English Hustle

Because of my training as an educational researcher and my previous work in China, I was curious when I discovered the hundreds of teachers online sharing content about teaching students in China online and wanting to help others navigate how to get hired. I began to watch these videos to understand the industry and to see how the teaching of English became a window to cultural learning and connection as teachers and students would meet in some cases for hundreds of classes over months or years. I concentrated on understanding the scale, scope and impact of the industry. I was puzzled as to how such a huge industry existed with almost no government regulation or oversight by Chinese authorities. The more I learned the more I realized the scope and complexity of a web of relationships and different interests at times in conflict with one another. As an educator, I wanted to create a documentary to let viewers see the work of these teachers and how it impacted them and their students toward promoting greater global understanding. With the arrival of new policies the story changes. I wanted to give attention to this historical moment where the largest part of the global Ed Tech business came to a rapid halt.

I began my research and filming work over a year before the Chinese government issued strict new policies in July 2020 regulating the industry and restricting the wide access to English instruction. I found characters who could tell the story of the industry as I researched the firms, their founders, their investors to understand what was being sold to parents. How could such a multi billion dollar industry have almost no regulations allowing millions of students direct access to their teachers? I wondered what would would happen and gained access to four subjects to follow.

I found local cinematographers in Bangkok and Davao where my subjects lived so we could learn together and share global perspectives. I relied on the talents of Ben Kolac and his team from Chicago at Truth and Documentary as partners. The four teachers we followed allowed our team to enter their homes, watch them work and allow us time with family members as they all coped with the news and fallout of a collapsing industry. I entered these homes directing the film crews and talking with our subjects all over Zoom, WeChat and Whatsapp only after having many conversations with each. I formed a relationship with the subjects using video platforms just as the subjects formed relations with their students.

With a changing story due to the dramatic shutdown, I engaged with colleagues to help frame the changing story unfolding for me and the subjects of the film. Dali Yang, a political scientist from the University of Chicago and Yong Zhou from the University of Kansas and Melboune both have deep knowledge about the historical, political and educational context. Both grew up in China in a time where they had access to English study that helped their later success. They bring a personal and academic perspective to the film. The third expert -- Ted Fishman -- featured is an economic journalist with a career interest in China and author of China Inc., How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the World. I hoped some of the Chinese founders and their funders would agree to be filmed but the sensitivity of the topic meant I rely on public record secondary interviews and news clips.