Presentation on Online Language Teaching

Hello, dear People!

I think it is kind of ridiculous to write this but somehow I have to tell you this story.

I am going to write about "presentation" but in the sense of "self-presentation" or, if you prefer, personal presentation.

I wanted to have an online lesson of a certain language with a native teacher of this certain language. I have found him on a certain online language teaching platform.

Well, I won't say names here... 

I logged on Skype 5 minutes before the lesson start and I waited for the teacher. He logged on 10 minutes after the lesson start and apologized by writing on the conversation box. I said it was OK.

He suggested that we could use our webcams and I agreed on that.

When he came up on the video, he was not wearing either a T-shirt or shirt, nothing. Oh, I cannot say "nothing" because he had his bath towel on his neck, shoulders and chest.

I was astonished for a few seconds and confirmed if I was really talking to a teacher. It took me a while to realize that he had just jumped out of the shower. He was drying his hair with a towel and started the lesson so naturally as if he was drinking a cup of coffee.

I asked him:

"By the way, did you finish showering just now?" 

and he said:

"Yes! Anything wrong?"

and then I went:

"You could have postponed the lesson 30 minutes or at least suggested so. I don't need to watch you drying yourself."

and he replied: 

"Just give me a minute. I will get a T-shirt for myself!"

He went to another room to pick up a T-shirt and meanwhile I turned off the webcam and his screen. I wrote him a message that normally I don't have lessons with teachers half naked and turned off Skype too.

Big online language schools have a "dress code", much similar to any other company/corporation. You can find it here in Japan which is a country where presentation plays a very big role. In Japan online language teachers dress shirts and necktie and in the summer also a formal jacket. I don't know how things are in the US or in Europe.

What I would like to say is that you don't need a suit and necktie but half naked with a bath towel is too much.

My suggestion is to adopt a certain "dress code" for your online teaching business, something that you feel comfortable with.

At least a shirt. That sounds good. Either that or a fancy T-shirt is not bad at all, but try to keep a style, so the student will not have surprises and will concentrate in the lesson from the very start of it.  

That's all for tonight, folks!

I wish you a great start in the new week!

Alex.