If you are thinking about teaching English in Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan or elsewhere in Asia then you might be wondering if the students like learning English. Well, it depends on the students and it depends on you. As far as the students go it depends what age they are as students are taking classes for different reasons.
For most students it's a requirement for school. So if something is a requirement then you will find some students in there that don't want to be there. That's going to be the case for school aged children-teens.
Adults may go to class because they want to or it's required for work.
A drawing I did circa 2012.
Chances are you can make their classes better
If you do some training you can change miserable students into fun students. Hint, hint, take ESLinsider's course. Because you don't want to be the boring teacher students dislike. You can learn to make your classes more fun and educational.
In Asia kids get a lot of pressure and have a really full-time schedule. It's kinda sad. Chances are when you were a kid you went to school from about 8am to about 4pm and then you went home or maybe to soccer, or basketball practice. In East Asia a lot of kids go to another private academy after their regular school for more classes.
That's where the jobs are. Sometimes you'll teach in a private academy and others in a public school.
Sleeping kids, bored kids, noisy kids, silent kids, trouble kids, you name it...
What are the problems?
If kids don't want to be there then they might be on their phone. They might be reading another book, likely a comic. Or they might be sleeping. They might be causing problems like talking loud to their friends, ignoring you, etc.
It can be a stressful environment with noise and chaos.
But you can change that
You can become a teacher they like to go to. Start training yourself and make your classes fun. You can become the teacher they like to go to. If your students are dreading your classes then I bet you will be too. It's all connected.
- Written by: Ian Leahy