Teaching English abroad is an enjoyable, challenging, and rewarding adventure. ELT can be fulfilling and stimulating for the body and mind. Yet, at the beginning of a teaching career it also can be a quite daunting experience. Handling the stress of that first day in the classroom, dealing with the first naughty child, or the first dreaded question about grammar are not the only worries a teacher can face. Learning a new language, new culture and, of course, learning about yourself as a teacher can all add to the anxiety. But, the first thing we need to understand is, we are not alone. An English teacher's aim is to make learning accessible and promote supportive...

...learning environments in order to successfully engage learners in conversation and learning activities. We are tasked with encouraging communication where sometimes learners feel intimidated and unwilling to speak; at the same time making the students central to the lesson and activities.  A teacher will find they have responsibilities not only to the students, but to the school, the parents and the English Language Teaching community, maybe more than they originally intended. Conscientious hard work and commitment go hand-in-hand with the disappointments; always knowing that you could have done that better, or should have done this. Yet, on those rare days when the sun is shining in your classroom, and deep down you know that today you have made a difference, no matter how small, you realise, it's all been worth it.

China English will and has been developing since day one of the government’s assertion that the language is a necessary tool for the growing economic development and prosperity of the country.  English is taught to millions from primary ages, and mostly taught by native Chinese speakers.  Unfortunately, the standards of native Chinese teachers' speaking competence often falls below desired levels, therefore it is inevitable that ‘errors’ become ingrained in the L2 society.  The majority of Chinese students have similar IL patterns and the ‘fossilisation’ of English will definitely result in changes to the standard in China; a China English.  Is this a bad thing?
Where learners from Beijing hold the rights to standard Mandarin they also seem to provide the best ‘standard’ English speakers.  But, in contrast, a student from the deep south will have more problems being understood when producing English and Mandarin by other Chinese learners.  The vastness of China will have a part to play in development of China English.  Cliques form in university and schools, even in businesses, where the provincial cultural ties are strong.  These cliques speak in their own tongue when together, in Mandarin when in groups and in English when in the classroom.
It appears that the Chinese aim is to attain a level closest to native-like, but in doing so they will inevitably develop their own tongue in the language... to read more check out my portfolio