LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007 Posts: 1082 Location: China
|
Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:27 am Post subject: Shane (Saxoncourt) N.Z - your experience? |
|
|
Anyone worked for this school? PM me or post a reply. I'd love to hear from you. Recenly, I posted the following comments on the Japan forum:
Quote: |
I've been at a new Shane in China for 2 months. The 15 yr old system I came from was twice as organized as Shane (at age 34).
There are too many flashcards--100s--and yet, no list available anywhere--not even from head office. For SPEC1* I'm supposed to use cards from 4 different sets and yet colour flaschcards are duplicated in at least 2 different sets as are numbers. Some of the flashcards are even ambiguous in the way they've been illustrated.
The Playtime, E-Z Colour, and FAB Red books are merely colouring books. Likewise, the SPEC books have limited classroom value. Strangely, there's not even a teacher's book for the Playtime or E-Z Colour--courses that tend to be the most lucrative for this market.
The FAB Red CD contains only '80's New Wave inspired songs--barely acceptable for classroom use, but are students expected to sing along at home? They hardly reflect the actual language taught in the class including my N.A. pronunciation.
The 'level check' test (initial placement test) and corresponding form seem a complete afterthought rather than something carefully thought out and continually revised over the past 34 yrs. There's not even any teacher/course evaluation form for adults to fill in.
As for the elitism, I've suggested we put up a Cdn and US flag next to the Union Jack at the gate of our school. There're no Brits here.
Having never been to Japan, I'm curious---is the heavily drill-oriented teaching method that Shane uses common there? During training in Shanghai, we covered well over a dozen drilling methods. I know the highly successful author of Longman Superkids series that's more popular there relies heavily on drilling.
* I assume the books are the same: Playtime, E-Z Colour, FAB, Open Door, SPEC, Take Off, etc.) |
|
|