Real English

How could I possibly have forgotten all the joys of filling out job applications? The long hours of staring at a computer screen; the mind-numbing strain of carefully reading through multiple drafts of resumés and district applications to correct all the teeny mistakes; and the near-hysterical laughter caused by sarcastic jokes that Jean-Jacques and I make with one another to keep from ripping out our hair in frustration because we miss a few typos and we have to remake the entire PDF to include the corrected version. The process is often long and can be a bit painful, but we have fun and feel satisfied when we turn in a completed packet. Sure, it probably sounds like I’m complaining, but I’m really not; I’m simply being realistic. The process isn’t always fun, but it’s completely worth it in the end when work is secured. I’m crossing my fingers that we won’t continue our current trend of going through a job search every year like we have done for the past five years. (Although, I have to admit that I do get a sick pleasure out of turning in a completed application. It just feels like I’ve accomplished something orderly and I enjoy it.)


It was an entertaining Thursday. Lately, I’ve been explaining (rather passionately) in class that English is a living language and that it exists outside of books. To fully demonstrate my point, I hold up a newspaper that the students fill out for grammar practice; the assignment written on the paper is a typical fill-in-the-blank exercise. I say, “This isn’t real English. I, along with millions of other people, use real English every day. I need it to communicate with people.” The students get so fired up about my words that they usually all start clapping for me. I’m often surprised by their reaction, but it’s heartening because it helps me feel that my job here is worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like an accessory whose purpose is to improve the school’s reputation, not help students improve their English skills. However, today I realized that I am making a difference. I’m showing a few hundred Chinese students that the world goes far beyond Anqing’s doorstep and that English is more than a subject they will be tested on in a couple of years. Many of the students here don’t see how the topics they learn about in school connect to the real world, but I’ve been trying to change that these past couple of days. Judging by the students’ reactions, I think they’re grateful for my words.