Today, we continue our interview with Paul Phelan, a twenty-four year-old Canadian who’s currently an English teacher at Qiongzhou University in Wuzhishan City, Hainan, China. 

What do you think makes you a good teacher?

To be a successful ESL teacher, you must be one thing – yourself.  Don’t try to be the person who’s best suited to the job, just be honest.  Yes, I am a native speaker, but I still make mistakes in English sometimes, and on the first day of any class, I tell my students not to be afraid to make errors in my classroom because I know they are trying.   I think my sense of humor is also a good trait.  If you always present things in a dry way, it can get very boring, very quickly.

What challenges have you faced, and how have you managed setbacks in this job?

Not speaking the local language has been a real challenge.  If I can’t translate a word for my students and they don’t understand me, I have a real hard time getting my point across.  I find that English is filled with so much slang, and sometimes I don’t even realize I’m using it!  It’s also difficult being 12,000 miles away from home, and my family and friends.  Even in an emergency situation, it’s very hard for me to get back.

What's the compensation like for those who are successful in your job?

If you are looking for good money and the opportunity to travel the world while earning it, ESL teaching is for you – except in China.  Japan and Korea both offer very good compensation.  Though China does provide me with a relatively good salary by Chinese standards, it’s nothing when I convert it back in to Canadian or US dollars. However, you can expect your company to pick up your airfare and pay all your bills, including your apartment and living costs (i.e. water, electricity, garbage, etc.).

What do you like about living/working in a foreign culture?

I like the sense of adventure.  Every day I when I wake up, I don’t know what’s going to happen.  Will I be able to communicate or not today?  Will I be able to get what I need to get done today?  I’m having the time of my life, and I don’t know too many people my age who can say they have done half the things I have done in my lifetime.