A few weeks ago I got a new student, which in itself is not that unusual as many people here like to sample each of the local English schools, but this one is a little different. There will inevitably be challenges to face teaching every student: they might be very shy, spoiled, or have a distinct proclivity towards nose picking. This particular adult student is none of that and in most ways is the ideal student except for one thing: he is a monk.
Don’t get me wrong, I have a great respect for monks and this student just wonderful, a real pleasure to teach, but his monkhood does pose some pedagogical difficulties. First of all there are certain cultural and religious protocols when dealing with monks, particularly if you are female. I can neither touch my student nor hand him anything. This doesn’t sound like it would be that difficult, but it takes constant vigilance! Everything must first be put on the table and then the other party may pick it up. This is particularly awkward when checking homework and correcting mistakes.
Another arena ripe with possibilities for embarrassment is the realm of conversation. When learning about how to express preferences and food vocabulary (What is your favorite food for breakfast?), I suddenly realized that monks don’t get to decide what to eat, they may only take what’s given on their morning alms round. (At dawn almost anywhere you can see monks with bowls that Buddhists put food into to make merit.) I nervously asked the question and discovered that he likes coffee with milk for breakfast—a double surprise since it’s quite difficult to find coffee. I then asked him what he likes for dinner, forgetting that monks don’t get to eat dinner. I now find myself anticipating these faux pas at every turn.
Tomorrow we are scheduled to talk about clothing, but monks always wear the same thing, and orange monk robe is not in our book, I already checked.
