It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival here in Hong Kong. I got in contact with one of my old students whom I taught in Primary School. She’s almost graduated from secondary school. She wished me a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and discussed her studies with me. She was timid at the time, as most grade 3 students are. I encouraged her to do the annual Speech Festival, where students would recite awkward poetry from people I had never heard of. They would be judged by unknown criteria, and a winner would be awarded. She did well, not the top prize, but for me, she stood up in front of strangers to recite a poem in her second language. It was brave.
What she wrote made me feel good.
I am a Native English Teacher here. The things I teach are different from the local teachers. I don’t teach grammar, but I teach more about speaking and reading. My own personal goal is also helping with motivation. It is hard to speak a second language and the hardest part is speaking since there is an instant feeling of being judged. It is probably the biggest reason why I don’t practice my Cantonese. Most of my ‘stuff’ is not on the formal exams and assessments.
The conversation and the message above helped me remind myself that what I do matters. It feels great.