Job Discussion Forums

[Riddick]

The reason why I'm asking this question is to see if anyone meets this problem in their College.

When I go to class I will start a topic in my lessons for the students to learn to speak to me. But they say nothing to me. So I change quickly and try to get them to write a dialogue so they can speak to each other to learn. But they just still sit there looking at me. One ask me what is a �dialogue�? So I have to repeat my words very slowly one by one and still they look at me?

Am I doing something wrong?.

I play the tape for them to learn with their books then ask them �Did you hear the tape?� NO they say, so I play it again & again and still they all say the same word.

What should I do?

I talked to the leader about this problem I had and he suggested that I should write everything I said to them on the board so they could read it. But I said this way they couldn�t learn to speak & listen in English. They only learned how to read. He told me not to care too much.

But I really care about my job a want to help

I did mention to him that I was not here for writing everything on the board of what I said in my class. I was here to help them learn speaking and listening. He said you worried too much about the students. I can see that if they can�t listen, that�s their problem. So I replied by this way many student would walk out of my class. He said just let them go. I asked him what about their English level or test. � don�t worry we will pass them all.�

If we can�t teach what are we doing here in China or is it just for our white faces??

It seams to me in many small cities in China the leaders or local teachers don�t really care about if the students can learn English or not just as long as the college can receive their payments from the parents for making money. As for the students education in learning English none really cares. So should we?

[mmm... pancakes]

Ok, first off: what do you mean by "college"? Are you talking about a high school, a university, or a private institution? That is, how old are your students?

Chances are you ARE there only as a white face - that's a reality in China that can take some getting used to. It's probably the case with me, too, BUT: I take my job seriously, and expect my students to take their classes seriously too.

So, how to get your students to talk more?

I'm no expert, but maybe try this:

Ask a student - one specific student - why they are here. They should say something like "To learn English". Do the same with another student, then another, then another. Every student should say "To learn English" or similar. If they say "To have a sleep" or something, don't hesitate to tell them not to return. They can bugger off to their rooms/house to have a nap.

So by doing this, you have students who a) want to be there, and b) know why they are there.

Given this, you can start them off really simple. "How do you learn to speak English?" "By practice." You'll quickly comes to the point: to learn English you need to open your mouth, and TRY. They should get the message in the first lesson you do this with them, but you might need to repeat it later on.

Now that it's explicitly stated why they are there, and how they should act when they are there, try them off on REALLY SIMPLE stuff. "What's your favourite colour?" etc - just to get them opening their mouths. Do this sort of thing for the first few minutes of a class to get them in the mood for speaking. Then move on to the topic of the day, or whatever you're teaching.

Many - if not all - of these students are spared the requirement of thinking from the time the enter school. They often need things to be explicitly stated before they open their brains. Try and go really slowly to start with, and you might find that by the end of the lesson they're talking almost like normal people.

Opinion is divided on the subject, but I say that dictionaries are great. If a student doesn't know a word, encourage them to look it up in their dictionary and practice saying it in a sentence.

But like I said, I'm no expert on this stuff.

Good luck.

[Riddick]

Hi mmm... pancakes. Thank you for your suggestions.

Here in this College all the students age is from 16-21 I teach grade one most of them are 18-20.

I was told most of them just came from Middle school and did not go to high school. so their english level is very low.

I wanted to teach them words first but the leaders and local teachers don't want me to do this way so I must follow them.

[Cdaniels]

I've had a lot of jobs where I think my bosses are shortchanging clients. Including jobs where I thought I could personally make a real difference. I learned a few things from these experiences.
1 Find a student or two who you can connect with, who really wants to do well, but don't assume he/she/they are the brightest or best students - it could be a matter of personal chemistry.
2 Teach to the class, but only look for validation from the motivated students. Favoritism my have its drawbacks, but
3 Realize this is for your psychological well-being. Your boss(es) are right, even when they are wrong. Look for another job if you must, but don't undercut their authority.

[tedkarma]

Re: writing on the board - Your students, if their level is so low, may need more than one level of input to really "get" what you are saying. You can fade out the writing later - but try it and if it works - use it. Use ANYTHING that works - and fade it later if it is not exactly what you want.

I agree with Cdaniels - teach for the students that are really interested and really care - I always teach for the front row (or two) - those are usually the students who are there to get something from the class. You'll rarely reach everyone in the class.

Cultural things being what they are - many students are afraid to speak in class - and you'll need to create a relatively safe environment that they trust - and that also can take a little time. It is a rare class in Asia anyway - where students will willingly start talking immediately. Silly as it sounds I even use breathing exercises sometimes - not just because they actually work - but because the students think they are silly and fun - it gets the students to be a little less afraid of the teacher (me) - and a bit more willing to talk.

[Girl Scout]

I'm not a big fan of dialogues. In an Asian classroom students tend to memorize everything. They will memorize the dialogue and not learn anything.

Topics may be too difficult. You said their level is rather low. They probably don't feel they have the necessary vocabulary to say any more then two words on a subject.

Finds some games. Other posters have suggested you need to get the students to relax. Check out some of the EFL web sites and finds something that is a little noisey.

You should also not worry too much. We all probably go through this stage at first. Once you understand your position in the school you will find a way to make your boss happy and still do a good job.

[tw]

You should have posted this thread in the China Job-Related forum.