Job Discussion Forums

[denise]

I just went out to dinner with some students a couple of nights ago. Most of my students are uni-aged, but this particular group included a few high-schoolers. Now, when I was in high school, I remember hanging out, listening to music, talking about music, dreaming about the future, etc. (no boy-talk, shopping, or make-up, because I wasn�t that girlie back then). I remember being aware of world events and having opinions, but I certainly don�t recall sitting around and having lengthy discussions about them.

Fast forward to this past weekend: 16-and 17-year-olds having an intelligent, intellectual discussion about regional, national, and South American politics. They know what is going on around them, they have opinions, and they had plenty of examples to back up their opinions. Wow! (And having just come from Japan, I appreciated it that much more!)

I remember my Czech students also being fairly aware of the world around them. They were a bit quiet in the beginning, but they all had a sort of national pride (not strong enough to be "nationalism"--just enough so that they all knew their history, knew what their country had to offer, etc.) I was really impressed over there, too.

Are American (North American? English-speaking?) students just lazy? Uninformed? The rest of the world seems so much more informed and articulate, and at a much younger age. Anyway, it makes it an absolute delight to teach them.

I hope your students are equally amazing! Any other "cool students" stories?

d

[valley_girl]

I teach adult students (usually in the 18-25 range) from various parts of the world and haven't found them terribly knowledgeable in general about world events or even regional and national politics from their home countries. The topic came up today specifically because Canada's federal election is today. I was amazed at how little my students know about politics in their own countries. Most of them didn't know (and were not at all interested in) how their leaders are elected or how old they have to be to vote in an election (in democratic countries).

I often raise issues about world events in class because I encourage my students to read, listen to, and watch the news on a regular basis to help them improve their English. However, unless an event happens right on their own back doorstep, most of them are unaware of what is going on in the world. I won't name the specific nationalities I teach, but let's just say that North Americans aren't the only ones with their heads in the sand.

[denise]

How sad! Those things (e.g. voting age) are things that I would even expect North Americans to know!

Based on past experiences and stereotypes about motivation and general interest in the world (yeah, yeah, I know they`re not always accurate!), I have some guesses as to where your students might come from.

d

[valley_girl]

That's why I didn't include the nationalities. I try very hard to avoid any kind of stereotyping. It's hard not to stereotype when you see similarities in student groups from specific countries, but still, I know that it is unfair and so I am snapping the rubber band on my wrist and biting my tongue.

[Kaspar Hauser]

It�s not just American students but Americans in general who are lazy, uninformed and totally uninterested in other countries and cultures. We�re so convinced that the USA is the greatest country in the world that we can�t even conceive that we might be able to learn something from people beyond our borders. We�re fat, lazy, proud and complacent. Intellectually moribund too. How else can you explain our retreat from enlightenment and the revival of creationism and other forms of religious superstition? We�re doomed, and because we�re ruled by people who believe in Adam and Eve but call global warming �junk science�, the rest of the world is doomed too.

[Jizzo T. Clown]

Americans aren't the only ones who are largely ignorant of other cultures, etc. Anyone who's spent time in China will know what I'm talking about.

Re: good students, today one of my Taiwanese students interrupted one of my classes to bring me a cappuccino (and they don't consider themselves Chinese, they're Taiwanese!).

[Justin Trullinger]

Other factors to consider are class distinctions, and public/private education.

In some programs we do seminars on South American Cultures, in order to prepare students who are heading overseas to be good ambassadors for their own cultures. And I've had brilliant ones, who go on at length about their own cultures and history. Also had some rather reticent ones, who managed to incorrectly place ALL countries on a map of south america. And these kids are from the same highschools. Private high schools, which actually have a good academic standard, can't really fail anybody whose parents are paying the rent. So I find private schools (especially in depressed economies) vary a lot in the standard of education they offer.

For a good GENERAL level of knowledge, in the majority of the people, the public school system needs to be strong. In a system where the public schools maintain a good standard, the free competition also raises the standards in private schools.

Another interesting thing I've noticed: if you want to meet informed, opinionated, socially aware students, VOLUNTEER. Our scholarship classes are filled with young adults who didn't finish high school, and in many cases left school to shine shoes and sell gum on buses before they were even teenagers. But good heavens- ask them about free trade agreements, and stand back. Colonial history, they'll tell you more than you ever wanted to know. I think because so few people in their situations have the chance to study anything at all, those who work so hard to get the chance tend to be REALLY serious about it.

Regards,
Justin

[Roger]

I see a 12-year old boy once or twice a week for just one hour. From the income point of view this is peanuts.
But the boy is such a joy to work with. DId I say "work"? Not the right word.
He is the first Chiense boy that I come acrtoss who has a HOBBY; his is insects, in particular arachnids, spiders and co.ckroaches. Can he talk about them, and in good English!!! I could hardly ask any question - he kept talking and talking!

Once I said to him 'let's tell each other stories', and I improvised a story (one that I keep reading aloud to university students). It was a short story with a punchline, and he told me two jokes in return!

He also hums melodies and identifies Mendelsson, Beethoven and Mozart!

Then again, his family is enormously rich and he has always had private tuition. Not that this buys education - the kid must want it; he makes it plain that he actually wants these English sessions with me. And so do I.

[Gordon]

Roger, don't you wish there were more kids like that? I had a great student back when I lived in Vancouver. I taught him for 3 years, for 2 hrs at a time, twice weekly. I swear it seemed like a 10 minute class. He was Chinese and he never saw his Dad, he was usually working in Shanghai, making about a million dollars/year. I kid not. I was more like a dad than a teacher, an old fashioned mentor. I would take him places and teach him there is a different life out there than one he was sheltered from. He was so inept at doing anything, video games don't exactly do much for the creative and intellectual mind. I enjoyed "teaching" him so much and he was a transformed person when i left.

[denise]

I am always thrilled when I learn that my students have hobbies other than sleeping (which was mentioned several times as a hobby by students in... X). Even sports, which may not be intellectually demanding, at least show an interest in improving the self and doing something that requires some effort.

d

[Roger]

Hi GOrdon,
yes, of course, I wish I had more kids like him! But then again, let's not forget we were students too at some time in our past, and what kind of learners were we? I wasn't half as active in class as my boy student is!

And the fact that the rest of them prefer to take a nap during class is not in itself a condemnation of the students; it is an accusation to their education system.

Yesterday evening, the boy came and brought along his CD player and a baihu, which was a bamboo flute he said originated in India. He played it to some tunes recorded on a CD - all for my benefit and so wonderfully as to make me wish I could play it myself!

I have had many individual students, and a lot of them were a gift to me; it is the classrooms that produce so much mediocrity!

When people decide for themselves they want to study this or that you see better results!
And it's a gain for the techer too!

[vikdk]

Sorry to brake up the nice party here...but a roger quote intrigues me

[Kaspar Hauser]

[valley_girl]

[Boy Wonder]

My students....250 small 10 year old boys are..awesomely noisy....!!