A Young, Black, English Teacher in China
During my study abroad with IFSA in Shanghai, China, I was offered an unpaid internship opportunity to teach English to migrant children. After going through the required bureaucratic documentation, I was finally allowed to start teaching after a few weeks of living in Shanghai. This began what was honestly a life-changing experience. As a Chinese major in university, my Chinese speaking skills are proficient, good enough to get me around the office, and to prove to the rest of the supervisors at Stepping Stones (the NGO I worked for), that I was capable of teaching several classes. And as it turned out, out of the three volunteers from my program, I was responsible for teaching the most classes, at locations all over Shanghai, and not including an online class.
Standing out in a Chinese school
Each class was different: one was held in a school with 40+ students for me and my co-teacher, another was a Saturday evening English reinforcement class with middle school students, and the last an early Sunday morning class with third graders, some with learning disabilities. Not only had many of these kids never interacted with a foreigner, none had ever spoken to a Black person. Even in Shanghai, the most international city in China, the population is 99% Chinese.
I turned 20 just before flying to China. I have been a tutor, but never a real teacher in a school classroom, and thus it was bitter work. Working with children with learning disabilities, something I have experienced in the U.S., is a completely different with a language barrier. When my co-teacher was absent, managing a class of 40 kids by myself, as the last class of the day, was a struggle to say the least. And different parental norms around discipline meant that when a parent chose how to punish their children, I could only stand helplessly and watch. A better understanding of parents, children, teaching, and education will help me in the career in academia that I wish to pursue.
The rewards of connecting across cultures
Despite adjusting to cultural differences and the language barrier, not to mention the difficulties with managing a classroom of little kids, this was some of the most fun I’ve had in my life. I welcomed the challenge and loved my time with the kids more than my own school. By sharing many small tidbits, photos, and experiences about my life, I felt I was bridging the gap between cultures far removed from each other.
By sharing many small tidbits, photos, and experiences about my life, I felt I was bridging the gap between cultures far removed from each other.
I also got a lot of positive feedback in terms of the English progress that my kids were making and the building of my relationships with the kids, with some being shy at first, and eventually smiling, greeting me before classes, and even giving me snacks from their lunches. It made me sad to leave these kids, not knowing what would become of them and their lives and hoping that even due to their unequal educational opportunities as migrant children, they would succeed both in education and in life.
Benjamin Williams | Amherst College | IFSA Study in Shanghai: Social Sciences | Fall 2024