My Journey as a Writer and Teacher
About Me
With a passion for travel, writing, and teaching, I have immersed myself in all three fields over the years. However, my experience of living in China has enriched my creative process and allowed me to share unique perspectives through my writing and teaching. As a TEFL teacher with my own bespoke brand of LEARN English, I find great reward from helping learners unlock their potential in mastering the English language.
Join Me on This Journey
Whether you're interested in creative writing, language teaching, or travel stories, I invite you to join me as we explore these fascinating subjects together.
What makes teaching English in China so good?
Having spent the whole of my life working in science and engineering in the UK, moving to China was a massive leap of faith! Especially when I speak very little mandarin and knew very few people. On first arriving in Anshan, life was a bit like living in the movie “The Matrix”. Nothing, literally nothing, about China made any sense whatsoever and my psychological compass needle, the one that usually always points true north, was spinning out of control.
It's taken time to settle in
It took almost three months before one day, as I sat in the back of a taxi on a short three-mile journey from our apartment in Tiedong District to Anshan city centre, I began to see clearly. It no longer mattered that I couldn’t understand Chinese writing. I could see and meet people and, in many cases, even speak a little English. No drama. My confidence returned as I begin to embark on journey of cultural discovery like never before.
It's clear to me that I’ve been given a unique opportunity to experience, first hand, the nation’s culture, learn a new language, and travel extensively throughout a rapidly developing country with a 5,000-year history and immense natural landscapes. What more could anyone ask for?
It's an honour and a privilege to be invited into the lives of some of the most generous, kind- hearted, honest, hard-working, life-loving people I’ve ever met. Teaching English in Anshan has been, and remains, one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Life in China is tough and no one gets an easy ride. With a population of more than a billion, employment competition in China is considerable. Ergo, competition for the education necessary to access worthwhile employment is correspondingly high.
Education is not optional
Like so many other inventions, the Chinese invented the graded school system. Formalised during the Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D.), the grading system represented a big step in the large scale structuring of education. However, education in China dates back much further. Confucius is known for starting the tradition of private education, and Wen Weng founded the first public school during the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-25 A.D.).
Today, starting at six years of age and finishing at twelve, compulsory education begins with elementary (primary) school where children are provided with fundamental reading, writing, and mathematics skills to establish a solid foundation for learning at the next level. This is followed by three years of middle school, then finally three years of senior high school before an offer of university study for those that wish to progress to higher education.
The average class size for both primary and secondary school pupils in China's inner cities is 50-60 with up to 1000 children in each grade 1-9.
In middle and high schools, each core subject involves a test at the end of every month. Test results tables are then ranked before being published.
Stepping up to the challenge
Parents recognise that the pressures of academic achievement begin to mount at the start of middle school and the perception is, that in order to gain a small advantage, or rather not lose pace in the race, parents widely invest a great deal of time and money in after-school classes.
Long days in the school classroom are followed by two or three hours of after-school studying, followed by two hours of school homework every day. Pupils start off their day usually around 7.40am (6.50am if they choose to participate in extra-curricular sports activities), and often arrive home at 9pm or later. Even weekends are spent, in part at least, taking after-school classes.
In the West, pupils would be easily forgiven if they complained about such workloads, but I’ve witnessed nothing but steely determination to taking on and overcoming these significant daily challenges because they are taught from an early age that results only come through hard work and commitment.
School test results matter a lot to both pupils and parents and much attention is given in preparation. That said, China's schools encourage excellence in all aspects of development, not just those on the academic curriculum but also the arts and sports.
Doubling down on fees
After-school classes are categorised into supplementary academic classes that focus on academic subjects, and interest-based classes that cover subjects such as art, music, and sports etc. but a recent (2021) government policy, known as the "Double Reduction" policy, has had an impact on after-school education, especially the core subjects, Chinese, Maths, and English, included.
The policy aims at reducing academic workload and financial burden on families by curtailing profit-making tutoring in core curriculum subjects for Grades 1-9. It effectively places a ban on after-school tutoring in core subjects; making it illegal for privately owned companies to offer these classes in return for a fee, although voluntary teaching is still permitted under Policy rules.
While academic tutoring has been restricted, in principle at least, interest-based extracurricular activities have generally been unaffected. Many parents however, believe that the policy has caused them to turn more to private tutoring, as they continue do all they can in seeking academic support for their children. The fact that parents push so hard, even at the pre-school (kindergarten) age, shows just how much importance is placed on spoken English in modern China.