I had been teaching ESL since 1982 in China. In 1998, when I decided to settle down in the US, finding a job as an ESL instructor seemed to me not only a natural, but also a less challenging option. I got into the field of adult basic education at AACA (Asian American Civic Association) right away. Since then I have been teaching for the refugee program, citizenship program, adult ESL program, and health and sanitation program. Right now I am teaching for Power One program,which is a combination of basic ESL and job skills training. My students are laid-off workers from an electronics plant.

To be honest, being a new settler myself, I needed a stable job for survival. Like a very experienced doctor, I can diagnose what my students need to learn and to improve right away. I can help them with their pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, as well as daily conversation. I have confidence in my knowledge to teach newly arrived Chinese immigrants.

On the other hand, like almost every new immigrant, I have experienced culture shock, feeling handicapped, isolated, and the loss of sense of belonging. So I can put myself into my students' shoes. I know English is not only the means for them to survive but also the key for them to gain self-confidence. My class is not just a place for the students to learn English. It's a combination of learning and a social and emotional experience for them. By helping the students to adapt to a new culture, a new society, and a new life in the US, I have found back my sense of belonging.

Shixian Sheng, formerly a professor at the English department in Qiqihar Teacher's College (now Qiqihar University), teaches at the Asian American Civic Association and can be reached at: shixians@yahoo.com