The young man from Bristol balances a two-fold passion for the English language.
“You can always judge a restaurant by its bread,” says British-born Joe Field, tearing into a fresh hot roll at local French mainstay Gorchitsa. He speaks often in this easy aphoristic style, a common side effect of someone immersed in the craft of fiction. And what more interesting topic for an aspiring writer than Kyiv itself? Currently working on a radio play about ex-pat life here, Joe first arrived in 2002 for a six-month stint teaching English. Like so many full-time residents, he admits he came here first by accident. “It was fairly random. I was at a bit of a loose end and I found a job.” But the seed was firmly planted. He returned in January of 2004 and has remained ever since. With the detailed and curious eye of a writer, he says of his work: “I try to include so much of what I’ve seen here – the couples dancing in the metro, the people who weigh themselves on those public scales, the pickle sellers on the street, Hydropark in summer – because I genuinely love Kyiv.” He dips a spoon into his hearty Provencale soup (Hr 26), and reflects on the changes the city’s undergone since his first visit. “The most superficial change has been the number of cars on the street. Four years ago it was all old Ladas and Volgas or big flashy important ones. Now there’s a real in-between.” He grins, raising his glass to add: “and thank heaven, now there’s coffee shops.”
A love of his language
But the 31-year-old knows enough about the fickle business of writing to have a steadier means of income: teaching English. And while so many college graduates from Britain, the U.S. and Canada end up teaching their language because they simply don’t know what else to do, Joe is passionate about his work. “I’m not lost or anything, not drifting through life thinking that I should really be a writer. I consider myself lucky because I truly love my job. I love the English language.” With a position at the British Council, Field makes it clear he’s not just killing time. “I love spending time in the classroom with 12 people I care about, helping them to communicate. It’s a real situation, a real communication. I’m interested in them, and, well…” he says, his eyes bright with humor, “I’m the teacher. They have to be interested in me.”
The many ways to learn
Joe speaks at length about the folly of some approaches to teaching English, how disassociated they are from actual life: “You don’t need to learn how to talk about ‘the bicycle of your aunt that is in the garden,’” he says, clearing enunciating each syllable. “I want to talk to you about your job or your favorite football team.” An avid fan of the sport, he’s excited about Ukraine’s entry into the World Cup. “When I was here in 2002, the tournament was a nonevent. It’s going to be really great this year watching the team play.”
Struck by the possibilities
In between bites of his succulent potted breast of duck (Hr 52), the young man from Bristol muses about where his love of English originated. Having always been an avid reader, he remembers an important realization as a child. “When I was about eight, I finally figured out that these stories I was reading were actually written by someone. That it was some kind of job.” With that, he knew his calling. And he’s certainly been prolific. With three novels, three screenplays and two radio plays behind him, he admits he does have a desire to see his work published for a wider audience. “Obviously I do it with the idea that it would go out. But really, it’s an achievement just in itself, a great satisfaction when you mash together 15,000 words and they seem to fit well with each other.”
Sipping an espresso (Hr 7), it’s with a heavy heart that Joe admits he’s slated to leave in the summer. Having recently completed the diploma in English language teaching to adults (or DELTA as it’s known in the field), Joe laments the lack of opportunities here for someone who wants to get more serious about English education. But he’s hoping to come back as soon as possible. “I’ve just started doing a little bit of teacher training. I’d like to build on that for a few years, I don’t know where. It’d be cool to come back here again, at some point, though,” he adds, his eyes growing misty with the sentiment. “I’d like that.”
Gorchitsa
10 Shovkovychna, 253-3008
English menu: Yes
English-speaking staff: YesAverage main price of dish: Hr 65
