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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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 Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 8:50 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| the local approach in their classrooms |
What is the "local approach"? |
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wonderingjoesmith
Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Posts: 910
Location: Guangzhou
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| Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:46 pm Post subject: |
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The education system does not encourage students to speak at any time during their k-12 education. It's the teacher speaks, and student should listen and learn. A good student is always silent at all times regardless. It's the (Confucius) education system in the modern day.
A further influence is (Miangzi) , or "Saving/Losing Face" Chinese adherence to losing face stifles their ability to open their mouth for fear of making a mistake. It's better to remain silent and remain anonymous rather than the teacher or classmates knowing you have the wrong answer.
Related is just the whole desire to be as normal as possible in order to keep their limited social network as strong as possible (Guangxi). Students can often complete the task being asked of them but people don't want even want to be seen as being too good at something either, standing out in any way can create big trouble (social-psychological) for a student.
Confucianism, Miangzi and Guangxi are entrenched Chinese ideals etched into the very soul of the Chinese culture. It's also the conservative mechanism that makes things so hard to change. (Including at the very top of it's government) Make no mistake when you walk into a Chinese classroom for the first time and see a college class of girls and boys dressed something like their western counterparts with their makeup and iphones. They have been conditioned for their own culture and their ideas will be fundamentally different then your own (western) culture. Dealing with this will be your fundamental challenge as a teacher in China. |
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MisterButtkins
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 1221
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| Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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| chinatimes wrote: |
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| the local approach in their classrooms |
What is the "local approach"? |
Ehh honestly once a semester, when the bureaucrats come to watch my class, I use the 'local approach'. I basically lecture for 40 minutes to an hour (my class is 90 minutes long). Then I tell the kids to write something that somehow relates to the material I just talked about. None of the students speak at all.
Now, in no way do I think this is a good way to teach an 'oral English' class and I don't do it this way normally. But guess what, the bureaucrats and head teachers who watch me do this all think I'm the best teacher ever, and then my boss begs me to stay another year. |
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joey2001
Joined: 26 Oct 2006
Posts: 697
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:56 am Post subject: |
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| GeminiTiger wrote: |
| Confucianism, Miangzi and Guangxi are entrenched Chinese ideals etched into the very soul of the Chinese culture. |
You mean "MIANzi" 面子 and "GUANxi" 关系, without the gs. I actually thought you were talking about Guangxi province at first. |
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wonderingjoesmith
Joined: 19 Aug 2012
Posts: 910
Location: Guangzhou
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| Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 3:50 am Post subject: |
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At first, I thought so as well, but after reading the whole thing and after researching the words I could see what the post meant.
The topic, I believe, is really helpful for me as a new teacher to the country. I currently am preparing for my upcoming semester and I'd like to use a hand or two from the forums experienced ones.
| Quote: |
Ehh honestly once a semester, when the bureaucrats come to watch my class, I use the 'local approach'. I basically lecture for 40 minutes to an hour (my class is 90 minutes long). Then I tell the kids to write something that somehow relates to the material I just talked about. None of the students speak at all.
Now, in no way do I think this is a good way to teach an 'oral English' class and I don't do it this way normally. But guess what, the bureaucrats and head teachers who watch me do this all think I'm the best teacher ever, and then my boss begs me to stay another year. |
How long are your classes and how many times a week do you meet the same students? And, do you have any plan outlined by the school? |
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