Teach English in Taigemu Zhen - Huhehaote Shi — Hohhot

Parents play a fundamental role in children education, because they have the assignment of choosing the schooling for their sons. When the children are still babies, this choice is totally in parents’ hands, while over time the decisions could be made following sons’ preferences, requests, passions and main skills. Parents’ decisions concern school and collateral activities, such as sport or language courses. Some children are happy to do these activities, so they go to class willingly, they actively participate in the lesson and learn quickly what they are taught. On the contrary there are children who would like only to lie down on the sofa watching TV or playing videogames instead of doing anything else, and if they are pushed to attend a course, they will tend to participate distractedly, tending to give less importance to what they are doing. In most cases these differences mostly depend on parents’ attitude and example: if parents have an active lifestyle, if they are used to practice physical activities or sports, if they speak or study foreign languages, if they tend to prefer reading a book instead of sitting and watching TV, in that case their children will probably tend to “copy” them, they will have the same approach to life, and it is unlikely that they will struggle to study or to attend a course. Parents should continuously stimulate their sons, they should try to make them understand the importance and the consequences of the choices they take for them, even if they do not understand them yet. If we take as example the choice of attending an English course, as a parent I will attempt to make my children understand the importance of speaking English today; in our multi ethnic society, a way to tear down barriers among people is speaking the same language, and by now English is this common language that allows people to talk each other all over the world. Moreover, if parents themselves demonstrate their interest towards English language studying it, improving its use and knowledge, sharing directly this experience with their children, it will be more likely that their sons will become in turn interested in studying it. However, not all the adults know a foreign language, and working all day long it could be very difficult for them to attend a course; this does not imply that they are a “bad example” for their sons and that they cannot teach them the importance and the advantages of studying English. My parents always taught me the importance of studying, of being curious about the world around me, of doing my best, and I think that this is the most important thing that a parent can teach to his/her sons. They did not graduate, they did not have the possibility of travelling a lot, but they made me understand how it was important and that I could do it if I wanted. They never forced me to choose the schooling they preferred; they let me free to choose my education, supporting me and giving me advice. So I decided to study foreign languages, to take a degree and a PhD in environmental sciences and I had the possibility to travel, even if they never did it. I think that parents might decide the education for their sons when they are still babies, but when they grow up and become adolescent they should let them choose and follow their interests, always keeping at their side and giving advice if necessary. As concerns education, I firmly believe that collaboration between family (parents) and teachers is fundamental for a successful teaching path; children need to have fundamental points in their lives, and if both parents and teachers share the same ideas and the same objectives it will be easier for them to continue their studies, going beyond the difficulties that can arise on their way. In addition, I consider essential that children should never be put under pressure by their parents for which regards expectations or comparison with classmates; they must be praised for their personal improvement, if they brought out their best and not if they obtained higher grades than their mates. As a parent I understand the desire of giving all the possible instruments to our sons, but we never have to forget that as children they have the right to follow their dreams, to improve their main skills, to have fun learning new things, they need to have time to play and we cannot fill up their days with too many activities or courses because we would only run the risk of overburdening them. While they are growing up, it is important to involve them in taking decisions, guiding them to the right direction.