Rue Moyer, a 2007 Lycoming College graduate, returned to campus Monday, Jan. 14, to give a presentation on his experiences teaching English as a Second Language to children in China. He teaches second-, fourth- and sixth-grade students in Shenzhen, China, a southern coastal city of more than 12 million people.

Moyer, who earned a degree in philosophy, was working as an ESL teacher at Lock Haven University during the summer, a job he found through the college’s Career Development Center, when the American Culture Exchange Society approached him with the offer to live and teach in China.

Moyer decided to begin his overseas teaching career in China, though he did not know how to speak Chinese when he started. However, Moyer said that his students and the community have helped him learn the standard Chinese dialect, Mandarin, in which he is now proficient.

“If you have an open mind and you want to learn, you’re fine,” Moyer said. “You learn everything along the way.” Moyer said everyone he has encountered has been very friendly, since he shows a willingness to learn and speak the language.

The past four months, Moyer has been teaching 18 different classes, totaling nearly 700 students, at a private boarding-school in Shenzhen. He sees each group of students once-a-week, to help them with pronunciation and other speaking skills.

According to Moyer, English grammar and basic vocabulary is taught to the students by other Chinese teachers, so his main job is to try to work on pronunciation. “I’m there so they can hear my voice,” Moyer said. He noted that many Chinese English-speakers are shy around native English-speakers for fear of getting pronunciation wrong.

“They don’t want to mess up,” he said. “The English they learned was from other Chinese people.”

Moyer said that his many students are very helpful, and are very similar to elementary school students in the United States. They enjoy when he treats them to candy, Dr. Pepper and episodes of “Family Guy.”

Moyer also noted that southern China is a very thrilling place to live, due to the area’s rapid economic growth and booming population. Shenzhen is only a short ferry ride away from Hong Kong, which Moyer describes as a “cultural hub.”

“It’s very, very exciting living in Shenzhen right now,” he said. “Also, people of all walks of life come together in Hong Kong. It’s very exciting to have that just a ferry ride away.”

Moyer also noted that Shenzhen is only a short distance from many other rich cultural areas in East Asia, such as Beijing, the Koreas, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Moyer encouraged anyone who is interested in travelling or working in China to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities provided by the country. He plans to continue his career in China for at least the next couple of years.

“China is the land of opportunity for westerners right now,” Moyer said. “You have the opportunity to be creative and take a chance. I love doing what I’m doing.”

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