Skip to content
  • Epic Quest
  • Contact Me!
  • About Me
Instagram YouTube Facebook
Menu

Writer. Traveler. Tea Drinker.

Writer. Traveler. Tea Drinker. Doing all three in China
Instagram YouTube Facebook
  • Epic Quest
  • Contact Me!
  • About Me
Hit enter to search or esc to close
Home  >  China • Teaching English  >  “English” Names
Posted inChina Teaching English

“English” Names

Posted By Becky Ances Posted on September 11, 2009
Please install Travelera Share Buttons plugin

So we have been here for a week and everything has been amazing. We are getting to know the place, the people, and even beginning to speak Chinese in everyday life. Of course the reason we are here is to do one thing: teach. I have 8 classes a week to teach that range from Oral English to Basic Writing to Newspaper Reading.

The classes are various sizes and various skill levels, but one thing is the same. In every class there are some great names. In China when a student studies English they get an English Name. Sometimes the students pick a name that sounds similar to their own name. (For instance Sun Yi might picks Sunny.) Sometimes a teacher assigns a name, and sometimes students pick their own.

Of course they don’t necessarily pick an English name. The pick an English word and use it as a name. There are plenty of regular English names (In one class I have Alice I and Alice II) but what I really like are the different ones. I have students with the names of:

  • Kaka
  • Rainy
  • Hera
  • Grape
  • Windy
  • Ice
  • Free
  • Darlin
  • Winds
  • Fairy
  • Echo
  • Prosper
  • Shun

I cannot tell you how fun it is to stand up in front of a class and ask Hera a question, or make Darlin read something out loud. It makes my name seem positively boring.

But Ryan has the real winner. He has a trio in one of his classes with the name of Walter, Bobo and Cookies. I don’t know, something about that really cracks me up.

Some teachers are upset by non-traditional names and make the students change them. But we live our lives with names that we never chose, so when it is time to chose a foreign name, I say why not choose what you want?

Tags: China Teaching English
Previous Article Teacher Day
Next Article The Case of the Missing Key

Related Posts

What School is Like in China Right Now (Fall 2020)

We are a month into the fall 2020 semester, so I thought I’d give a little update on what the teaching situation is like. Masks? Alternate day in-class attendance? Social distancing on campus and a mix of classroom and online learning? Well….no. None of that. If you were beamed to

Read More about What School is Like in China Right Now (Fall 2020)
Please install Travelera Share Buttons plugin

I Won “Favorite Teacher!”

College has started and students have come back to school after being gone for 6 months, so I wasn’t surprised when a few students contacted me to ask if I was still on campus. But I was surprised when they said they wanted to see me and give me flowers.

Read More about I Won “Favorite Teacher!”
Please install Travelera Share Buttons plugin

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • What School is Like in China Right Now (Fall 2020)
  • I Won “Favorite Teacher!”
  • I Entered a Puzzle Competition! (You can make fun of me all you want.)
  • What is the Situation in China Like Now?
  • Painting a Chinese Dragon

Archives

Categories

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Recent Posts

  • What School is Like in China Right Now (Fall 2020) Becky Ances October 9, 2020
  • I Won “Favorite Teacher!” Becky Ances September 21, 2020
  • I Entered a Puzzle Competition! (You can make fun of me all you want.) Becky Ances September 10, 2020
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • The Swiss Family Robinson are a Bunch of Jerks December 11, 2009
  • Making it Official: My Chinese Boyfriend December 7, 2012
  • Good Chinese Wife Review and a Chance to Win a Free Book!! July 27, 2014
  • 10 Signs You've Lived in China a Long Time March 29, 2014
  • What School is Like in China Right Now (Fall 2020) October 9, 2020
  • I Won “Favorite Teacher!” September 21, 2020
  • I Entered a Puzzle Competition! (You can make fun of me all you want.) September 10, 2020
  • What is the Situation in China Like Now? July 30, 2020

Subscribe Now to Our Newsletter, It’s Free!

Get the best content delivered straight into your inbox!

Facebook Twitter Google+

About

I’m an American who has been living in China for more than a decade! This is my blog where I muse about all things China. Please also check out my YouTube channel “Badminton Becky” and my other badminton blog at www.badmintonbecky.com

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • What School is Like in China Right Now (Fall 2020) October 9, 2020
  • I Won “Favorite Teacher!” September 21, 2020
  • I Entered a Puzzle Competition! (You can make fun of me all you want.) September 10, 2020
© Copyright 2017. Theme by BloomPixel.