Tips for Teachers of English

1. Dress right. Jeans, sneakers, and just-out-of-bed
hair may be okay for teachers in the U.S., but in many parts of the
world, a neat appearance counts far more than credentials. In Korea dark
clothes lend an air of authority. Red is to be avoided at all costs. In
Morocco female teachers don’t wear pants, sleeveless blouses, or short
skirts.

2. Behave appropriately. When it asked 250 students
at the Sichuan Institute of Foreign Languages in China what they liked
and disliked about native speaker English teachers, the students’ main
gripe was the informality of foreign teachers, who often seem to
undermine their own authority by acting in undignified ways. In the U.S.
teachers go on a first-name basis with students, sit on their desks,
sip coffee, and even bounce off the walls without causing student
discomfort or losing prestige. But these behaviors don’t export well.

3. Don’t worry if students seem unresponsive at first.
Americans are used to participatory classrooms with plenty of
teacher-student dialogue. Elsewhere, students are often trained to be
silent, good listeners, and memorizers. It’s disconcerting to stand in
front of a sea of blank faces, but expecting it reduces the shock.
Introduce new concepts, such as discussion and role-play gradually.
You’ll be surprised at how students will come to embrace the change.

4. Choose topics carefully. There are still many
countries in the world where people are hesitant to voice opinions
because of a fear of reprisal. If you’re conducting a classroom debate,
remember that there’s a distaste for Western-style argumentation in
Middle-Eastern societies, and in Japan it’s offensive for an individual
to urge others to accept his opinion.

Certain topics may be taboo for cultural reasons: Most Americans don’t
want to discuss their salaries or religious beliefs; Japanese may be
disinclined to talk about their inner feelings; the French think
questions about their family life are rude.

5. Don’t ask, “Do you understand?” In China and
Japan, students will nod yes, even if they’re totally lost, in an
attempt to save face for the teacher. Even in a country as far west as
Turkey, yes often means no.

6. Avoid singling students out. Our society fosters a
competitive individualism which is clearly manifested in our
classrooms. American students are not shy about displaying their
knowledge. In classrooms outside the U.S., however, showing solidarity
with classmates and conforming to the status quo is often more important
than looking good for the teacher. In Turkey and Montenegro students
told me they disliked volunteering answers too often because it made
them look like show-offs and attracted the evil eye of envy.

If you want to play a game, make the competition among groups rather
than among individuals. If you need to discipline a student, do so in
private.

7. Be aware of cross-cultural communication styles.
French students appreciate wit. Venezuelan students like boisterous
rapid-fire exchanges. In Japan, where debate is not as valued as in the
U.S., students appreciate long pauses in discussions and silent “think
time” after you ask a question. “Hollow drums make the most noise” goes a
Japanese proverb, and Japanese students are uncomfortable blurting out
the first thing that comes to mind. American teachers, who are
uncomfortable with silence, tend to anticipate the student’s words or
repeat their original question—both irritating interruptions for the
Japanese student.

8. Present a rationale for what you do in class.
Your pedagogy is going to be very different from what students are used
to. They’ll conform much more eagerly to new classroom content and
procedures if they understand the benefits.

9. Expect the best of your students. They’ll be serious about learning English because their economic advancement often depends upon mastering it.

10. Relax and enjoy yourself. Happiness in the classroom is contagious.