. The students nice and respectful so it is difficult to complain. I have time to pursue my own studies and my Chinese friends are always willing to help.
Now I am looking forward to Halloween. To my surprise the University has found their own way to celebrate this horrific holiday by making us go to classes on the weekend (don't ask why). So kudose to them for their hard work and perhaps I can muster up some kind of Halloween activities in the classroom as well.
Take care and happy Halloween back home!
