American or Taiwanese?

I’ve never been as far from home as I am right now. However, the students at this school are shockingly similar to those in the United States. To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting to observe here; I suppose I anticipated that students would be hyper focused, or that they would be more reserved in class. Students who have been attending this school for as little as two years speak beautiful English. They use slang terms, they are sassy and sarcastic, they compare things with idioms and have wonderful senses of humor. While some students are always diligent and focused, others laze and fall asleep in class. A prominent topic of conversation always seems to be relationships. It seems as though the students here are constantly searching for love… Every day, they try to instigate flirtatious conversations with one another. It’s super awkward, and I secretly adore it.

Nevertheless, as similar as these Taiwanese students are to those in the United States, there are several differences I’ve noticed. For one, students aren’t particularly competitive. This is especially obvious at athletic events; there is a notable lack of aggression, and students rarely appear upset when they lose a race or game. Students work hard to achieve academically, but don’t seem to compare themselves directly to their peers. They are generally willing to help one another, and the classroom environment feels largely collaborative. However, it is unfair of me to make these observations without acknowledging that I cannot always comprehend what the students say. Although they are highly encouraged to speak exclusively English on campus, students often converse with one another in Chinese. This is a huge barrier to my understanding of the dynamics that occur within student body. For instance, I told Joe that I was surprised by the lack of bullies here. Everyone seems to always communicate respectfully with one another. However, Joe confessed that this school actually has a huge bullying problem. In fact, a large part of the problem stems from how the bullying occurs; the students use Chinese to hide the unkind words from their teachers.

Still, with that being said, the students here have been nothing but wonderful and sweet to me. Initially, they were quite shy, but they have recently become a little more comfortable with my presence in the classroom. Sometimes, they will come and ask me for homework help, and other times, they will instigate small talk about college life and my experiences in Taiwan. The students have yet to ask me about anything very personal. However, the students are definitely unafraid to ask their teachers personal questions. Students and teachers seem to have an incredibly close relationship, such that the students will often approach their teachers for advice. For example, a prior student of Joe’s (who is home on winter break) came in to tell Joe about drama with her college roommate. It is nice to see that the current students and recent graduates of this school use their teachers as a support network. While this kind of support is not unique to Takau English School, it is certainly not a comfort that every school has to offer. Between the hospitality of the administration and the kindness of the students, this school has been a great place to spend my Jan Plan. With another week left, I’m eager to see what more I have to learn and see in Taiwan.