Teach English in Luoqiao Zhen - Yancheng Shi

Teaching English in a foreign country is a fascinating and exciting career, relatively easy to get into, but also very easy to fall out of if one does not get started properly. For instance, if a teacher in the early stages of their career fails to discern the cultural expectations of a teacher in that country, ignores proper business etiquette, or just discovers they do not enjoy their location, then any one of these elements can bring the career to a swift end. Understanding the long term effects of actions taken early in a teaching career moves one to consider researching cultural backgrounds, then making sure to use excellent business etiquette upon arriving for work in that country. These are important factors to can determine the long term success of a teaching career. Researching the culture of a country is paramount to a teachers success early in their career. The expectations of a teacher may very well be dictated by the culture of the country. For example, in South American countries the teachers may be expected to be more assertive and take on more of a Policeman role. South American countries typically allow students greater freedom of expression, thus creating a lively teaching environment where the teacher is expected to maintain proper crowd control in the classroom. In contrast to South American countries, Asian countries the teacher would perhaps be expected to act more as an instructor and mentor to the students. Asian students can be more reserved, thus the teacher would need to be familiar with their body of knowledge and simply teach without so much concern for the noise level and behavior of the students. From these two contrasting cultures, comes two different expectations for a teacher’s role. By researching the cultural background of the potential location, not only will a teacher find a better fit their teaching style, but they can also avoid causing offense by taking on a role that does not suit the cultural expectations of a teacher. Grasping the cultural expectations of a teacher’s role is key to an effective start in teaching, but upon beginning work proper business etiquette will keep the career progressing in a positive direction. Proper business etiquette helps teachers establish a solid reputation early in their teaching career. Ignoring business etiquette can give the impression that the teacher is incompetent or lacks respect for their work and others. Examples of good etiquette to consider would be using conservative speech, using formal greetings, not expressing political or social opinions, and refraining from sarcasm when communicating with students. Poor business etiquette can create a bad reputation and damage your rapport with colleagues and students. Bad reputations cannot quickly be repaired and with such perception, it will be difficult to keep employed or find other employment. So, understanding and making a conscious effort to use proper business etiquette fosters positive relationships that enables a teacher to expand their career in the future. In conclusion, teaching English as a foreign language is an exciting career, but like any other career field there are things that have to be considered early in order to be successful. Awareness of cultural expectations enables a teacher to make a good decision on whether they will be happy with the teaching role expected of a teacher in that country. Then, after beginning employment proper business etiquette is necessary in order to avoid offending others and developing a bad reputation in the career field. These are just two of many factors to give attention during the early stages of a teaching career in order to sustain and continue progressing for the remainder of the career.