Alumni Spotlight: Christopher Manning

Christopher Manning is from Staten Island, New York. He went to Georgia on September 15 and will be staying until June. He is a musician, avid language learner and traveler, who operates under the pseudonym Fotgjengeren ("The Pedestrian") on Facebook and Twitter.

Christopher Manning in Georgia

What inspired you to teach ESL?

Christopher: I had friends doing it in Korea and Japan, and they inspired me to try it out. I also enjoy traveling and learning languages, so I thought it'd be fun to pass my language on.

Why did you choose Reach to Teach?

Christopher: I googled "Teach English in Korea" and it was one of the results that came up. I read the website and decided to apply to Korea. Ironically, I ended up nowhere near there.

Describe your day to day activities as a teacher in Georgia.

Christopher: This varies as I don't usually have set plans most of the time. I like music a lot, so I keep up with that. I play basketball from time to time with my host brother. I speak a lot to my host in English and she teaches and speaks with me in Georgian. We have really good food, and I drink wine usually about once or twice a week. It's delicious.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Christopher: I think it's giving me momentum towards what I want to do, trying to figure out how to make all my passions work together.

What is one piece of advice you would give to others thinking about teaching abroad?

Christopher: Don't be afraid to do it. Jump head-first into the culture. Get to know people and have fun learning the language.