Five Things I’ve Learned from Teaching in China, Part 2

A courtyard in the Beijing International MBA Program

[This post is the second of a five-part series on what I have learned from teaching in China.]

I am a typical East Coaster: fast-talking  and wise-cracking. Now that I have met all 85 of my students spread across 3 classes, I have learned that humor doesn't always translate well and that I speak faster than I had thought.

I admire my students, all of whom are multilingual, some already holders of doctorates and other higher academic degrees, and most with deep international experience. Nevertheless, English is the first language of only three of them. It takes some courage to attend an MBA program in a foreign language, so the least I can do is reconsider what I find funny and slow down when speaking. I'm sure they'll appreciate these adjustments.