Whenever I tell people that I teach English at the Berlin Zoo, I almost always get a questioning look. Behind it, the person is trying to figure out who exactly I teach…the animals?
Since June 2017, right before the ___1___ (arrive) of the two new pandas, Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, I have been helping the panda keepers at the zoo to feel more comfortable and ___2___ (confidence) speaking English. And who do they speak English ___3___?
Not the pandas, even though ___4___ language used for the medical training instructions is actually English. They talk to the flood of international tourists and to ___5___ (visit) Chinese zookeepers who often come to check on the pandas, which are on loan from China. They also need to be ready to give ___6___ (interview) in English with international journalists. This is ___7___ they need an English trainer.
So, what are they learning? ___8___ (basic), how to describe a panda’s life. It’s been an honor to watch the panda programme develop ___9___ to see the pandas settle into their new home. As a little girl, I ___10___ (wish) to be a zookeeper when I grew up. Now, I’m living out that dream indirectly by helping the panda keepers do their job in English.