My advanced students

This semester I have 3 classes of more advanced students that I can actually have a conversation with.

In my highest level class - C10 - there is one student, Sam, who is 12 years old, a talker, and the Chinese version of Steve Urkel.  He's been wearing sweat pants pulled way up, a tight shirt tucked into the sweat pants, and bright blue rain boots.  Urkel isn't complete without his glasses - which Sam wears a bit smaller but equally as nerdy.   One day his dad stopped by after class to say hi.   He's the first parent I've had a conversation with.  He said he wants Sam to study in America so that he can learn English better.  Most parents want their male children to grow up, make money, and find a wife to have their one child with- so Sam's father wanting him to leave China is refreshing to hear.

One student - Victoria -  told me she wants to learn German because she thinks she can learn a lot from German people.  Hitler is her hero.   This same student when asked 'is there anything you wish you could do that you can't do yet' responded 'no, I can do anything I want to do.' This was a great reminder to me but also NOT at all a standard Chinese response.  I'm very interested in Victoria and where she got her free way of thinking.

My C10 is a mix of girls who want to leave Xi'an to live in another country or city, want to dye their hair a wine color, are obsessed with ships because of Pirates of the Caribbean.  And 4 boys who want to be a famous actor,  are adorable and speak with a British accent, ask tons of grammar questions that I can't answer, and the Steve Urkel who farts very loudly and often during class.  I'm not sure I could have a more diverse and interesting class if I tried to put it together myself. 

My C8 level classes are not as interesting.  They don't like talking to other students of the opposite sex, they don't like talking, they say class is boring but it's like pulling teach to get them to do things I plan that are more interesting, they say they can't read my hand writing if I don't dot my i's, and their vocabulary is horrendous for the level.  Normally this is one class I dread walking into.  Recently they started becoming a bit more interested in me for some weird reason.  We were talking about first jobs.  They are only about 13 so they haven't had a first job but there were interested in my first job and how much I made.  Then in the middle of that same class they decided to pry into my non existant love life.
'Do you have a boyfriend?'
'No'
'Why?'
'I haven't found one here.'
'You need a boyfriend.  Maybe you should go back to America to find one.'
'Maybe but I like China.'
'Maybe you should learn Chinese.' (so I can date a Chinese guy)

They make it sound so easy!  I'm not sure why they became so interested in me and my personal life but it's definitely better than the way it usually is - NOTHING mixed in with dirty looks and groans.  They decided next week we should have a Christmas party.  I think that's a great idea and hopefully this will get them opening up even more.

I'm very glad I have students this semester that can express themselves.