English teacher extaordinaire

This morning, after getting up at 7am (before dawn) to help make baozi for breakfast, I wandered down to the school. Assembly was on and all the kids tittered as I walked past. The English teacher showed me some of the work they've been doing and then invited me to her home for lunch. I will be staying at her home for the next week or so I think. We had decided that I would sit in at her classes this afternoon, but as we approached the classroom she told me I could take this class and run it as a conversation class if I liked, pointed me to the doorway and walked off. I was a little nervous as I hadn't even been introduced to the students.

Anyway, I walked into the room of about forty 16year olds and they all cracked up laughing and yelled "hello". She told me she teaches the classes in Chinese, so they were a little unnerved when I spoke almost exclusively English, only switching to Chinese for a quick explanation. Right at the start students yelled out to me "What is your name?" and "Where are you from?" so I made that the format for the next part of the class, I asked them questions and got them to ask me questions. We talked about the relative sizes and populations of China and Australia. Then one student asked me to tell them about Australia.

By some inspiration I had chucked a heap of Aussie postcards into my handbag this morning, knowing I would probably be seeing the kids so I grabbed them out, taught them the words kangaroo, emu, koala, etc told them about the animals and did a demonstration of a kookaburra's laugh which completely cracked up the whole class. I passed out some flower and landscape postcards. Then I found some postcards of Aboriginal dot paintings and embarked on an explanation of Australian history, settlement, immigration and Australian Aboriginal people and their art, also mentioning that they traditionally ate all the pretty animals we'd just been looking at pictures of. At the end of the class one of the students asked me to sing an English song, but I explained that I am a particularly bad singer, but I would instead bring in some English music next time I come. Mmm, I wonder what I have that would be appropriate.

In a week or so it will be exam time anyway and then holidays, so teaching won't be taking over my schedule. I think they really enjoyed the class, though they were very shy about speaking English aloud. I don't think that happens much. Even the teacher prefers to speak to me in Chinese.

I got phone calls from my mum and Scott last night, which was lovely and had a quick chat to Jon and Zosh. It is good to hear from people back home- so bloody well email me and tell me what is going on!!!