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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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Sweetsee,
I'm glad things are working out for you. We all have our ups and downs. Teaching kids can sometimes be the best or worst job in the world and it is never boring.
I'm also sorry I was harsh on you, I really didn't know what you were driving at and now I see you've edited your post. To give you some advice about posting, be specific and give detailed information. We can't read your mind or know what you're thinking. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 1:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Perhaps, I have been wrong all along. I learned to speak French through dialog memorization and can still recall dialogs we practiced. With the level of students that I am dealing with, 5th from the bottom in Saitama, I felt accomplished if I could get them to reproduce dialogue. |
In my JHS/HS they teach JHS kids English by little more than having them memorize dialogs before getting the grammar in them explained. Ok, so JHS kids are more eager to learn because this is a first experience for them, and the technique has some positive results for a while. However, to do this for three years is a bit much. We have had visitors from other countries watch such choral repetitions, and they were shocked that such things went on for 3 years. This year, my school carried over that nonsense into the high school! What a waste. The test scores show it, and the kids have said they don't get the point.
So, you might have learned French through this method, but did you do it for 3-5 years? I hope not. Moreover, memorizing dialogs will not help students adapt to real life circumstances. Another anecdote:
An adult student of mine said she had learned English that way, but when she made her first overseas call to make a reservation for a hotel in the USA, the clerk didn't answer like the memorized dialog. Gee, no kidding! At least she was smart enough to know that she had to throw the dialog out the window and use some conversation, even if it was full of mistakes. She got her reservation and a boost of confidence mixed with humility.
So, you have low level kids. Ok, you didn't say that before. Do the dialogs if you like, but don't rely on them for teaching grammar. Give them pair work to practice the grammar. Board games. Info gaps. Surveys. Anything aside from sitting and repeating a dialog. In my experience, it works wonders. Get a copy of Talk A Lot (purple version, I think this is book 2) and Fifty-Fifty books 1 and 2. Use them in class! Just make sure the kids know what grammar point is involved, and let the pair work do its job. |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 9:47 pm Post subject: thankyou |
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Gordon: thanks a lot and thanks for that apology. I'll have to admit I was a little tweaked by your comments, well deserved as thay were.
Apology acceepted.
Glenski: thank you so much, really. I hear you and I learned something. I am by no means a beginner at this game and I learn things everyday and I am open to constructive criticism. It's really funny because I swear by the texts you mentioned, use them everyday!
Wheew, next I'll get started about the night school.
Really, you guys, thank you. You are very helpful and generous people, I am glad I found this forum. |
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