ESL Stories You NEVER knew Before

Rules are Rules Every home has its own rules that people who live there have to follow. So do companies. When I was a newbie teacher at school, I was overwhelmed with a lot of rules that they mentioned during the orientation. There were many Do's and Don'ts which I basically thought were O.A. Too much. Toxic. I even wondered if I could abide by them. "Anyway, I'm not planning to teach here for a long time, so it doesn't matter." That's what I thought.  In this blog, I will share some unforgettable experiences I had regarding ESL rules. Writer's note: All the information that you will read is just according to what I know/ remember.  Free Talking class.  If you are an ESL teacher, you definitely are familiar with it. Who wouldn't like it? But actually, in our institution, FREE-TALKING CLASS is not allowed because we had to follow the books. However, there were some students who asked questions out of the blue that would bring you both to some certai...

What is good in "Goodbye"?   Who would have thought that I would hear that question from a ten-year old korean student. It also seems to be one of the most difficult words to say.  It could be nice to hear it  if you have assurance to meet that person again anytime. However, that is not the case for ESL teachers. Tik toc tic toc. Time flies so fast. You always have to say to goodbye to someone every month.  In our institution, some students stay for 6 months or more. These are usually adult students (the old or those who study English for their future career in Western Countries. Some of them go to the U.S., Canada, Australia or New Zealand for their working holidays after their stay.) We also have University or Junior students who stay for a month or two during winter or summer vacation. This is the busiest time of the year for us,full-time teachers, and also the time where I could get higher salary for handling special classes and being a guardian to junior student...

I am writing this blog again to tell myself not to forget one special woman who influenced my thoughts and decisions. Her English name is Suzan.  Perhaps she was already in early fifty's when I met her.  Note: Age is a very sensitive topic in ESL world, so we do not normally ask students age specially when they are quite old). Suzan is a Korean but she migrated in Japan when she was a University student and stayed there for many years. She even had her own restaurant and building in Japan. However, she decided to go back home after staying there for a long time.  (As far as I remember, she also lived in other European country, though I don't remember its name). After that, she decided to go to the Philippines to learn how to play Golf. Yes. You would not believe it, right? TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY GOLF.  And since our school also offers that course where students have a 4 hour- Golf class and a 4 hour-  English class, she chose our institution.  My first impres...