June and Anna 
Both John and June had already experienced life abroad. They had met at University while they were both studying pharmaceutical chemistry, and had traveled to Chicago together for a graduate program in the same field. Now, about 13 years later, they had decided it was time to move west for good. They were successful, and John was about to receive a transfer within his current company, so they decided it was time to make the move to Canada. Both John and June agreed that though the changes would be both great and difficult, it would be a great opportunity for Anna to grow up in Canada. They also had some friends in Ontario, and their friends had been urging them for some time to make the move.
The first few times that we met for our lessons John, June and Anna would pick me up in their family car and drive me out to their home, which was about twenty minutes outside Nanjing. Upon arriving at their home, Anna would immediately grab my hand and pull me into her bedroom, where she would show me the latest English book that she was reading, her photo album or her text books from school. June would come in a few minutes later with tea and snacks, and though I would try to persuade her to sit down and have the lesson with us, she would invariably sneak away after only a few minutes. I knew that my job was to tutor not only Anna but also her mother, but it was almost impossible to get June to sit with us, or even to answer a few questions; she was usually interrupted by her confident daughter or her confident husband.
After discussing this problem with my roommates, I suggested to Anna and June that we meet at my apartment on a school night, after Anna was finished with school. From then on Anna and June would arrive at our apartment at about 6 o’clock, after eating a very quick dinner. I would always have some tea prepared, and after a few minutes of settling in we would start our lessons.
In the beginning Anna’s confidence in English shone through and often obscured June’s more limited speaking ability. Overtime June became increasingly relaxed with me, and Anna was able to subdue her enthusiasm enough for her mother to have a chance to practice speaking. I centered most of our lessons on topics that both mother and daughter suggested. Anna was keen to talk about almost anything, as long as she got to speak rapidly in English. June, who was more anxious about their up coming move wanted to talk about daily life in North America. What was it like to go to the bank, the post office, the supermarket, the dry cleaners? How could she open a bank account, make a deposit, mail a letter, buy vegetables and jiaozi? Anna wanted to talk about school life; what sports did Canadian students like, did they play computer games, how long did they go to school, how much homework would she have? In many ways I was their tutor for English language and also for North American culture.
June was nervous because John would not be moving with them. She and Anna would move to Ontario at the end of the following spring, and John would stay in Nanjing for another year before joining them. John was more confident when it came to speaking English, and June knew that without him her daily responsibilities and tasks would be more difficult. She knew that she and Anna’s routine would be similar to the one they had in China, but many of the details would be vastly different.
Anna, on the other hand didn’t seem to share her mother’s anxiety. When we would talk about life in Canada she was excited and animated. Her small face would light up and she would fire questions both at me and her mother. She seemed confident in her ability to adjust to her new lifestyle; she was sure of making friends, liking western food and doing well in her classes. She said that she would miss her friends in China, and she would miss her father, but she could always write them emails or letters.
Perhaps their differing outlooks about their impending move were simply a matter of the generation gap between them. Often such large lifestyle changes are easier for young people to make because they are less set in their ways. However, Anna and June were not only different ages, but also had incredibly different characters. Anna’s easy confidence seemed to come from John. She was outgoing and had a naturally sociable personality. She was also a bit impatient and hasty. She wanted to learn things quickly, and often during our lessons wanted to jump ahead before I was sure she had really understood a certain grammar point or a new vocabulary word. She was amazingly curious and asked many questions about the ideas behind the articles we would read, but she rarely asked such questions about English grammar or pronunciation.
June was quiet different. She was not so much shy as she was reserved, and it took her a long time to get to know me and feel comfortable speaking with me in her slow and sometimes unsteady English. However, her English vocabulary was impressive; much larger than her daughter’s, and when we would come across a new word or a new grammar point she was always carefully to write it down in her notebook and make sure that she understood it fully. Every word was important to her. She was quiet and preferred listening to Anna and I speak, but when she disagreed or didn’t understand she would speak up with her opinion, or ask us to explain.
In some ways Anna and June were similar to many other mothers and daughters. They had a very
loving and close relationship, and ultimately I think it was precisely their different outlooks
about immigrating and their different characters that provided the balance they needed in their new
life abroad.
