Job Discussion Forums

[GuestBob]

[it'snotmyfault]

[wonderingjoesmith]

[wonderingjoesmith]

[wonderingjoesmith]

[Non Sequitur]

[Sarcastro]

[DirtGuy]

OP,

I just yesterday completed a series of IELTS classes at a side job I had and then quit. These were 13 year olds whose parents wanted them to go overseas and get a real education - anywhere except China. All well and good except that they had to prepare for a test that was never designed for them and I was given teaching material that was totally inappropriate for this age level. Not going into detail but while the material might have been good for someone in college getting ready for IETLS, it was way over the heads of these kids.

So what to do? I dumbed it down to their level and pretty much adjusted the syllabus to suit what I felt they could handle. The boss was pissed but I don't care because I knew I would soon be quitting.

I think this is the reality of teaching to a particular test and having students who are simply not ready in any sense to take on the kind of academic work needed to pass either TOEFL or IELTS. You do what you can and hope for the best. Some people would call this being a babysitter and, personally, I'm OK with that. Some students are going to "get it" and other won't no matter what you do.

Here is one thing I noticed from what I was given to teach and watching my boss do his part: You can teach all the grammar and writing you want and get your students to handle this material fairly well, yet it means absolutely nothing since most Chinese loose it on the speaking portion of IELTS. I make this statement from a lot of experience in this area.

I have come to the conclusion that I have no answers at all other than going back to the really basic concepts of getting them to paraphrase vs. parrot, being able to define and support an argument, ability to answer "why" and "how" questions, and, finally, produce this verbally as well as in writing. These kids are certainly not stupid but we are asking them to think in a way that is totally foreign to them and demanding the exact opposite of what their Chinese schools want of them.

One other thought that is applicable to you: When I taught IELTS prep in the States, the school's director had a rule of thumb that stated a one band jump on the IELTS test required 1 year of intensive English study for college age or above students. I would say 6 months is more accurate but 1 year brings in more money. The point is that no matter what we do, doing what it takes to pass TOEFL of IELTS may simply be a function of time in addition to intensive study and no amount of tweaking of materials/methods can change that fact.

DG

[wonderingjoesmith]

Proficiency tests that are most certainly necessary for OP's kids and local schools are pushed more than anything, although they may not be the main scope of his curriculum.

The academic program, foreign teachers facilitate, ought to be straightforward, comprehensive and approved by authorities of countries where kids are to go to.

In a professional course, warmups that are great, should link with the following exercises.

[Non Sequitur]

[wangdaning]

I love how people neglect to take into account student's interest in what they are studying. The fact is that most people don't care about education. It is that dead horse everyone keeps whipping.

A student should care about what they are learning.
A teacher should care about what they are teaching.

A good student can learn from a bad teacher, but a good teacher cannot make a bad student learn.

You can run the mantra of warming up, getting the students motivated, etc. However, if they don't care, then they don't care. Students should be in the classroom because they desire to be in the classroom. Once they don't it is over. You can pull out every tool you have, but in the end all you are doing is getting someone to comply with learning.

Are they learning at that point? Well, they are at least jumping though your hoops, so it seems they are learning (at least they know your hoops). They are also learning about manipulation of knowledge at some level.

I would take the OP to another level and say "people don't get it." Education has to be desired before it can be attained!

Ending rant of all educational institutions I have observed in my life

[GuestBob]

[Non Sequitur]

"A warmup excercise which tries to "ready students for instruction" might even be counterproductive as it sets the wrong tone or isn't a readily comprehensible component of a lesson".

How anything that gets the students to tune in to the teacher as leader of the class can hardly be counterproductive and getting used to English as the medium of instruction is a help in comprehension.
That CTs don't use warmups is hardly a guide to best practice, as they don't have the problem of changing the language of instruction as an FT has.
As to 'young' children I can only say that in my experience Chinese kids are 2-4 years behind their Western counterparts in life skills and sophistication.
That can actually be an advantage as they take easily to class management techniques that you could not attempt with the same cohort in the West.

[choudoufu]

i get the impression some people think if a warmup is fun, it must be
a waste of time. in that case, come up with a non-fun warmup, but
don't expect it to be as effective.

most of us here are 'teaching' oral english. our job is to improve their
speaking skills, yes? but we ain't seen the lil' tykes in maybe a week.
how much speaking have they been doing? if they're like my students,
the answer would be 'less than none.' they read.

no point in trying to go straight into a debate over the merits of filter
vs. non-filter cigarettes. you need to give them some time to switch
their brains over to the english track. don't go straight into grammar
neither.

review some stuff they know well, ask about their weekend, sing a
song (they sing, not you, right?)....whatever gets 'em thinking in
english again.

[GuestBob]