Teach English in Qingfeng Zhen - Shiyan Shi

For most people, the concept of teaching English as a second or foreign language invokes visions of elementary classrooms in China, mixed groups of hard-working adults in Chile, or a ragtag team of immigrants to an English-speaking country who meet at a local church or community center. In most of these cases, the language skill level is low intermediate at best and the topics are general. Throughout the globe, however, many educated people endeavor to further their English skills in order to advance in the job market. As a result, teaching English for Business or other specialized purposes is a small but growing field. In many countries, business people often have limited free time to dedicate to extracurricular activities, including language learning. As such, the value of Business English instruction must reach beyond teaching grammar and relevant vocabulary. Employees of global companies are no longer merely working with others from their region, they are now working on a global time scale, and as such, their available free time is significantly more limited. Learning and perfecting a new language takes a great deal of time and effort, so there must be a very clear gain for a corporate worker to commit to the process. A newer employee might need advanced English skills to work their way up the ladder while an executive might need to groom and continue relationships with more international clients. In both cases, standard teaching methods might not be enough to keep up regular attendance and study. In these cases, it is of great benefit for the English instructor to think of themselves less as a teacher and more as a coach. In this way, they can form the framework of the learning sessions around improving related skills via English. The aforementioned new employee might need assistance in overcoming stage fright in order to give more effective presentations while the executive needs to develop his or her soft skills that will translate amiably to international clients. With the scope and breadth of the internet, information and connection is more broadly available than ever before. As such, the concept of a global company has expanded, and the differences between corporations in different countries are growing thinner. As such, the core concepts of business are often similar, but the nuances of societal and company culture remain the most difficult to instruct. A truly valuable Business English teacher will understand things relevant to various regional corporate cultures like office small talk and colloquialisms alongside more complicated concepts like gender, race, and sexual identity issues and how to address complications in the workplace. While it’s most beneficial to understand these in a global sense, it’s vital to see them through the lens of the focused region. For example, if a Business English learner works for a company headquartered in New York, they will need to understand American corporate culture, while perhaps another learner typically deals with clients in London and therefore needs information more relevant there. A keen, laser-sharp grasp of English and an understanding of English learning methodologies are the key criteria necessary for any Business English teacher. However, to remain truly valuable, especially if pursuing an individual teaching career, the addition of skills such as business, leadership, or life coaching could set the teacher apart by offering the ability to enhance the careers of their clients in a well-rounded and thorough way.