
English teacher at Beijing University of Technology
China

English teacher at Beijing University of Technology
China
I have spent a lot of time as a foreign English teacher in China. Perhaps too much time. I have worked at almost all levels of the Chinese education system- primary school, high school, university, and continuing education/professional training- and in several different cities- Changsha, Taiyuan, Beijing and Tianjin. Along the way I have acquired a set of skills in language and communication and a variety of experience in teaching, communication, cultural exchange (and occasionally culture clash) and I have developed a sideline in helping other foreign teachers settle in and adapt to life and teaching in China. I have done a variety of odd little bits of translation, interpreting, guiding, and....... well, helping others understand better the situation they've found themselves in. Goals? Well, I really don't want to find myself stuck as Just Another Foreign Teacher. I love education, teaching is a good job, but I'm looking for a way to turn my experience into something that offers opportunities for professional development and advancement. Educational management is one area that looks attractive to me, as are writing and editing and anything connected with language. I'm looking for a way I can put my language and communication skills to better, more effective, more useful use.
Languages: Excellent command of English, of course. Good oral Chinese, still working on my Chinese reading and writing, but I'm making good progress.
Proofreading and editing: A large part of an English teacher's job is taking rough diamonds and cutting and polishing them up into something beautiful.
Communication: Working as a foreign English teacher, teaching students entirely in their second language requires good, clear communication.
(Higher Education industry)
Currently holds this position
(Educational Institution; Professional Training & Coaching industry)
July 2006 — June 2007 (1 year)
Training oil workers in conversational English. Many of China's oil workers head overseas for further training or for work, therefore they need a good command of English. My job was to polish up their conversational and communication skills.
(Educational Institution; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
September 2005 — June 2006 (10 months)
General English teaching with an academic focus. I was a part of the FEC programme providing additional English classes for Chinese high school students. The teaching covered reading, writing, listening and speaking and was aimed at increasing the students' all-round English language abilities.
(Educational Institution; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
September 2004 — July 2005 (11 months)
General English teaching with an academic focus. I was a part of the FEC programme providing additional English classes for Chinese high school students. The classes covered Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing and were aimed at improving the students' all-round English language abilities.
(Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)
December 2003 — April 2004 (5 months)
English for Academic Purposes, preparing students for study at New Zealand's Western Institute of Technology in Taranaki.
(Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)
September 2001 — July 2002 (11 months)
General university English, mostly oral English classes, but also listening comprehension. The focus was on polishing and extending the students' ability to use English in real-life situations.
(Educational Institution; Higher Education industry)
September 2000 — July 2001 (11 months)
General university English teaching. I taught oral English to first year English majors and an introduction to the cultures of major English speaking countries and a general writing course to third year English majors and extra-curricular English classes for students of other majors who wished to extend their conversational English abilities.
(Educational Institution; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
October 1999 — July 2000 (10 months)
Teaching general English to primary school students.
Bachelor of Arts, French language and literature (major), 1995 — 1998
I majored in French, but I also studied German language, literature and film, Russian language, literature, film and history, and also took a few papers in English, biology, chemistry, and statistics.
University confirmed and increased my love for such things as language, literature and film, and in an odd way all that time spent on European languages and literature encouraged my to look towards Asia- I guess having completed my degree I was a bit tired of Europe and was ready for a new challenge.
Languages, cultures, literatures, film