Job Discussion Forums

[Nauczyciel]

It has occurred to me recently - should we, EFL teachers, really try to eliminate what makes Chinese English speakers distinctively Chinese?

I don�t mean here all the he/she confusion or pronunciation problems (�wery well�, �senk you�), but something on a higher level. Of course they overuse words such as �beautiful� and �handsome�, but I have the impression that they actually overuse their equivalents in Chinese as well. That�s the way they form their opinions � praising all that moves (or remains in one place, it doesn�t matter; one way or the other, they need to show their admiration). Of course they use pseudo-poetic phrases, bordering on kitschy more often than not, but that�s just characteristic of their language (I don�t mean the kitsch here, but metaphors). Of course they use old-fashioned and solemn vocabulary when there is no need to, but that is considered by many as the right thing to do when approaching a foreigner. Do we really want to make them sound like Westerners? That would be equal to forcing them to get rid of what makes them who they are.

My point is � let�s fight mistakes they make, improve their pronunciation, and teach them how to behave in social situations, but at the same time let us not sterilize their language. Globalization for me is about adding to the world�s heritage, not about making everything equal. Even if our Chinese students are going to speak English, let us allow them to do it at least a little bit the Chinese way.

[go_ABs]

[NorbertRadd]

People believe what they wish to believe.
Some Chinese will learn to speak American better than Americans but they'll still be Chinese.

[ChinaMovieMagic]

Yes...for me, fluency is THE key element to develop
...for the 95%...

Q: What do you sense the Chinese students of English feel when they describe something as "Chenglish"? Isn't it often in the spirit of self-depracating humor?

[Roger]

No one ever mentions that students can learn on their own and teachers are only their guides; I certainly don't want to tell them what they must learn, model every phrase, sentence or expression and have them repeat after me. That's unimaginative and plain dumb.

Students ought to be put in a position from where they can judge what is standard English and what is their own local variant of it.

[ChinaMovieMagic]

RE: Roger...<Students learning on their own...>

Yes...Krashen emphasizes that the goal of teacher should be to focus upon getting the students to the intermediate level--via lots of Comprehensible Input.."real messages of real interest." Intermediate means more independent...especially here/now in China, with the DVDs and the MP3 etc.

Relevant is the approach of Constructivism, an alternative to the dysfunctional/deadening effect of Behavioristic approaches, more suited for Modern Times:

(from Promoting Change...China-JobRelated pg.

The authors outline... ten basic propositions which they consider "crucial" for language teachers and which serve as a guide for teaching and learning languages from a constructivist perspective in the 21st century.

1 There is a difference between learning and education which implies that in order to be of value, a learning experience should contribute to a person's whole education as well as to their learning of an aspect of the language.
2 Learners learn what is meaningful to them so that whatever language input is presented to them, we cannot predict what each individual will learn or how the learner's language system will develop. Teachers must therefore have a sound grasp of what their learners see as important and meaningful.
3 Learners learn in ways that are meaningful to them which means that teachers will need to provide a variety of language learning activities which allow for different learning styles and individual preferences and personalities.
4 Learners learn better if they feel in control of what they are learning: learners need to be encouraged to talk about their aims and set goals for themselves regarding learning the language.
5 Learning is closely linked to how people feel about themselves. The individual's self-concept as a language learner will strongly influence the way in which he/she learns.
6 Learning takes place in a social context through interaction with other people. The nature of interaction in the target language will influence the quality of learning that language thus teachers need to be aware of the interactions that occur in the classroom.
7 What teachers do in the classroom will reflect their own beliefs and attitudes. Whatever methodology is used, it is the beliefs of teachers that will influence what goes on in the classroom.
8 There is a significant role for the teacher as mediator in the language classroom. The teacher fosters the right climate for individual respect, for confidence building, for appropriate learning strategies and for learner autonomy.
9 Learning tasks represent an interface between teachers and learners. Teachers' choice of learning activities reflect their beliefs and values and learners will interpret these activities in ways that are meaningful to them.
10 Learning is influenced by the situation in which it occurs. The broader social, educational and political context within which language learning experiences occur as well as the cultural background of the learners will influence the learning that takes place. (p.204)