Guangxi Normal University Yu Cai Campus

Hooray – I’ve finally finished my first week of classes at Guangxi Normal University!  Though I enjoyed teaching high school English last semester, I can already tell that I’m going to have an even better time teaching at the university level.  I only have about 100 students total, as I’m teaching four two-hour classes per week.  In exchange, I receive free apartment housing and $500 pay per month – plenty of money both for spending and saving.  This semester, I am teaching second-year Writing for English Majors; in addition, I’m allowed to take a number of Chinese language courses through the university at no cost.  While I’ll be teaching to support myself throughout the spring, I’ll also be studying to improve my Chinese.  I’m taking a near-full Chinese course load, and I’m also going to be working one-on-one with a private tutor, so I’m hoping to make some substantial progress this semester with respect to my level of Chinese proficiency.

This Semester's Teaching Materials

During this next month, I am in charge of preparing my students for an upcoming English exam called TEM-4.  TEM-4 is similar to TOEFL and, alongside CET, is one of the major universal English proficiency exams offered in China.  I can’t say that I’m a big fan of standardized tests, as I’ve always felt that they fail to adequately measure students’ capabilities.  Nevertheless, Chinese university students are required to pass TEM-4 in order to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in English; last year, almost half of GXNU’s English majors failed the exam.  On top of TEM-4 preparation, I am required to teach a general English writing textbook, though I can choose to create my own assignments and activities to supplement any book work.

All in all, I am greatly looking forward to the spending this semester working and studying at GXNU, which I expect to be rewarding and to offer a positive change from last semester’s daily grind.  With any luck, my Chinese will improve beyond a highly conversational level.  I already miss my old students, especially my youngest ones – but, I am glad to have some trace of energy left at the end of the day!