I heard you were teaching English over there. Tell me about it. Did you like it?
Oh, yes, it was very interesting.
What were the schools like?
Oh, I didn't actually teach in the schools. I taught after school. I taught in English institutes.
But you taught children, yes?
Yes. That's right. But children in Taiwan are very different from children in America. At least as far as studying is concerned. Many children in Taiwan go to special institutes after school.
They actually study after school?
That's right. After their school day is over, they go to a special institute to study math or English. They are very serious about learning over there.
Hmm. That sounds pretty oppressive for the kids. Don't they ever relax?
Of course they do. You know, Eliza, before I went over there I thought the same thing. I thought that maybe kids in Taiwan study too much. But now that I've worked there, and taught them, I feel it is a good thing. Their parents are very concerned about their education. More than American parents are. And that is good. American kids don't study enough.
Asian cultures value learning very much. I know that.
So it was interesting for me to see parents very concerned about education. They would come to me after the class and ask how their son or daughter was doing. I don't think that's a bad thing. I think it's a good thing. In America, too many parents don't pay attention.
But aren't the kids tired out? I mean, they go to school all day, and then they go to school in the evening too.
As an English teacher, I tried to make the lessons as fun as possible. I tried to have a good time with my classes. The students often enjoyed it. And if the students enjoyed it, they learned more. So it was a good experience.
Are the kids in Taiwan very obedient?
That's a stereotype we Americans have. We think that Asian kids are very obedient and quiet. But it's not true. There are plenty of naughty kids too.
Hmm. I know you taught in Costa Rica also. Which did you like better--Costa Rica or Taiwan?
I don't know. In Costa Rica, I taught adults. So it was a very different thing. So I really can't compare.