Culture Shock

 “To say I’m disoriented is an understatement. I don’t feel like I’m any part of this place – just looking in on a culture and people I don’t understand. The streets are crazy – if there are rules, no one follows them ... I haven’t seen one Caucasian female yet ... is there a reason? The pollution is worse than I expected. Imagine putting your head over a sewer on a really humid day and breathing in as deep as you can. That’s what it’s like here, everywhere, all day, all night ... Last night I met up with a giant black and orange beetle. Will I have to learn to live with all of this? I can’t even cross the street yet. How am I going to teach little kids?”


Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/Teaching+English+Culture+shock/4348511/story.html#ixzz1F14oLLIT

[I'm not really sure if I agree with the conclusion, although it is very Canadian (i.e. blame yourself).  Adapting to culture (and different systems) is just as much about reaction as it is about anticipation. You can read about my experiences here at the Lost Taiwan Blogs.]  LWB

Teaching English in Taiwan

This is a recent news video on a 'top' English teacher in Taiwan. Parents pay almost NT$2 million (US$69,000) a year for their children to study with her. Yet for all her pomp and pagentry, take a look at what she's written on the board at 0:58. I counted at least four errors.


台灣英文教學的現況
重點在要看起來很有特色吸引學生的注意力, 內容卻不重要
看看58秒的地方
白板上有四個錯誤,你找得到嗎?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpe7dRru45M

LWB

The Lost Taiwan Blogs

Just a quick note: LWB, TI's sister blog, originally was a more personal account of my arrival in Taiwan.  Since the work was never finished, I have moved it here for your viewing displeasure. At present the work is in the sixth chapter.

 Please click <<CLICK HERE>> to read the entries in order.

Enjoy!

LWB