I have lived and worked in China for more than 5 years. I am currently working on my master’s degree in applied linguistics and English language teaching at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo Campus, which I plan to complete this September. I am very interested in an EAP or English teaching position at a university or high school. My interest in this kind of position comes from my experiences working on papers as an undergraduate and postgraduate. I want to help young people cope with the demands of the academic experience, which can be daunting, particularly if you are working in a second language. 

After working in a private training center for several years, I realized that I wanted to continue a career in teaching. I wanted to continue working with young people, but in a situation in which I would have more individual involvement with students over time. I also wanted a greater challenge, and a position in which I could make greater use of my abilities. This had led to my pursuing a master’s degree, with the goal of teaching in a university setting. 

I enjoy making difficult or abstract concepts accessible to students. My favorite kind of class at my previous employer was a lecture-style class in which I taught classes about American society and culture, in which I tried to highlight and explain issues that were somewhat alien to the students, such as race and racism, the place of guns in American society, and social conservatism. The classes turned out to be very well-received. This experience taught me a great deal of how to present information in such a way as to make it easily understood, and how much of difference the right presentation of information can make.  

My academic experience at Nottingham has sparked an interest in genre-based language teaching. I believe grammar and other features of language should be taught as a resource, whose rules of use vary according to genre, and are dynamic and subject to change over time. Too often, grammar is still taught as a rigid system of rules, the logic or purpose of which remains obscure to students. I want to help develop ways of teaching grammar and writing skills in a way that demystifies them and empowers students to be creative students and critical thinkers. 

I believe that I would make a positive contribution to any educational institution. I am enthusiastic and patient in the classroom, and eager to help students achieve their goals. Though, as a young teacher, I still have a great deal to learn about teaching methodology, I am a diligent student and am eager to learn from my colleagues’ experience. Learning is a lifelong process, and I am passionate about accompanying students and teachers on this journey.