Yichuan Yan
“Thanks to ALLEX, I realized I could dream bigger!”
– Yichuan Yan, PhD student at Indiana University
Host University: Texas Tech University, Lubbock Texas
Program: Two-year degree-seeking Teaching Associate Program
Degree: Masters in Applied Linguistics
Language: Chinese
Before participating in ALLEX, I had never even traveled to the United States. At the time, I was working as a high school teacher in Taiwan teaching English. I actually speak four to five languages. But English is not my native language. So, it was challenging to teach it. I decided to join ALLEX because I wanted to study in an English-speaking country. The program felt like a perfect match for me because it would allow me to get my Masters, while improving my English. I was not thinking about teaching Chinese as my career. I saw ALLEX as a way to become more confident speaking English. Plus, I thought living in an English-speaking country would help me understand the culture. That way, I could teach more authentic English. At that time, I was only thinking about returning to Taiwan to continue working as an English teacher.
Summer Teacher Training
I remember when I first arrived to the United States for the 10-week teacher training program. I was a bit stressed. The program was intense. I had to take graduate-level courses. Plus, I had never been in the United States before. Other participants had been in the United States for a while and it seemed like they were already used to it. I struggled at the beginning but I got used to it. I made friends, who I am still in contact with today over a decade later. For me, the training program was helpful. I learned how to teach, especially how to teach Chinese, in the United States. I learned about the expectations that American students would have in the classroom. Of course, I still had to learn a lot through experience once I arrived at my host university. But the training program definitely helped me.
Discovering a Passion for Teaching Chinese
Like I said, when I started ALLEX, I planned to go back to Taiwan to teach English. Unexpectedly after teaching Chinese for two years, I found that I really loved teaching Chinese – even more than teaching English! At the end of the ALLEX program, I got a job teaching Chinese at Butler University. It just felt natural to keep teaching Chinese instead of going back to Taiwan. I ended up teaching Chinese for 12 years – 2 years through ALLEX, 1 year at Butler University, and 9 years in K-12 schools. When I reflect on the past 10 years of my life, I feel like ALLEX played an important role connecting my past and future. Now, I am a PhD student at Indiana University in the Department of Instructional Systems Technology, studying how to use technology in the classroom. I can say that I am glad that I met Mr. Mason back in 2006 in Taiwan. Participating in ALLEX was a life-changing experience for me.
Benefits of Teaching in ALLEX
I would definitely recommend the ALLEX program to others. Thanks to my experience, I have done many great things. After ALLEX, I participated in a teacher exchange program run by the Taiwanese Ministry of Education. I wrote a manual for Taiwanese teachers coming to the United States to teach Chinese. I wrote about living and working abroad, everything from car insurance to health insurance to banking. The manual is based on my own experiences. Now the Taiwanese Ministry of Education passes out my manual to all the exchange teachers every year. I am glad that thanks to my experience in ALLEX, I could contribute to supporting other teachers.
Back in 2006, my plan was to return to Taiwan and keep teaching English. It turned out that I did not do that. Because at the time, my dream was so small. I realized that I should – and can – dream bigger. I did not realize that I could do more with my life, until I participated in the ALLEX program. My two years in ALLEX transformed my life and totally changed my mind.