Hello everybody! My name’s John. My hobbies include playing chess, reading, staying fit and healthy, travelling and studying Chinese. I come from a small city in England called Southampton, a rather average (English) city. It has a university, a football club (who are, rather surprisingly, doing quite well at the moment), an airport and several humongous shopping malls just like everywhere else. The city has been around for quite a while though; the fortifications the Romans built can still be seen today. One of the reasons they probably built the walls was because Southampton is a natural harbor, which, due to it’s proximity to a nearby island, gets two tides a day. The port is mainly used purely for civilian purposes today though, containers, cruise ships (the Titanic sailed from here on it’s maiden voyage) and the like. To the west of the city lies the New Forest, a national park, which is a lovely place to go walking in the summer whilst admiring the wild ponies and the striking purple Heather. It is also quite close to some other beautiful scenic spots such as the South Downs, Salisbury, the Isle of Wight, Stonehenge and Dorset.
Many students perennially seem to ask me two questions: why I came to China and why I became a teacher. The answers to both these questions however are not unrelated. The answer to the first is simply because it seemed like a good idea at the time. I studied Philosophy at Essex University, and one of my best friends there had already travelled extensively in China. After seeing the snaps he had taken I couldn’t help but feel both fascinated and jealous, so after graduating one of the first things I wanted to do was to go to China and see it for myself. At the time I had hardly traveled at all, so when I first arrived I was easily mesmerized. Perhaps it also had something to do with the importance of first impressions; the first city I went to was Suzhou, which I still think is one of the most charming cities in China. The answer to the second question is that I didn't really intend to become an English teacher, but I since becoming one I have come to realise that it's a profession that I both enjoy and am somewhat suited towards. After going on to do further training and gaining valuable experience, I feel that being an English teacher can be a very worthwhile job because I can help other people to achieve their own goals, something that I feel that can be very rewarding and constructive. I have now worked in China as an English teacher for roughly six years: one year in Beijing, three in Shanghai and nearly two in Guangzhou. I can honestly say that I love China, its culture and people, and that it has been an absolutely wonderful experience that I hope will continue well into the future!
时间:Mar 29, 2012 8:39:00 AM
录入者:陈惠斯