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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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 Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| BlueBlood wrote: |
Bud, please correct me if I'm wrong: EC's can be broken down into to distinct types. The first take place at colleges and/or universities. The second take place at coffee shops and/or parks and are open to everyone.
This thread only discusses EC's at schools, but I've read about EC's elsewhere though perhaps the source of my info was inaccurate. |
The formal EC's that i know of that were held outside of a campus were either adult night language schools and English clubs in which FTs from all over the city took part.
In one city where I worked, though, a night at a coffee shop often turned into an English corner when the owner of the coffee shop put up a sign that they could come talk to westerners on a certain night of the week. That was actually a very nice situation. It benefited the cafe owner, the Chinese who came, and it facilitated the FT's assimilation into the community. We got to meet people from professions other than education. I met a guy who worked for a company that was located in my home town.
If you ride public transportation often enough, the back (or front) of the bus can become an English corner!
I like English corners. |
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BlueBlood
Joined: 31 Aug 2013
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:49 am Post subject: |
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Cheers, Bud. I think I'm starting to catch on.
What about EC's and dating? A good place to meet someone, perhaps?
Another thread on another board suggested expat bars were the best place to meet someone, but that probably wouldn't be my scene. EC's sound like they could actually be fun. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 7:28 am Post subject: |
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| BlueBlood wrote: |
Bud, please correct me if I'm wrong: EC's can be broken down into to distinct types. The first take place at colleges and/or universities. The second take place at coffee shops and/or parks and are open to everyone.
This thread only discusses EC's at schools, but I've read about EC's elsewhere though perhaps the source of my info was inaccurate. |
Yes those are the two divisions I have experienced - Bud may have other views.
Ask a student about the parks that have English corners. In the north they are summer affairs pretty much. I guess you do the public ones as pro bono or as a chance to pick up privates or meet 'people'. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:04 am Post subject: |
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| Bud Powell wrote: |
| BlueBlood wrote: |
Bud, please correct me if I'm wrong: EC's can be broken down into to distinct types. The first take place at colleges and/or universities. The second take place at coffee shops and/or parks and are open to everyone.
This thread only discusses EC's at schools, but I've read about EC's elsewhere though perhaps the source of my info was inaccurate. |
The formal EC's that i know of that were held outside of a campus were either adult night language schools and English clubs in which FTs from all over the city took part.
In one city where I worked, though, a night at a coffee shop often turned into an English corner when the owner of the coffee shop put up a sign that they could come talk to westerners on a certain night of the week. That was actually a very nice situation. It benefited the cafe owner, the Chinese who came, and it facilitated the FT's assimilation into the community. We got to meet people from professions other than education. I met a guy who worked for a company that was located in my home town.
If you ride public transportation often enough, the back (or front) of the bus can become an English corner!
I like English corners. |
Travel any distance on a train and you'll get students chatting to you.
The older non-English speaking passengers will often ask the students about what's going on. |
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teachingld2004
Joined: 17 Feb 2012
Posts: 389
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:24 am Post subject: english Corner |
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How's this for an "English Corner"? I have a "Chinese Corner".
I am teaching a 5 yr old boy who can speak English almost like a native speaker. When ever we are outside drawing (he loves to draw with chalk outside) people here us chatting and always stop over to talk to him. He talks to them in Chinese and then translates to me what they say.
Sunday I had about 6 people standing by. 2 young couples, one pair of friends and 2 random people.
First the couple stopped by, and just smiled and listened. I asked them if they spoke English and they did not. Then a couple of friends stopped by and they said they spoke English a little. The other 2 people had no clue.
This is always quite funny. Never thought I had "Chinese Corners", but I do.
The English Corners in my university are "Chinese Corners" also, because I hardly ever hear more then a handful of English words. |
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BlueBlood
Joined: 31 Aug 2013
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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@teachingld2004, I like your story. While I love kids, I prefer to teach uni students. Nonetheless, I hope to have an experience something like yours. Sound like both you and the 5-year old are enriching each others lives.
@NS, not sure why you used 'people' in quotes. I'm guessing it means all sorts of folks, even crazy people, turn up at English Corners? Either way, I'm definitely looking forward to that part of the experience!
In Shanghai in the early 90's, they had on in a park on Saturdays, IIRC. I never went but should have. In those days, however, I stayed up ridiculously late on Friday and Saturday nights and literally slept away most of the entire days. Of course I was a bit younger then and things have changed.  |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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| BlueBlood wrote: |
@teachingld2004, I like your story. While I love kids, I prefer to teach uni students. Nonetheless, I hope to have an experience something like yours. Sound like both you and the 5-year old are enriching each others lives.
@NS, not sure why you used 'people' in quotes. I'm guessing it means all sorts of folks, even crazy people, turn up at English Corners? Either way, I'm definitely looking forward to that part of the experience!
In Shanghai in the early 90's, they had on in a park on Saturdays, IIRC. I never went but should have. In those days, however, I stayed up ridiculously late on Friday and Saturday nights and literally slept away most of the entire days. Of course I was a bit younger then and things have changed. |
'People' - mentioning 'dating potential' seems to raise the ire of some posters.
But yeah at the public ones you'll get some attention if you are looking for it. |
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LongShiKong
Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 1082
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 2:35 am Post subject: |
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English Corners are, in the words of Chinese, 'free talk' periods. The only ones you (should) have to prepare something for is with younger kids or lower levels and those generally (should) go by another name.
When I first arrived in China in 2001, English corners were informal gatherings of Chinese adults. The private school I worked for ran an open/free English Corner as a means of promoting the school but foreign staff were not obligated to attend, in fact I didn't even know about it at first. |
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Bud Powell
Joined: 11 Jul 2013
Posts: 1736
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| Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:36 am Post subject: |
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| LongShiKong wrote: |
English Corners are, in the words of Chinese, 'free talk' periods. The only ones you (should) have to prepare something for is with younger kids or lower levels and those generally (should) go by another name.
When I first arrived in China in 2001, English corners were informal gatherings of Chinese adults. The private school I worked for ran an open/free English Corner as a means of promoting the school but foreign staff were not obligated to attend, in fact I didn't even know about it at first. |
I found that it was always good to have something prepared as (at least) a point of departure. Those who have been in China for awhile and can think on their feet don't usually need to prepare much, but I really do think that the FT host should have a few ideas in mind before attempting to start conversations. At one university where the FT was expected to REALLY be the host, it was usually a good idea to have something in mind, especially since we were required to post the theme of the EC. (This isn't always the case). I've seen several disasters in which FTs who didn't belong in China (much less lead an EC) lapse into a monologue that bored the pants off the attendees and left no room for the attendees to talk. In the school context, I found it useful to prepare hand-outs with a list of topics to discuss and allow the students to take it from there with my prompting.
It doesn't hurt to talk about oneself if he has an engaging personality and can engage the students to talk about themselves in return and to get them to talk among themselves. For college students, the topic of dating and courtship is always a hit. It even works for older speakers who have been around the corner a few times and who have a perspective on life. This is usually a good point of departure for other topics. The question-and answer format works only if it is a point of departure for a group that is unknown to the FT. The FT must be willing to put a little of effort into preparing for the EC, otherwise disaster awaits.
Most groups---whether they be university students or adults respond to discussions of cultural differences, and again, dating, love, marriage, and parent-child relationships seem to appeal to all age groups. If the FT host can gain the trust of the group and is skilled at dealing with group dynamics, he can get people to talk about anything. One need not be a motivational speaker. One just needs experience in talking to people and an awareness of the comfort/discomfort level of those attending the EC. This is especially true, I think, if one goes in cold with a completely non-directional approach and allows the group to talk about anything.
I remember one corporate party where everyone was asked to tell the group one thing about themselves that no one knew. The most shy employee revealed that a few years before, she met someone online. She talked about what a horrible disaster it was. This surprised her coworkers, but it brought them closer together because until then, they had had no opportunity to really talk among themselves. That particular session led to a lot of laughter and self-revelation because they were provided with a platform to be themselves. They actually looked forward to the more formal talk sessions after that one party.
I agree that the FT host should allow the discussion go wherever the group wants it to go, but he should have a backup plan if suddenly everyone clams up. He should have a good idea of the demographics of the group. Granted, this isn't always possible to know in informal sessions where it's an English "Club" in which people of all ages attend. That's when the FT host needs to have a handle on topics that have the widest appeal. I watched in horror once when an FT decided to launch into a monologue about the Chinese women he had supposedly dated. It didn't spark much discussion until a couple of students began to express outrage over the forty-year age disparity. Since i was a co-host, the questions were eventually directed toward me. I defended the great age disparity and "admitted" that there was usually a great age disparity in my relationships too. I told how wonderful it was to have a girlfriend who could cook for me, wash my clothes, and tell me what it was like to grow up in China in the 1950's.
A riot was averted when someone spoke up and said, "Are you dating my grandmother?"
No matter which approach one uses, and no matter who the attendees are, the FT must be able to think on his feet. |
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Non Sequitur
Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 6:56 pm Post subject: |
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I have a loathing of wasted time and a pet hate is teacher monologues with a group of adoring students looking on.
I always prepare something, but look for the session to take on its own momentum.
For newbies you will get a great turn out the first few weeks but attendance rapidly drops off as the freshmen find other things to do with their free afternoon. |
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