Maria Hurley tells of her teaching experience
in China for
a Year with AITECE

A YEAR LESS ORDINARY
by Maria Hurley

“It will not make you rich, at least not money-wise, but in every other way you will be enriched”.  Interesting idea I thought as I sat in the staff room on a January morning 2004 reading the AITECE (Association for International Teaching, Educational and Curriculum Exchange) ad in our TUI (Teachers’ Union of Ireland) magazine.  I had been looking for a conduit to work abroad and had completed a TEFL course the previous summer which I felt adequately equipped my transition from Commerce to TEFL teacher.  Soon I was in touch with the co-ordinator and other volunteers who were all willing to share their experiences and give me an idea of what life would be like in this far and exotic land.  I was assured that there were potatoes, which for some unknown reason became of utmost importance in my decision.  I like the odd Chinese meal but I wasn’t too sure about a yearlong oriental cuisine experience.  With the approval of my employer and the good wishes of my family and friends I set off last August to discover the world of teaching English in China.

I had a week’s orientation in Hong Kong during which time I met other volunteers from different places, received informative talks, some from “foreign experts” (as foreign teachers are classified as on mainland China), and became accustomed to using chopsticks!  By the end of the week I had many new friends.  We were to become each other’s support network over the following months in whatever lay ahead.  As I prepared to “go in” to Mainland China, a country, which for so long was inaccessible, to a culture so different from my own, to a city I had never heard of before, I felt I was standing on the precipice of time.  I did not know what lay ahead or beneath, just that my next stop was Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi province in southeast China and a year’s teaching contract in the Nanchang Institute of Aeronautical Technology. 

The abiding memory of my first day was that it was hot, too hot.  A thin film of red dust seemed to envelop everything in my apartment, which wasn’t very much I might add.  The floors were painted a dark shade of rust with a type of whitewash on the walls.  Insects abounded initially as the apartment had been vacant for quite some time.  My neighbours downstairs (also AITECE volunteers) gave me a quick lesson on how to cope with these unwelcome visitors and how to identify some basic foodstuffs in the local supermarket.  Gradually the exoticism of this expedition was wearing off and the reality that I was now in the developing world was beginning to dawn.

Within a week I was in the classroom, familiar territory at last!  As I stood on the podium, chalk in hand; facing what seemed like a pool of homogenous brown eyes my heart was beating almost as fast as the ceiling fans.  As they attempted to propel the air into a cool breeze I launched into my first class on oral English - an introduction to Ireland.  Westlife, Enya, Roy Keane and the partition of the North, were things that some of them already knew about our island.  They visually devoured the picture postcards and brochures I brought with me.  A few spoke and told me about their hometowns but in general the majority stayed silent.  Fear of making mistakes and “losing face” resulted in their lips bolting together almost as firmly as the benches they were sitting on were bolted to the floor.  Suddenly I realised that I was on a learning curve probably even steeper than theirs in many ways – how was I going to get these students to open up and speak?      

The Chinese education system emphasises English reading and writing almost to the exclusion of the skills of speaking and listening.  Hence many students have learnt English for eight to ten years, succeeded in passing the most difficult of exams which even a native speaker would find challenging but are not able to verbalise the simplest of questions or answers – a total anomaly!  Every class became a challenge about finding the key to open the world of oral communication.  There were discussions, debates, speeches, and role-plays on everything from smoking to speed dating.  We played games, sang songs and gradually the great wall of fear surrounding speaking began to crumble – at least for the ninety minutes we shared in class and hopefully for more thereafter.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was my main source of contact with the college.  A liaison officer, called a waiban, took care of any needs in relation to day-to-day life.  I was also assigned a co-operating teacher from the English department, Lei Min, who guided me in relation to any teaching or exam queries I might have.

Gradually living in China became easier as I got to know Nanchang and more people.  The downtown area resembled any first world city.  McDonald’s, KFC, Wal-Mart and many other international names were in evidence.  I discovered restaurants where the menu was done in picture format, realised that traffic lights and pedestrian crossings were not observed and learnt to bargain.  In a country, which is so controlled, there is a general level of chaos albeit organised chaos that permeates everyday life. 

Each day was heralded by loud brass music after six and a compulsory “sign in” for all students even in the most inclement of weather conditions.  They emerged like bees from their hives ready for a day’s work.  Their living conditions comprised of cramped four to twelve person bunk bed dormitories, with only cold running water for washing.  Their attitude to such matters was truly stoical, never a word of complaint.  With sixteen class contact hours a week I too had no room for complaints, as my days were evenly spread with plenty of time for preparation.  If there was a need to re-schedule a class one phone call to the class monitor (the equivalent of a prefect) saw a Chinese type “bush telegraph” put into action and without fail everyone was notified.  Every class began with a forty plus voice chorus of “Good morning/afternoon teacher”. There was little if no absenteeism and never any reason to reprimand an individual, very far from “first world” teaching.  Their appetite for both language and cultural knowledge was voracious, their manners impeccable and the outpouring of appreciation for a teacher’s work seemed never ending.  Christmas was magical with students concerned that I might be lonely, and bringing in cards and hand-made gifts on Christmas Eve as we all battled against the cold, which was just as extreme as the heat, which had greeted me when I first arrived.        

Spring Festival (also known as the Chinese New Year) saw most students return to their hometowns.  For many it is the only time of the year when all family members meet especially in the case of students from the country.  Many fathers and sometimes mothers are forced to migrate to the cities in search of work in order to finance their son or daughter’s education.  Hence the hand of duty lies heavily on most students’ shoulders and education is highly valued as a means of securing a “bright future” as is so often talked about.

In the second semester I taught International Business English.  Most students had never even seen a foreign stamp not to mention engage in foreign trade so again the bucket had to go deep into the well of creativity.  We had presentations on Chinese culture, debates on the merits of different types of packaging, a lesson on western eating habits (complete with plastic knives and forks!) among other topics.  The students were as ever attentive and with encouragement became more and more responsive.  Time seemed to evaporate as quickly as the torrential rain showers, which fell in April and May marking Nanchang’s rainy season.  The end of the semester was approaching and so too was my imminent departure from what to me was a most wonderful almost utopian teaching environment.

I left Nanchang at the end of June with a heavy heart.  However happy in the knowledge that I had succeeded in living and working in this vast and amazing country and hopefully making a difference to those with whom I came in contact.  I can say I have never encountered such hospitality, generosity and kindness, oftentimes from complete strangers as I did during my time there not to mention such a diligent and appreciative student audience.  I had great back up from my family (my mother is an expert on international logistics at this stage!) and friends, which made a huge difference to my time there.

In an age where so much marketing is based on false promises and perceptions I can honestly say that AITECE’s ad delivered, and that teaching in China did not disappoint on any level.  The potatoes may not be a flowery as the ones in Ireland but the smiling brown eyes of forty students singing “Molly Malone” will live with me long after the spuds are gone.  I may not have returned rich, at least money-wise, but in every other way I have been enriched and for that I thank all those who shared in my journey to China and back.