Our first semester is wrapping up and it is such a relief! I finally have gotten the hang of teaching in Macao and I sure know how to navigate the streets. Carl and I have just finished tabulating our first semester grades and are ready to set off on vacation for Chinese New Year. This semester has definitely been a learning experience. In this report, I intend to include information about classes and life in Macao that will be helpful for future fellows. I have breathed a sigh of relief and, through this report, I hope to make the splash into teaching at MUST easier for future fellows. I am ready for a break and looking forward to next semester!
Teaching at MUST
One of the most difficult aspects of teaching at MUST is simply that classes are very large. Our conversation classes usually number nearly forty students. Many of the students only see value in practicing English with native speakers, which can be quite a roadblock in such a large class. For starters, it is impossible to have a conversation with forty people at a time! I have found that it is a definite must to emphasize and reemphasize to students that they must practice with other non-native speakers in order to improve their English. In reality, our students will probably have as many interactions with non-native English speakers as with native English speakers. For instance, many of our students who study business may work with Chinese companies that do business with Indian or Indonesian companies, in which case they will need to conduct negotiations in English.
Another difficult aspect of teaching at MUST is that it is hard to get to know our students. Each class meets only once per week for just over an hour and a half. In my first semester of teaching I had eight classes, which made for a total of about 280 students. I am quite embarrassed to admit that in the fifteen weeks of the semester I had a very difficult time remembering my students' names, which led to quite a few problems. Furthermore, with so many students and so little class time, it is impossible to give extra help to students who need it during class. These students are often too shy to come to office hours or to English corner. Large classes and little class time makes for quite a different atmosphere of study than at Grinnell, and it was more difficult to adjust to than I had anticipated.
While teaching at MUST is challenging, it is also fun and rewarding. Many of our students are genuinely interested in learning English and will ask questions about American slang and pop culture. English corner is fun and we have a chance to learn about out students ambitions and daily lives in a relaxed atmosphere. Every semester English corner holds a drama contest, a movie night, and a barbecue at Hac Sa beach on Coloane Island. These events are especially fun and give us a chance to learn more about our students cultures and give them a chance to learn about ours! This is especially true of the barbecue, where the Western teachers and volunteers have a chance to swap barbecue techniques with the students. It is definitely rewarding to see our students practice and improve their English outside the classroom, and we have a great time seeing our hard work pay off!
Life in Macao
The pace of life in Macao is very v-e-r-y s-l-o-w. While I welcomed a chance to relax after the chaos of Grinnell, it has been a little bit more either Carl and I bargained for. During college, I always had more studying to do, a part time job or two or three, and friends constantly knocking on the door. After I had explored much of tiny Macao and gotten the hang of teaching at MUST, I started to have a lot of time on my hands. In Macao, I have had to be more self-motivated than at any other time in my life. There are no parents, MAP advisors, professors, or teammates that help me keep on track with my goals. If I do not motivate myself, I end up with a lot of time on my hands and have caught myself wandering aimlessly quite a few times.
That said, I have found many ways to enjoy my free time in Macao. On Thursday nights, a running group called the Hash House Harriers runs on Taipa island, and they are great fun. The Hash has members from all over the world, and it is a great way to meet people. I have friends from Mainland China and Macao that I enjoy spending time with. I have begun reading more Chinese literature, history, and philosophy, which is very interesting and lends a lot to my understanding of Macao and Mainland China. I have had time to read more for pleasure and not just for study, which is wonderful! It is impossible to tire of exploring the countless delicious restaurants in Macao as all future fellows will find out. Finally, I am going to begin Cantonese classes soon and I anticipate having a lot of fun practicing on the street!
