The visa policies were once more lax for foreign citizens working as teachers here; but the rules and regulations are now changing - it's harder to come than ever before. It can't be denied that getting ahead with these new limitations has been trying, especially when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from: there’s no telling what will become of LBH if they decide not start their own private English teaching business or go into a different line.
If we delve deeper and explore the root cause behind why english teachers are referred to as 'Losers Back Home', it gets down, even more so than before when foreign visa regulations were less prohibitive. And what is this term? The answer can be found by exploring the characteristics of teaching itself - an occupation where there may not have been much stability or continuity in its execution and that which has no clear career path.
A lot are simply searching for a chance to build their portfolio, getting some experience as they travel around; meanwhile LBH is all about being at home. But let’s look closely: this term doesn’t just cover teachers - it applies also those who have been labeled the 'losers' of life in China and having become so used by one word (expat), that their label has stuck.
Traveling across cities like Shanghai, Shenzhen or Hangzhou is a common occurrence for english language teaching enthusiasts. In fact many expats do not see themselves as being different from other foreigners who are based here - they can be found in the same haunts and areas of these Chinese towns so to have such an enormous gap between their own world at times like now.
In certain ways, when people look back over what has happened with english teachers it becomes a bit hard not to wonder if there was more than this meets. At various points along our journey through expat life - you could almost say we are in 'Losers Back Home'. But for those LBHs among us who end up teaching English, perhaps they aren’t so different after all.
Perhaps at some point it’s become accepted that being a loser is not just about the labels and tags but also what really happens when people come to China - especially english teachers. A few of them will probably find themselves lost in translation as well; unable ever fully express their thoughts or feelings because they have been labelled with all these adjectives from both Chinese locals, international colleagues plus former countrymen.
A lot may not be able to fathom such an expression for teaching English though - but this is the reality which we are forced into facing when looking at how things like 'Losers Back Home' make up a great deal of what english teachers encounter every day; especially now that foreign policy has been so drastically changed from its predecessor.
It seems clear by all accounts: ‘English teacher LBH’ might be more than just an expression or label - but rather the reality which these people have to face head-on when teaching English in China. This is a term we cannot escape, and it’s something that will likely continue for years yet as they grapple with both their own personal demons plus those of expat life.
In conclusion, english teachers are not just seen by labels or tags - but rather the experiences which occur while facing them head-on; being able to put up a brave face is certainly needed in such cases when we come across this term: 'Losers Back Home'. The world may change with new policies and teaching regulations taking hold at every turn, meanwhile expats who can still find work here will be grateful for the chance they have been given - one which allows them to continue being part of ‘LBH’ or not.
As we wrap up our journey through this article let’s think back about all those English teachers branded with 'Losers Back Home': though by now you may see that such terms aren’t just expressions but an actual reality experienced day-by-day, and their very existence is built on nothing more than a label which describes them - or at least so it appears from where we’re standing.
Categories:
Hangzhou, Shenzhen, English,
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