NEHS (National Experimental High School)

May-June

Taiwanese Students

The shyest and silliest group of students

When first arriving at NEHS I was so nervous to meet and talk with the students in the Taiwanese department. I was already aware that the majority of them wouldn't be fluent in English, and so I had to meet them halfway with my beginner Chinese. Even though it was scary starting out, it became a lot of fun talking and playing around with the students.

As my introduction to majority of the classes, I did a presentation on who I am and on the American School System I grew up with (click here if you want to see it :P ). Students were excited to learn how the school system they grew up in differed from other people in the world. But, it wasnt just me showing off American culture, the students also showed me theirs. Students did presentations for me on Taiwanese foods, music, games, and the on the Taiwanese language. Some classes we just played board games together while other days we had serious conversations about the Taiwanese aboriginal people.

My favorite lesson taught however were the Enlgish language classes i led where we talked about racial discrimination using the English language classic "To Kill a Mockingbird". After going over a condensed version of the story where I added context and nuances about racial issues in America at the time, I was able to sit in a circle with the students and talk about my own experiences while also answering any questions they had about racism in the Western world and how it is treated. It was a really vulnerable experience but it was the students insightful questions and commentary that made the experience worthwile.

Wether it is playing card games like Werewolf and Uno, or singing Karaoke, or even dancing to some silly songs, these students showed me the spirit of the Taiwanese youth and welcomed me as if I was one of them.

Taiwan

Seoul (Not Taiwan obviously)