Job Discussion Forums

[Yu]

I have been teaching my classes for 2 months now, and I am feeling a bit lost.
I just realized I was not given a master syllabi of sorts, and I have no idea what the goals and objectives are for this class.
I was told to teach the book, that the students are preparing for the Band 4 English test. I guess I am just not sure what they are supposed to get out of the book. Many of the things they read and the vocabulary they learn is pointless. Especially since they cannot communicate with the stuff they already know.
I realize this is a common problem with teaching in China, but I feel I need more of a sense of direction.
Students don't seem to get it when I ask questions about the book but that are not in the book. My thinking is that they have the answer book, so they can do that themselves, and if I ask them to do it, they will just copy from the book; hence, there is no point that I teach them the same redundant things. Most of the students seem ok with this. I am just not really sure what I should be doing.
We are using 21st Century English.
Do any of you have goals and objectives for your teaching?
What are they?

In America, we had these clear goals and objectives spelled out. I helped develop the writing curriculum. Is this sort of thing done in China?

[Roger]

This is my oldest complaint I have with the Chinese English teaching system.

The first thing I noticed was I am never told where my students stand in English.
I don't know who taught them what, and their grades.
Generally, teachers define their own goals, and that's why there is zero continuity and constancy.

If I am given a Writing class, I know perfectly what their score is; I have to virtually begin at stage one of writing compsitions, no matter how seasoned my students are: they don't know that margins must be respected, titles centred, names put in the same place, etc.

When I teach Listening and Speaking, I nearly always have to traing their hearing so that they can understand some basic oral instructions without me writing things on the black board.

I avoid useless conversation classes as best I can; if I have no chance of avoiding them well, I put them to a test. It's their problem to understand me, not my problem to speak "more slowly" or "louder".

The gist of my reply is: I do REMEDIAL WORK. I repair an English their Chinese teachers ruined through wrong methods of teaching. To me, these students are patients with defective neuro-lingual systems. Some are wonderfully intact, with good communications skills; but with classes numbering anywhere from 30 to 100 I must take care of the lowest common denominator!

Perhaps, Mrs Yu, you should ask your employer whether you must put your students through a final exam.
Often they don't really need that - a simple test might do instead.

[millie]

Yu wrote

[latefordinner]

Well said, Roger. <rant, rant, rant...>
Ms Yu, feel happy to re-invent the wheel. If you acutally take the time and develop a curriculum, you'll be the first English teacher to have done that for them. And as like as not, the last. <rant, rant, rant>
Dead on observation, Millie. Everyone studies for / teaches to the test almighty. What students don't learn is to use the language. Which in my book is the same as not learning the language at all. <rant, rant, rant> Skipping as much of the book as possible and focussing on skills development may be the best move in the position, but leaves you vulnerable to charges of not teaching the assigned material. I'd go that route, but 1) I have little respect for Chinese examinations and 2) I'm not in your shoes.

[burnsie]

Why don't you get them to define their goals rather than having a school do it for them. They are then involved in the process and then work towards achieving those goals through the weeks to come.

Goals are only good in steady steps of progression, not big leaps so try to have progression charts or levels along the way.

A friend of mine runs a teacher ESL forum in Beijing and this exert is from the meeting the other day -

GIVE OBJECTIVES


A key way to motivate students is show them where they are and help them identify where they want to go. Clear, visual goals can help students stay on course and motivate them to reach their goals. Goals should be realistic and as teachers, we can help students see if they are unrealistic and tell them this will probably be demotivating.

Many business courses want to chew off more than the students can handle. Not only unrealistic goals, but also the enormity of the language to be learnt, can demoralize students. Hence, narrowing the scope of the project is useful. Have students select key areas, the important ones, and focus on those. As the Chinese say, a journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step. In fact, the step you are taking is the only one you have.

Involving students in the make up of the course is also highly motivating (if school curriculums or Human Resource departments permit!) Having set the goals, they can choose topics and areas of interest and relevance to them.

If you want to push it a step further have them teach each other, each student presenting a topic or language point. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. If you try this be gentle, China may not be ready for it yet, they may want to know what they are paying you for exactly!

Hope this helps.

[cimarch]

I've tried, Lord how I've tried. In Government schools I got shouted at (yes, literally shouted at). "It not in the book! Why you teach it!?! They not need to know! You are bad teacher! They all say to me you are bad teacher! They say it too difficult! You should talk loudly! You should talk slowly! They no want you to be they teacher! I give you chance, you should teach the book! They have to pass the exam! Only thing, pass the exam."

This for setting a couple of tongue twisters for their homework as their pronunciation was atrocious.

The private school I work at is much better; partially because they understand what I'm on about and actually want the kids' English to improve and partially because we're not prepping the kids to pass State exams (except in certain remedial classes and in a general way in the main classes).

[Long ai gu]

The first thing I told my Business English College students this year was "I'm not here to help you pass your Chinese exams, you're Chinese English teacher will help you do that. I'm here to show you the REAL WORLD". Then I write REAL WORLD on the board and make sure they understand that the real world is not school. Then I go about teaching material I pulled off the net or brought with me on my best friends the computer/printer. The school gave me a book the students did last year so I don't use it. The three schools I have taught at say "teach them whatever you like, here's an outdated book they will hate". A computer and printer is a must to teach in China. You should not have to prepare them for their bogus exams, the Chinese educational system is pathetic. Our job should always be to teach them Western style education and to especailly improve their oral skills. Well, at least there is usually one Chinese English teacher that I can have a conversation with in English--the oral here is pathetic---Chinese exam is why? dui.

[mandu]

i teach kindergarten
my goal is for the children to have fun in class.if they are happy then the principle and the parents are happy

[burnsie]

[Yu]

I tried explaining to my students that they had to take responsibility for their learning. I do follow the textbook. I go over the pronunciation of the vocabulary. I ask students if they have any questions about the reading. It seems that they are just used to the teacher pointing out language points. I told them that it is not really useful for learning English. I would rather answer the questions they have about the reading or use the reading as a springboard for a deeper discussion into the topic. As I explain this to them they seem to get what I am talking about. I have not really had many complaints from students and I cannot make everyone happy all of the time.
So I think their overall English level is quite good. They have been studying English for 10 years and to get into Jiaotong, they had to have pretty good English to pass the entrance exams. My thinking is that they already know way more about taking exams than I could ever teach them. I think teaching them a more practical side of using English is going to be the most benefical thing they can learn.
There is going to be a midterm exam that is the same for all of the teachers. I have stuck to the book on some things, but I have no idea how the chinese teachers will prepare the exam. My thinking is that I will have a look at the exam, and if I did not cover something important on the exam, then I will just give them a really good review about that topic. At the same time students know they are responsible for the material in the book, and they are responsible for asking me questions. They are getting better and better at this part.
I am glad to hear my case is a normal one. Thanks

[kev7161]

I too use a book from which I teach. I always start the unit with 15 new vocabulary words. We discuss them, I act them out and make drawings, they realize the Chinese word for it, the make notes in their book and I post the words on the wall. Then I look at the topic of the unit and we almost always have a "discussion" (generally a question/answer session) that pertains to the unit. Then we dive into the unit and have some dialogue practices, grammar points, reading comprehension, listening activities, etc. Frequently, I will have an extra "outside-the-book" activity that is also related to the unit. Once we near the end, I prepare a review worksheet that covers the vocab words + the grammar points. There is an accompanying CD-rom that has fun activities and the kids usually enjoy doing this. Then I have a spelling bee type thing to remind them how to spell the words. Maybe we'll play vocab bingo or something. The review worksheet is worth 5 extra credit points on their exam, regardless whether they got it right or not. One caveat: they must complete the whole thing. Then we go over the the answers on the review sheet (the review sheet is ALMOST identical to the test). Then we have the test.

So, as you can see, I'm fairly thorough. We discuss the meanings of words, how to use them properly in sentences, the PRONUNCIATION of the words, and on and on. It takes me about a month to finish a unit. So why do such a large percentage of the kids flunk the exam or get a very low score (and, conversely, a goodly amount sail through with flying colors)? I often question my teaching abilities after a test and do a little soul-searching on what I can do next unit to make it a little better. Then I realize, of course, that I'm in China and I remember how many of these failing-grade-students slept in class, or talked, or tried to listen to their MP3s or text on their mobile phones, or stared dreamily out the window during my lessons.

The point is, you can plan the greatest lessons in the world and it will still fall on deaf ears for some of your students and make a lasting impact on others.

[Roger]

Just by way of general idea:
Learning a language is also learning how to solve communication problems without someone's help. Unlike Chinese ETs, we can't, or shouldn't, help our learners via a translation. Nor should the Chinese ETs, though they always do.

To make a class problem-orientated and solution-relevant, I sometimes divide the class into small work groups of no more than five; one of them has to act as "messenger", and one as "speaker".
The messenger gets from me oral instructions on where to find written instructions. The messenger has to remove himself from his group and find the exact place where my instructions are waiting. He then gleans as much information as possible - perhaps by hand-copying, perhaps by memorising! - and reports to his group. They brainstorm over it, then the speaker gives a summary.
A second group does the exact same though their messenger will have to glean different points from my instructions: the first one might have to enumerate all POSITIVE apsects of something, whi8le the second one will have to talk about NEGATIVE aspects.

I have done this with my new class with great success. They were to talk about urbanisation -negative versus positive aspects. Each group had to check certain vocabs in their dictionaries (no one knew the word "urbanisation"... and the word "hectic" was misinterpreted too); the speaker has to work under the condition that he or she deliver no more than 150 words in about 3 minutes.
I coached each speaker separately for pronunciation and accuracy. The end result was very satisfactory. Speakers would talk in front of their peers, and a group of jurors would give them asterisks.
The classroom was on the third floor, and the instructions were in an envelope stuck under the door of a classroom on the 8th floor; the lift doesn't stop; on the 3rd and fourth floors...

[VanKen]

[Yu]

So last week we learned about the Midterm exam schedule. I will give midterms on Wednesday. I will see the midterm exam I will give to my students about 20 min. in advance. I did not write the exam, and I really have no idea what is going to be on the exam.
We get collective lesson plans, but I feel the material is so boring.
I have done some specefic teaching about writing, stuff that isn't in the book, and students have been receptive to that.
Can't wait to find out what is on the exam.

[Larry Parnell]