Martyn Oakland
In 2006 I was recruited by China Recruitment to teach at a school in Hebei Province. I had been working in air traffic control in Plymouth for 21 years and realized that it was time for a change. I was obviously apprehensive about leaving my life in the UK and going out to teach in China but knew that something had to be done. I met the organizers and other teachers in Beijing before taking the train south for the three hour journey to the school. The school provided accommodation in a four star hotel (the only one in the city!), which we had pretty much to ourselves and we were paid very well.

Our first day at the school was extraordinary; we were treated like celebrities. The Opening ceremony in the School's large presentation hall was filmed by the city's television station. After the ceremony we were introduced to the students. My class consisted of twenty-five fifteen year-olds. They were of different English speaking abilities, which presented a welcome challenge to me as a teacher. They were all remarkably enthusiastic, and very well behaved.

During my time as a teacher, I got to know many of the students very well; I was treated as a friend by all of them. I watched as many of them grew in confidence in their English speaking ability, and took great pride in the visible improvement experienced by the whole class.

The format of the class was semi-rigid; a text book was provided, which I made great use of, but I was also given the scope to design my own lessons. I often used entertainment and music to drive the learning process, and paid close attention to the needs of the individuals as well as the class as a whole. Without exception the class responded with great verve to all of my lessons, leaving me with a fantastic sense of pride and achievement.

I also got to know the other teachers very well. We enjoyed a diverse social life, eating lunches and dinners in the abundant public restaurants and eateries, and taking part in traditional entertainment, like the open air street shows and the early morning Tai Chi by the river.

My city was a true, authentic Chinese city, with very little contact or influence from the Western world. No matter where we traveled inside the city, we were met with friendly fascination. We responded with equal warmth, and became captivated by the genuine welcome of the Chinese people.

I would thoroughly recommend teaching in China for anyone who is looking for a career change. As a teacher, I was highly respected for my seniority, which apparently meant that I was more "wise" and my students have since become lifelong friends.