A Lesson Learned: Teaching English in Zengcheng, China

Two weeks ago, I traveled to Zengcheng, located in the countryside of Guangzhou prefecture of China to teach English at Pai Tan School for students in grades 2-4 and 7-9.

Sometimes, putting yourself in the most unfamiliar and different situations can lead to the most enriching experiences of your life. In the days leading up to my teaching trip in the countryside of China, a rush of anxiety and nervousness consumed my every thought. My perceptions of China – being uncleanly and unsanitary – got the best of me. I had the notion that the people would be aloof and unfriendly towards foreigners, and I foolishly went into the trip with a blind eye.

Yet the moment our driver picked us up from the bus station, and Seven, the English teacher from the school, jumped out of the car with a warm smile, all of my inhibitions disappeared. Seven is a sweet, middle-aged woman with a short and petite frame of 5’2”. I came to realize that her personality is bigger and bolder, sweeter and softer than anyone I’ve ever met.

Driving into Zengcheng was a true eye-opener, primarily because of its underdeveloped landscape and poor economic status of the area. I’ve lived in the heart of South Central Los Angeles and have seen my share of rural, urban living, but this was unlike anything else. Many of the roads were severely unpaved, with concrete and brick piling up on the sides as if a tornado passed by. Some of the buildings looked like they were barely standing.

We taught English at Pai Tan School, and students from grades 2-4 and 7-9 voluntarily showed up on their weekend to see the “foreigners” as they call us. Many of the students have never traveled outside of Zengcheng, not even to Beijing or Shanghai, so you could imagine they were excited. It was quite difficult trying to teach English because they knew very little of the language, but we did our best by talking about our lives, showing them photos, and playing interactive games. Each day we were there, no matter how frigid cold it was, the students had a genuine smile across their face. It was a good feeling to hear the excitement in their voices as we all played games together and talked about America.

The more I interacted with everyone, I came to realize that they were such warm-hearted people. Despite their living conditions, they were so hospitable and caring towards us. The teachers and staff of Pai Tan School treated us to many hearty meals with more than enough food to feed the entire group.

When reflecting on this experience, I gained an important life lesson. I was so foolish to go into the experience with preconceived assumptions about what was to come. I chuckle at the thought of me stocking up on snacks to put in my backpack so I wouldn’t go hungry during the trip. Yes, my idea that it would be dirty and unsanitary proved true at times, but let me tell you this: the beauty of the people in Zengcheng far surpassed anything else. Despite the language barrier, their warm and loving smiles were enough to know that they appreciated us, and we appreciated them.

Highlights from the trip:

Seven (top left), the English teacher at Pai Tan School, and her young daughter Angel.

A few snapshots of Zengcheng

The students of Pai Tan School

Classroom activities

For breakfast, we went to a small restaurant/shop that was basically tables and chairs inside a garage. It was one of those moments when you think, “wow, what an experience!” Not many people can say they ate breakfast in a garage while bundled up in sweatpants and jackets in the freezing cold, watching the rain trickle down, all while eating a hearty, hot breakfast. We ate the most delicious jook and chow fun noodles!

We ate at the most peaceful, scenic restaurant for two meals. We had our own private cabin room overlooking the beautiful forest and mountainous landscape. I was in absolute awe. Pictures do no justice.

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