Listening: one aspect of teaching
When I’m asked “how do you teach in a Country where you aren’t fluent in the language?”, I reply with the statement, “I try to listen”. Although this may seem to be a vague statement, the concept I am speaking of involves so much more than our ears. So, what does it really mean to listen? Can we listen with our eyes as well as our ears? Is our attentive observation vital to truly listening? Dictionary definitions aside, I have benefited greatly by combining listening with my ears, observing with my eyes, being attentive with my mind and keeping myself quiet… this has become my version of listening. Not only has this assisted me while teaching in foreign countries, as well as teaching all ages, It has also made me a better student. “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen”, Ernest Hemingway said. The greatest lesson I have learned in all my years of teaching, is to truly listen, to the verbal and the non-verbal language.
This photo was taken at the end of a primary school’s musical presentation, when the children and teachers where all saying goodbye for the summer vacation. Photo credit: 陳宏昌 Guo Hong Chang, June 2017, Beijing Olympic Garden Primary School, Beijing, China. Blog post from January, 2018.