Editor’s Note:
It is the gathering of students and teachers from different countries that makes SEU an inclusive and diverse university. After hearing the stories of many international students, this SEU Story introduces an international teacher Adra, who has been teaching at SEU for three years. Through an in-depth interview, let’s find out what it is like to be an international teacher at SEU.
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Can you give a brief introduction about yourself?
Hi, everyone. My name is Adra Anderson. In August 2018, I started my career as an International Teacher in the School of Foreign Languages at SEU. I am from a small town near Knoxville, TN (Corryton TN to be exact). I grew up on a farm that my family still owns to this day, but unfortunately it is no longer a running farm. However, we used to raise cattle and train horses. We still live a sustainable life growing our own food, having chickens, goats, rabbits and lots of other animals along the way. I avidly rode horses for 10 years across the US as my adolescent hobby.
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Why did you choose to teach at SEU and how did you get the job?
I attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (UTK) and received a B.A. in English with a focus on English as a second and foreign language studies in spring of 2018.
In my final year of undergrad, I was selected to participate in the Confucius School Exchange Program between UTK and SEU. It was a really exciting opportunity for me as it was my dream to work and live abroad teaching English since I was a young teenager.
I was the last graduate to participate in the program as it was discontinued in 2019. I think it was fate that I graduated at this time because my life has changed for the better in so many ways thanks to working at SEU, which wouldn’t have been possible without the partnership between the two universities at that time.
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Why did you choose to teach at SEU and how did you get the job?
There are so many lovely experiences I have gained during my working at SEU for the past 3.5 years. I have had funny things happen to me such as being chased by a bee while teaching a class of 40 students. In addition, I have learned a wealth of cultural information about China from open discussions with students in and out of class that benefit my understanding of Chinese culture, which improves my ability to effectively teach, in turn. For example, learning how “Chinglish” exists in public places (such as signs in subways) and having students explain how and why the translations work or don’t. Or learning the differences in how a Chinese essay is constructed vs an English essay and how these seemingly small aspects of language are actually great reflections of cultures as a whole. These experiences have really helped me become a better teacher.
I think that one of my most gratifying experiences working at SEU, but more importantly as a young and new teacher, was that for my first three semesters I taught the same class of engineering students from their (and my) first semester until their sophomore year. It was incredible to see their progress in class and to also get to know each of them more personally as time progressed. Incredibly, this class was also a group of 31 young men (only) and for me, having only sisters and growing up around females in general, was a great learning curve but such an enjoyable and fulfilling experience spent with them. Now, I know that they are in their final of undergrad at SEU and it is just amazing to know that they are on their way into master’s programs or entering the workforce in the next few months, and I wish them best of luck in their futures.
I also want to make a notable mention to all the professors in the English Department for welcoming, encouraging and helping me while on campus. I found their experience and wisdom to inform my teaching and make me feel more confident as a novice teacher. Special shout out to Prof. Liu Ping for always being such a wonderful friend and coworker to me.
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Did you experience any culture shock at SEU or in China?
Absolutely. People in America always ask me what it is like to live and work in China, and I always respond “It’s like going to Mars” because it is drastically different in terms of food, lifestyle, culture, education, language, etc. I recall finding small things, such as drinking hot (boiling hot) water or wearing winter coats inside all the time during winter months, to be different and strange (not in a negative way, just like how orange is different from blue). But now, I find myself pouring a cup of hot water in colder months and thinking about all the hot water bottles steaming in my classrooms.
（This is my winter coats）
Of course, having a language barrier as a foreigner (who had never studied Chinese before) was challenging as first. At the beginning, I took some Chinese classes and also asked my students to teach me some Chinese if appropriate in class to overcome this as I lived there. I would never say that “I know Chinese”, but I felt more confident trying to communicate in public and functioning in society in general.
I think that the food culture was my favorite shock of all because I am a lover of all foods anyways, but I have tasted so many new and excited flavors being in China. My absolute favorite food is xiao long bao (I think in English they would be “soup dumplings”). They made my mind explode the first time I ate them. They will be the first food I eat whenever I return. I dream about them sometimes.
（These are my favorite noodles:
Beef Noodles）
For me, it was also a big shock to be living in such a large city after having lived my past life in a small town. I mean, I grew up on a farm and rode horses for fun but there I was living in a city with over 8 million people and using the subway for the first time in my life to go everywhere. That was a huge adjustment, but now I really miss that atmosphere, and I look forward to returning to Nanjing in the next couple of months.
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What do you usually do after class?
After class, I enjoy writing, hiking, being outside, cooking, reading, etc. I would say I have pretty normal hobbies. I especially love visiting Purple Mountain National Park. That Park and the lake were my favorite places to spend my free time. I would walk all over the parks, and I was enamored by the trees, the ones that the previous emperor Chiang Kai-shek planted them all over Nanjing for his wife because she loved them so much.
Also, I love to go and watch the square dancing and seeing all the older people enjoying such an active lifestyle and seeing families out together. I think that is something not as prevalent in America at this time, and it was so heartwarming to see that sense of family still so strong in Nanjing (and across China of course). Oh, and watching people play mahjong while they let their birds hang in trees was always so fascinating to me. I hope to live a life like that when I get old.
On long weekends or festival times, I would try and travel to other national parks or smaller cities (because I needed respite from being in such a large city). I loved hiking Mount Huangshan and Wuyishan in Fujian, the hotsprings in Tangshan, the canals and classical gardens of Suzhou, and so many more other wonderful places. I have big hopes to climb the five great mountains of China when I get back.
What’s more, I love to write as a hobby. As an English and writing teacher, I think it is of the utmost importance that I practice what I teach, and I found a lot of inspiration living in China and travelling around to write about my travels or other short stories.
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What impressed you most when living in China?
Living in China, I think there were so many things that have impressed me, but the thing that stands out the most is that the sense of community and family seems to permeate most aspects of life in China. It really amazes me how a community or nation of people can strive toward the greater good with a common goal and stay united under that concept. Especially, when one really thinks of the magnitude because 1.4 billion people is not a small number. And to see the collective working together, especially during the past two years with the coronavirus, is amazing.
I know that China has undergone a lot of scrutiny in response to COVID-19, but I think it is awe inspiring that everyone can work together, even if it means doing something not enjoyable like quarantining for 40+ days, or when SEU had everyone do summer classes then start the fall semester early, to reach that great goal. That is something special to see.
Source of Contents: Adra Anderson
Written by Pang Xuan
Proofread by Eric Song, Melody Zhang
Edited by Sun Shukai
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