U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. The work that diplomats do has an impact on the world as they serve at one of any of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

The duties of a Consular Officer include to provide emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens and protect our borders through the proper adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens. We adjudicate immigrant and non-immigrant visas, facilitate adoptions, help evacuate Americans, combat fraud, and fight human trafficking. Consular Officers touch people’s lives in important ways, often reassuring families in crisis. They face many situations which require quick thinking under stress and develop and use a wide range of skills, from managing resources and conducting public outreach to assisting Americans in distress.

First week of class

Amazingly, we actually started teaching this week though when I showed up to work last Monday my coordinator still hadn't figured out which rooms we were going to teach in. As I have mentioned before, things start slow here and move like syrup; in my first class - Advanced English - I had only one student show up who was thrilled to have a two hour private lesson. In my intermediate class about 12 students came, in my beginning class I had 10 and in the class that Loni and I co-teach we had 6.

If you taught in SPPO at OSU, you'll recognize this "Day One" activity

The main reason for a low turnout and a lack of participation is that the Fulbright English classes are optional. Technically, the grant is only supposed to fund our 20 hours a week as we assist other professors; we are not supposed to teach our own classes. Since the university has so few actual English professors - none of whom are native speakers and who tend to struggle with the language themselves - the university decided to use the grant money to give students the choice to improve their English outside of class time.

Day 1 - Beginner class at UESC

Loni and I each have three classes that we teach on our own and one that we teach together. I don't really mind the fact that the classes are optional (so far). The students that show up are very motivated to learn English and are eager to participate. The class environment is very relaxed - we are not supposed to give homework or do any real technical grammar work; the focus is on speaking, confidence and culture. In other words, we get to do the fun stuff.

I have been warned that the already low attendance starts to drop as students get busy and the end of the semester nears. I have also been cautioned that class attendance is low in general at the university and that I will have to make my classes very entertaining or the students will get bored and just stop coming altogether. It will be interesting to see if having optional English classes is really the most effective way to practice with students while I am here or if there are some better options that we should look into.

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Wanderlust

In Mandarin: 旅遊癮 (lǚyóu yǐn)

According to my Mandarin teacher, the term 'wanderlust' can best be translated as 'a travel addiction or craving'. In the above translation, 'yǐn' has several meanings such as 'a strong impulse', 'a longing', or 'a desire'.

U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

First week of class

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