Since we moved to Toronto in February,  while looking (and looking, and looking) for a suitable job in management, I’ve been doing sub teaching off and on at a couple language schools here in the city. Despite the tiring nature of the job, there are endless rewards, and so many great aspects.

Language teachers who travel abroad to teach almost always work with a homogenous group of students. In Japan, for example, you teach all Japanese students. In Turkey, all Turkish.  One bonus, then, of teaching at a language school in an English-speaking country is that the students are not local – they are all international students. In Toronto, the majority of students come from Japan, Korea, Mexico, Venezuela, Spain and Saudi Arabia. But it’s not unusual to have students from many other countries too. In an evening class I teach, there are 15 students, with 12 nationalities! “We’re like the United Nations!” said a Lebanese student in delight on the first day.

This is me with one of my classes last month.  The nature of  language study means that students usually spend time with the same classmates for a month at most. Some are only in Toronto for a month, some for up to a year. But classes change – students move up to the next level, change to different classes, etc. They get quite attached to each other quickly, and on the last day of the month, there are bound to be group photos.

Three from Korea, four from Japan, two from Saudi Arabia, and one from Venezuela.

It’s heartwarming for me to see students working together and building friendships.

In an ESL classroom, the goal is usually to get the students speaking as much as possible so they get practice with new language structures and functions. This means the class is a lot more communicative than most. In a monolingual class abroad, students often slip back into their first language. But in a mixed-nationality classroom, we try to create activity partners and groups of different language groups, so they have to use English.

In fact, at this school, if any student is overheard speaking their own language in the school at any time during the day, they are sent home for the rest of the day! This includes breaks between classes, lunch time, etc. If a group of students is sitting in the lunch area at a table, and one student is overheard (by staff or a teacher) speaking their own language, the whole group is sent home! How’s that for harsh! It works – I love it! Trying to get students to stop using their first language is every ESL teacher’s nightmare.

On the last day with this group, I spent a few minutes one-on-one with each student, to see how they felt about the class, to discuss their goals, progress, etc. As I sat down with Takuro, the young Japanese guy below, he flopped his arms and head onto the table in front of him in exasperation and moaned, “Teacher, I must tell you something.”

“Oh?” I said, assuming it was an academic issue, or perhaps something cultural related to his time in Canada.

“I… I love JM.” (JM is the girl sitting next to him in the picture below). “Oh, I’m so stressssss… what I can do? Please teacher, I don’t know what to do. I don’t if I she will love me too.”

My heart melted. They are both such diligent, hard-working students, with confidence and great ability. And so our little counselling session began.

The students are almost all young adults, and for many it is their first big trip away from home and family. This means they are experiencing so many of the emotions that inevitably arise – homesickness and loneliness as well as the excitement and adventure of new independence.

On the last day of the month, it’s ‘graduation’ day. Many students are finished their time in Toronto, and are heading back to their jobs or studies in their own country. Some are moving up to the next level. Each teacher comes to the front (to cheers from their students) to say a few words to their class. An award (certificate) is given to a student in each class who has made extraordinary efforts, and helped to create a positive learning atmosphere.

After that, the students all watch a slide show with pictures of the students over the month. Every day the school has organized activities for the students. Some are free, some with ticket or transport prices. Students are led by the activities leader and are able to explore Toronto with their friends from school without worrying about the logistical details.

Activities include local festivals, museums and galleries, Toronto Island, bike trips, picnics, pub nights, ethnic restaurants, etc. Larger trips include Niagara Falls, Montreal and camping in Algonquin Park. Most students, by the time they leave Toronto, have had an unforgettable experience – improving their English, making friends from around the world, and experiencing Canadian culture.

It’s really fun to be a part of their adventure!

Sometimes I go out with the students. It was my last day with this group, and a few of them were headed to a  restaurant in Koreatown. “Teacher, you come too?” It’s hard to resist – they’re really sweet.

I don’t know, I’m thinking JM likes Takuro too!

Okay, truth be told, I can never say no to Korean food. It’s my favourite! Especially the barbecued beef! This is a dish where they put the grills right on the table and you cook the marinated meat yourself. It smells heavenly, it tastes even better, and it’s lots of fun! Check out all the free side dishes! We stuffed ourselves silly with  meat, vegetables and rice.

Mohammed is from Saudi Arabia. It was his first time to eat Korean food and he loved it like I knew he would! I really get a kick out of students getting introduced to each others’ cultures, but for some reason, watching the Arabic students make friends with the Asians is my favourite. They are so different, and yet they learn to appreciate each other in such special ways.

Since I started teaching ESL, I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of groups like this one. Each class is unique, each has its own dynamics and fun.

So even though I’m missing the regular adventures of living in an exotic country, there’s no lack of international exposure in my daily life! I really do feel blessed.