Ten Things I've Learned in Ten Years of Teaching English Part 2

This month marks my career milestone of a decade teaching English to speakers of other languages. In commemoration, I am sharing ten things I’ve learned over the past ten years. Last week I shared the first five. Here are five more.

6. There is always a rule. Rules have exceptions.

It was in Italy that the idea of teaching English as a second or foreign language was first suggested to me. The idea was not at all appealing to me at the time. Although I was excited about my progress in the Italian language, I remember saying that I didn’t want to feel responsible for someone else’s language acquisition. It seemed too ambitious and far-reaching a goal. All those woulds and -tions and -oughs...how could I make enough sense of the idiosyncrasies and irregularities of a language I only know because I grew up speaking it?

Despite my initial protests, a little over a year later, I ended up going to school to become an English teacher. When I first started teaching, it was grammar that scared me the most. I knew what sounded right as a native speaker, but I didn't know how to explain all the rules right away. But I threw myself into learning, kept some good books and the Internet by my side, and now I can confidently teach grammar at any level.

Even so, I’ll still come across the occasional confusing lesson, or a student question that I’m not able to answer as well as I’d like to. I’ve learned that’s when it's OK to say I don't know--something I was terrified to admit at the beginning. It’s also an opportunity to explore and deepen my knowledge. Getting back to a student later with a more thorough explanation, rather than undermining my credibility, strengthens it.

Many years of questions and quests for deeper understanding have brought me to a greater appreciation of the wild and multifarious history of the English language.

Things for which I thought there was no reason now have answers. I used to be baffled as to why we say the United States but don’t put a the in front of Brazil or most other countries. I thought it was because Americans were arrogant (and so did a few students)!

But there are rules. In this case, the simple explanation is that countries with a plural (The Bahamas), with a compound name or political word such as kingdom or republic (The Czech Republic), or a full name that includes of (The People’s Republic of China), all use the--the definite article. And, yet, there are still exceptions (we sometimes say the Gambia, among others), and each exception leads down another rabbit trail of explanations (in this case, geographical)!

This isn’t scary to me anymore. I’ll tell my students, we say in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, but...at night. Why? Just because. There is not always a need to go into a lengthy etymological explanation. But, when necessary, it can be provided.

7. There is no such thing as a perfect class.

And that’s OK. This was one of the first things they taught us in the TEFL course. Even with an outstanding lesson plan, unexpected things happen, and things simply won’t be the golden glow of learning previously envisioned. But, just like in an improv skit, I work with what’s given to me as it arrives.

Along the same route, I’ve realized that I can never stop improving. Even if I’ve taught the same lesson over 25 times, there's always a different approach to consider, perhaps better-suited to the needs of this particular group of students.

The famous maxim “variety is the spice of life” was penned by William Cowper, an English poet who wrestled with mental illness and wrote some powerful hymns. He passed through more than his fair share of hardship and trauma, which added to the depths of flavor in his poetry. I’ve had my own ups and downs over the years, and sometimes it’s easier to just “go by the book.,” and get through the day. But the weight of melancholy and the tendency to go on autopilot and get stuck in a rut are both slow killers over time.

I don’t want my classes to be too predictable, but I also don’t want my students to feel unsafe, outside of expected norms. So, if variety is such a potent spice, then teaching is like cooking--each class needs just the right mix of challenge and accessibility, served through different activities. I work with the ingredients I have on hand, and balance various seasonings, adjusting them, as best I can, to the taste of each group. It may not be perfect, but each time it tastes better. And the scent and taste of the magical process of learning has often lifted my spirits and brought me through many dark seasons.

8. Knowing another language is a sure advantage!

Students from all over the world filled my classroom in Boston. In social settings, when people learned of my career, they would often ask how many languages I could speak. And I would smile and say, “one--English!” (Now I can say “almost two” or “two and a half.”) People were always shocked to hear that I don't speak all my students' languages. They assumed that students would need explanation of a foreign language in their native tongue. But, like all the schools I've taught at, I firmly believe in immersion, teaching only in the target language, and there are reliable methods and techniques for doing this.

While it's true that a native-speaking English teacher doesn't need to be fluent in another language to teach, it is nevertheless a priceless asset.

First, it earns students' respect. If they know I’ve taken the time and effort to learn another language (especially theirs), they'll have more confidence in my capability to put English within their grasp.

Dabbling in other languages has also resulted in a greater understanding of my native language. When I learned bits of traveler's German, delved into Italian and Portuguese, and even when I flirted with Arabic, I found many similarities with English, which has distant cousins in many surprising places. This kinship makes the world a bit smaller and a lot friendlier.

Besides learning a language, spending time with non-native speakers of English helps develop an international ear, which vastly opens up the world. I’ve known Americans who can’t manage to understand an accent, uncomfortable with anything outside of the particular dialect they grew up with. They’ll often give up in frustration, and, as a result, miss out on friendships and business opportunities. There are more non-native speakers of English in the world now than there are natives. The more time I spend with non-native speakers, the more comfortable I get with the various flavors of English. My world has expanded far beyond the East-coast accent and the “Rhode Island-ese” that I grew up with, and that has brought a wealth of advantages.

One more thing. Even if I don’t go deep into another language, when a foreigner enters my world, the least I can do is to learn their name. I’ve been guilty of avoiding saying students’ names that I was afraid to mis-pronounce. Even worse is to insist on a nickname that was not initiated by the student. Many English students, especially in Asian countries, choose their own English nickname, and that’s all fine and good, to a point. I, myself, went by Daniela in Italy and often add an extra syllable to my name here in Brazil (like “Danielly”). Even so, it’s still my name, just with a different sound.

But when a Teerapat comes into class and the teacher insists on calling him “Terry,” it becomes a demeaning gesture, even an act of violence, invalidating a huge part of his identity. It may not stem from ill will. Teachers have lots on their minds. I have to work extra hard during the first few weeks of classes to remember names, even though Brazilian names are fairly similar to other Western names. But if I expect my students to learn to form foreign words on their tongue, I can at least honor them by learning to pronounce their name. And just like tuning my ears to another essence of English in an accent, or enriching myself with another language, learning names builds indispensable bridges.

9. There is more to be learned than language skills.

Besides listening, speaking, reading, and writing, students learn collaborative skills, problem solving, and gain independence that only comes with stepping outside of one’s familiar world. When people from a wide assortment of languages, cultures, social backgrounds, political viewpoints, and religious convictions are put together in a classroom, interesting stuff happens! Sometimes the only thing everyone has in common is the mutual goal of learning English. Even now, with a group of all Brazilian teenagers, there is a vast array of personalities, motivations, mindsets.

Everyone has a story. However, not everyone recognizes what they have as such. English provides people with a new set of words which they can use to share their story as they choose. More than this, though, learning English brings a plethora of global stories to our classrooms, our touchscreens, our minds. Students (and teachers) realize that their experience isn’t the norm across the globe or even throughout the city. The story they once heard isn’t all there is to say about the other group. There is a danger in accepting a single story. Just like Chimamanda Ngozi says in her memorable TED Talk, hearing other stories enriches, empowers, restores dignity, and even helps regain a kind of paradise. It is an honor to help make this a reality in our broken world.

10. English unites the world

The diverse mix of students who have entered my classroom over the years are living proof of this. Unexpected pairings and the sharing of stories broke down stereotypes and led to unlikely, yet precious, friendships. And I know I’m not the only one who met their future life partner in the classroom!

During my first year of teaching, I had a student from São Paulo whose family was Korean. Like subsequent generations of immigrants in many families across the world, his family hadn’t preserved much of the culture of their roots. He had grown up identifying as Brazilian, which he unquestionably was, but with a sense of disconnect when it came to his family heritage.

It was in Boston, however, where newly-formed friendships with his South Korean classmates changed all this. He learned about a culture that had been lost to him, and rediscovered this part of his family history, and also his identity. He had come to learn English, but went back to São Paulo with an enriched sense of self brought by these unanticipated, but treasured, friendships.

Watching these cross-cultural friendships form is one of the things I miss most about teaching international students in Boston. São José dos Campos, though certainly a multicultural city, is not quite the melting pot that Boston is. I have to find ways to bring other cultures to my students. Of course, like that student from São Paulo, they come from a multitude of backgrounds and experiences, themselves. There are even a few students who aren’t Brazilian. But there are also many who have never traveled. Others think their trip to Disneyworld equates with knowing the United States. And still some others--a smaller number--have never met someone from another country.

One of the ways I’ve brought other cultures into the Brazilian classroom has been through video calls with international friends and former students. This typically happens in a conversation class, after students have prepared some questions. It works best when both sides have something to discuss, like a TED Talk they’ve already seen. (I have two favorites--here and here.) My Brazilian students, together with a Russian friend, have brainstormed ways to use international connections to come up with homegrown solutions to local problems. They’ve asked cultural questions about Judaism and Islam with friends from each of those religions. They’ve talked with American friends of mine who have interesting jobs and viewpoints and opinions that are vastly different from my own. They’ve even gotten advice on tornado safety (a little-discussed topic here) from my cousin in Oklahoma!

These are just some of the places that teaching English has brought me over the years. I’d love to hear some of your stories about experiences with English or any other instrument that draws people together.

I’m passionate about what I do because I know the results are far-reaching. I want to bring my best, because uniting the world one English lesson at a time can literally change the course of history!