What its like to teach English in China在中國教英語的感受

02-10

I think foreigners have many reasons for coming to China. Its never just one thing. Personally, I wanted to improve my Chinese in a natural setting and make some money. I had studied for several years back in the states. When I came to China, I studied for my Masters (in English), and now work as an English teacher (unrelated to my masters degree).

我覺得外國人來中國有很多的原因。對我個人而言，我想在自然的語境中提高中文並且賺一些錢。在美國的時候，我學過幾年中文。來中國後，我在拿到了碩士學位（英文授課）。現在我是一名英語老師（和我的專業無關）。

First, I know what youre dying to talk about, our salaries. Its usually the second question Im asked by 90% of taxi drivers, the first being, what do you do here? I am a white male from America, and I make bank. In an attempt to be polite, I usually say over 10,000, but even thats a little dishonest. In Western culture, its very rude to talk about salary with others. You might offend them if your salary is much higher, or be offended if its much lower. We usually just avoid the subject in conversation. Full time can easily net you over 15,000 rmb, and part time can usually get you about half of that every month. As I often tell my friends who are interested in my life abroad, its not that high, but the cost of living is so ridiculously low, that (ideally) I save almost 2/3 of that every month.

首先，我知道你們肯定特別想知道我們的薪水。薪水這個問題通常是我在坐計程車的時候百分之九十的計程車司機會問到的第二個問題。第一個問題通常是，你是做什麼工作的。作為一個來自於美國的白人男性，我的收入還算不錯。為了保持禮貌，我通常會說超過了10000元。實際上這個數字並不是特別誠實的回復。在西方文化里，問別人薪水會被認為很粗魯。結局無非兩種，一種是別人的薪水比你低，這會讓被問的人感到自己被冒犯；另外一種是別人薪水比你高，讓你自己覺得不快。所以在聊天中，我們會盡量避開薪水這個話題。如果做全職，薪水通常在15000元左右，如果是兼職，大概是這個數字的一半。我盡量會告訴那些對我在國外的生活很感興趣的美國朋友，在中國收入也許不是那麼高，但是這裡的生活成本也不是特別的高。如果懂得節約，可以存下大概三分之二的收入。

Despite this sweet gig, foreign teachers are often mocked. Who mocks us? Other foreigners. Images of 30 year olds dressed up as giraffes, dancing in front of a mob of screaming toddlers on Christmas eve serves as a constant reminder to us of what we sacrifice to be here, to earn that great salary. I teach in a high school, so its not quite like that, but the association is very strong. Teacher = dancing monkey. For many foreigners, there is this stigma of feigned success when you dont run your own business or cant speak Chinese. Truthfully, thats where the money is at, working with young children. I personally have a rule about working with kids over 12, or exceptionally gifted students under. Teaching is very difficult, and worthy of respect. When your peers dont have respect for you, it can effect your self esteem. Its important in this environment to maintain confidence and clarity of vision for your time in China, going back to your original reasons for emigrating, as mentioned before.

儘管工作還不錯，外教常常會被嘲笑。誰會嘲笑外教，其他的外國人。想一想在平安夜，三十歲的人穿著長頸鹿的服裝在一群尖叫的幼兒面前跳舞。這種場景會時刻提醒我們這些外教，留在中國所需要做出的犧牲。我在教高中學生，所以不會遇到這種場景，但是也會和這種場景有聯繫感。老師=跳舞的猴子。對於很多外國人來說，如果你不能擁有自己的失業或者不能說中文，這種虛假的成功會讓你覺得有些恥辱。事實上，教很小的孩子，會讓你有做猴子的感覺。我自己有個規矩，只教12歲以上的孩子，除非那個孩子特別的有天賦。教書是一份很難，但值得尊重的工作。作為老師，在中國的這些時間裡，必須保持自信和清晰的視野。就像之前提到的一樣，明白自己來這裡的原因。

Once youve gotten over the difficulty of teaching, the responsibilities and realities of your job and such (and everybody does), then comes the next challenge. Tolerance for bullshit. In any regard, working with people from another culture inevitably breeds conflict. How could two different people work together harmoniously all the time? Dont all couples argue with each other? Im not blaming anyone, as I recognize my resistance to change as well, but sometimes the administrations and bureaucracy in China are just too much to bear. Ive found that, when you ask two Chinese a simple question, you will get 2 very different answers. Furthermore, there are very different ideas of work ethic and job loyalty between foreign employees and Chinese bosses. For example, overtime must be paid for. In America, we are owed, by law, 1.5 times the regular pay for any irregular hours worked. Here, I always end up agreeing to abstract promises and benefits, only to find out the initial job description was inaccurate and subject to change. I find Americans are much more direct and organized (even planning semesters out the summer before), whereas in China, everything is decided the week or even day before it occurs.

當你克服了教書的困難後，責任和工作的事實（所有人的經歷）是另一個挑戰。忍受各種胡扯。不管怎樣，和來自另外一種文化的人一起工作會不可避免的產生矛盾。兩個不同的人怎麼可能一直和諧的在一起工作呢？難道夫妻情侶間不吵架嗎？我不是為了指責任何人，事實上我也發現了有些方面是我不願意改變。但是有些時候中國太多的行政機關和官僚主義讓人無法忍受。我發現，當你問兩個中國人同樣的一個簡單問題，你會得到兩種完全不同的答覆。其次，外教和中國老闆之間對職業道德和職業忠誠的理解有很大的不同。例如，加班是能拿到加班費的。在美國，法律規定如果我們在任何非工作時段工作能夠拿到1.5倍的平時正常薪水。在這裡，我經常會不得已的同意一些很模糊的承諾和福利，最後卻發現最初工作的介紹是很不準確的，後期會做出改變。我覺得美國人更加直接和有條理（甚至在夏季前就做好了新學期的安排），但是在中國，所有的決定都是在一周前甚至一天前被通知。

I like being a teacher. Its fulfilling to connect with even one student, of any age. Ultimately, teachers are students who like to share. I wish to communicate my innermost happiness and love of knowledge to my students, and help each and every person realize their dreams, either by direct advice or through instilling in them the confidence to do so. Education is probably more important that politics, military, or any other division of interest that I can think of. So, Im happy to do what I do, despite the obstacles I experience. I want to close by reiterating the salience of a dream. I suppose its true of any person doing any job, and even more so for those without, but in regard to teachers, have and hold your dream. Make it a reality and never give it up. Everyone knows in their heart, what they are capable of, but not everyone knows what they want. Most of the time, this is because no one believes. Know this, someone out there believes in you. You can have what you truly desire. You can achieve the immutable happiness, the dog, the white picket fence, the life you deserve. Education is the gate to this truth, and you are the gatekeeper. Never forget your debts of gratitude.

我喜歡教師這份工作，不論和任何一個年齡的學生產生共鳴時，我會感到十分的滿足。畢竟，老師是樂於分享的學生。我希望自己能和學生分享學習的快樂和對知識的熱愛，通過直接的建議或者是樹立他們的信心，來幫助他們每一個人認清自己的夢想。教育可能比政治，軍事和其它我任何一個可以想到的分支都要重要。因此，儘管有以上我提到的那些困難，我依然很樂於做一名教師。我想以重申夢想的重要性來結束這篇文章。對於任何一個正在工作或者沒有工作的人來說，夢想很重要。作為一名教師，牢牢地記住自己的夢想，不要放棄夢想並努力實現它。在內心深處，所有的人都知道他們能做什麼，但是卻不明白他們想要什麼。大多數時候，是因為沒有人相信他們。所以，請你相信，在某個角落，有人信任著你，你能得到自己真正想要的東西，最終得到幸福，得到你理想中的生活。教育是打開真理的大門，你是這個大門的守衛者。永遠不要忘記自己的感恩之心。

如果對我的文章感興趣，可以關注我的微信公眾號：TheDailyBread幸福麵包

http://qr.niucodata.com/q.php?c=mCXmOK (二維碼自動識別)