The First Lesson

Jeremy Brown starts his new job as the teacher of English as a Foreign Language class, and meets his students for the first time. A diverse group of ten foreign adult students in London, hailing from nine different countries. The Europeans consist of two au pairs, the flirtatious and beautiful Danielle (France) and prim and proper Anna (Germany); two young single men, Giovanni (Italy) and Max (Greece); and a laid-back middle-aged bartender, Juan (Spain), who speaks no English. The Asians consist of Su-Li, a revolutionary-minded secretary from the Chinese Embassy, Taro, a Japanese businessman, as well as three students from South Asia: Ranjeet, a devout Punjabi Sikh, Ali an unemployed Pakistani, and Jamila, an Urdu-speaking housewife who can't speak a word of English. The school principal, Ms. Courtney, nearly dismisses Mr. Brown immediately as she had requested a female teacher, but he is allowed to stay on a trial basis.