Job Discussion Forums

[wigan4]

I'm not even a newbie--I'm just a potential newbie!

I'll be retiring from first career soon and looking for a follow-on, and always assumed I'd teach--just something I've always wanted to do and have always assumed, and been told, I'd be good at it.

At first I'd planned to teach American HS social studies, and maybe eventually evolve into international schools, and poking around on the internet eventually landed me in the ESL community.

In my particular case, money's not very important, I'm mostly looking for a fun and rewarding experience and as long as I can make enough to sustainment myself and my wife (or close to it) that's fine.

In what little I've seen it appears that university in China is exactly that--not the highest paying option, but lower stress than some of the others, at least from what I can glean--so, university in China it is.

However, while I'm very well qualified in a general professional sense--BA in business, CPA, MBA, I have no teaching experience at all. Obviously I can grab off a four-week TESOL course and there I am--standing in front of a class of I'm-not-sure-what in China.

Now, just because I said money wasn't important, that doesn't mean I don't want to be a competent and successful teacher--I do, because I couldn't enjoy the job if I weren't. I know I can 'get a job' just based on my academic square-fillers, but that doesn't mean I can do a good job.

So we get to my question, which is never discussed here, although I get lots of weather reports and personality issues, etc--what exactly is expected of a teacher in a Chinese university? Especially teaching the ubiquitious 'Oral English?'

Is it reasonable to expect that--flattering myself--a reasonably intelligent and articulate person can take a stupid 4-week course like TESOL and walk into a Chinese University and be a competent and successful teacher of 'Oral English?'

What precisely do you do? At what level are the students? Are you handed a developed curriculum, course plan, books, etc, and all you have to do is teach by numbers? Or do you just say 'Today I'm going to teach you about American Football' and then start teaching the game? What the heck happens in there?

Nobody ever talks about this part. Or do you make it up as you go along? Or does it not matter, does nobody care?

I guess I just find it hard to understand how somebody walks off the streets with some miscellaneous BA a week before teaching four sections of 'Oral English' or 'Cultural Studies' or 'English Literature' and can be a competent university professor--but evidently many are doing it.

And obviously many are trying it and failing, but that's not acceptable to me; I can't go try to do this and be an embarrassment to myself, and really, my country.

So as a prospective--remember, I'm only considering at this, I've never done it or even seen it done--ESL 'professor' what exactly would you be expected to do in a Chinese University and how do you do it?

Part of my problem, of course, is I'm having a hard time conceptualizing the content of 'Oral English.' I could understand how to teach accounting or even English Lit--I know and understand the subject matter and I've seen it taught. Easy. But I'm not a linguist, and no four-week course is going to make anybody competent in a field like that.

But I have no clue what to expect in teaching 'Oral English' or 'Conversational English' whatever it is that generic 'non-specialty' English teachers teach.

So I guess I'm asking what I've never seen discussed here--what are the no-kidding nuts and bolts of teaching in a Chinese university--what are the students like, what level, what do you teach them, how do you teach them, etc.

And overall, is it reasonable that a generally educated, conscientious, but untrained person can walk in and be successful and have fun doing it?

[Roger]

I am now i nto my 3rd contract with a Chinese university, and (I have rich experience in all other levels.
So, from this vantage point I can inform you that yes, at university level teaching English is relatively speaking a breeze.
But you should not fool yourself. If you have a professional background you will eventually deplore the unprofessionalism prevalent here.
My classes are easy, a lot easier than anywhere before - but so much closer to boring.

The university designs no curriculum at all - students enrol for quasi-extracurricular classes that earn them extra credits, and extra credits is what they want, not improve their lackluster English.

You will no doubt notice that university students are more like minors they want to be herded around. You will have to tell them what they must do, and they might obey you but they definitely will never volunteer.

I teach writing and listening, and have asked yto be allowed to teach literature. Writing for example means you have to teach them as basic things as when to use capital letters, how to punctuate sentences - you can hardly concentrate on essay writing or other forms of composition.
Speaking is even more challenging; it woul;d be good if you could familiarise yourself with the International Phonetic Transcription (IPT) and teach your students a bit about phonetics and pronunciation. Don't even imagine they will engage in heated debates!

Having said this, the students are extremely easy to get along with - compared to lifetime employees at state-owned enterprises benefitting from free in-house English classes, or rowdy middle-school students.

[GoPies]

[wigan4]

It was an unfortunate choice of words. I didn't mean that to attach to the course itself, but to the idea that taking one course can make you a competent university professor. Maybe it can, I don't really know and that's part of what I'm asking.

I do know the course itself is challenging from remarks people have made, I only meant the idea that a single four-week course can transform you into a competent professional starting from scratch seems 'stupid' to me in terms of a legitimate path toward professional development and excellence in a new field.

What I'm saying, I guess, is that I think it would be stupid of me to simply assume I can take this one course and feel legitimately prepared to teach, but maybe I'm wrong.

So putting that unfortunately offensive choice of words aside, I still appreciate any insight into what goes in the classroom.

Will I be given four sections a day, for example, and simply told to shovel English at them and pretty much be given carte blanche in how I go about it? In that case, I can just put together some sort of generic cultural studies/business/geography eclectic syllabus for the year in whatever interests me and teach it in English. Is that how it happens?

Heck, if it's like that I'll make them teach me about China in English--give them assignments to teach me how to use the trains, how to go out to eat, the history/cultural geography of the provinces, how the political system works, etc.

Am I going at this too hard?

[danielb]

I teach mostly writing at a normal university (actually a teachers' college) in Guangdong. I have open reign to teach whatever I like but I found out that NONE of them knew how to write a research paper so I have been putting considerable effort into rectifying the situation. At least for me, this has proved extremely difficult. I am now the proud holder of an MEd (TESOL) but in all practicality I think I would have learned more (at least about teaching) from a course such as the CELTA. I am a former police officer and solicitor and this is my first teaching gig so I placed myself in a similar situation as that which you are considering. I don�t think you should dismiss the amount you would learn from such a course, especially if you are concerned about how well you would do your job.

[tw]

OK, here's a different perspective from someone who is probably the youngest one among all the participatants in this discussion thus far. From my last year's experience, I can tell you that teaching oral English in universities can be as easy as you want to make it, and as frustrating as it can be. The students wouldn't mind one single bit if you have the energy and will to keep them entertained for 2 full periods and doing all the talking. Many of them couldn't care less about oral English classes. They are there because the school told them they have to take the course, or as Roger pointed out they are taking the class to fill up the credits. Some of them think oral English is a complete waste of time. Of course, I am not saying that all students are like that. By analyzing the feedbacks I got from school administration and students, they seem to like "energetic" and "funny" teachers more than they do with serious teachers, i.e. they want a dancing monkey. Of course, every teacher has his/her own teaching approach. As far as teaching material goes, the university will more than likely supply you with a text book printed in China but they will tell you to use your own materials. By that it means you have the freedom to do whatever YOU want. Play games, sing songs, show them videos. Besides, the text books that I have seen are extremely boring and don't leave a lot of room for creativity. If you want to make your lessons structural and disciplined, then you will probably see a lot of bored faces. Actually, heck, you WILL have bored faces no matter how hard you try. That, anyone who has ever taught public schools can promise you.

For hands-on experience, I too recommend taking some kind of TEFL course. But from talking with at least one person who was TEFL certified, it didn't help a lot once she was facing a group of 3-tier university students. As for your question of just what to teach in oral English, again that's a tough question. All of them know the basic how-are-you-i-am-fine-thanks-and-you. They don't seem to want to know any other variations, i.e. they just want to stick to the most basic form of English dialogue. You can get them to do skits which they will love. But teaching them USEFUL day-to-day phrases will be a waste of time because most of them will forget it next term. Just ask them what their last foreign teacher did with them and you will get a lot of I-don't-remember's.

[wigan4]

I'm definitely going to have at least a TESOL and may be a certified teacher (MS math and science) by the time I do this--still deciding exactly what my plans are.

Heck, maybe I'll just teach them 8th grade science in English! Maybe by already understanding the science it'll help them glom onto the English. It sounds like 'what you do' isn't as important as simply keeping a flow of interactive English going.

[tw]

The standard "instruction" you are going to get from school administration is "just get them talking" and sometimes maybe even "just talk to the good ones" as someone once wrote.

[peabocardigan]

[brsmith15]

Wigan,

What you really need is some practice in front of people who'll be candidly open about your presentation ability. I teach financial and cost accounting and have found that many CPAs turned teacher are extremely poor at getting material across to students because they're number people as opposed to people people.

I know. I have a PE license myself!

[tw]

[wigan4]

I'm not too concerned about the mechanics of presentation--I'm not 'really' a CPA--I did that for three years before joining the Air Force, I'm an instructor in the AF and have done innumerable classes and briefings, etc, in my 24 years; and in any case, between now and then I'll at least be doing TESOL and probably getting certified as a 'regular' teacher.

My concern was being handed a class 3 days before school started and having to create a course (or 2 or 3) from scratch out of what appeared to me to be a very amorphous and ill-defined content, but since it sounds pretty open-ended I'm not quite as concerned about that either, now.

I really am an expert at 'speaking English' and if that really is the bottom line I can think of lots of ways to get that happening that would be fun and mutually beneficial.

[tw]

[Roger]

While I agree with everyone in saying your level of freedom at university is near total I would advise against being sloppy.
Students do form their opinions, and it can ber challenging to meet their expectationsd and your own goal. Student feedback is actuively sought and can be held against you; your future at the same school might be in jeopardy.
SO you have two classical solutions: either to be an entertainer - which is not exactly what I wish to do - or you infusre your lessons with a modicum of seriousness.
I have one oral class this term and I have to say they are my favourites. Apparently I am also their favourite English teacher. (I am not flattering myself - I have had run-ins with students before and these incidents can be extremely hurtful).
I do some serious remedial work - grammar, pronunciation, phonetics. Much of what I teach them is not new but it is presented to them from a different angle. For isntance, English majors all know the phonetic transcriptions of English words, yet they have enormous misunderstandings about individual letters and how to pronounce them. It helps, for example, if you can tell them that "X" as in "excellent" is a combination of two consonants really, that is, 'K' and 'S'; those who do not get this across mispronounce 'X' as 'S'.
This coupled with some tongue twisters can make for an instructive, yet entertaining lesson.
But again, I will say that at tertiary level your students are much easier to accommodate than at lower levels. As for the purpose of the subjects we teach - our university doesn't prescribe these subjects; students have to actively enrol, and they must commit to taking the lessons which means I have to monitor their attendance (it is a misconception held by many newcomers that you should give your students the choice of attending! They have no choice once they have signed up!). That is why a little seriousness is necessary - don't just entertain them! They would AWOL and complain the lessons "are a waste of time". This latter complaint is increasingly being made by Chinese students against FTs - whether because the Party-owned media actively encourage the young to voice criticism of foreigners or for other reasons.

[peabocardigan]