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Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

Next year my school (a high school) will be giving out IELTS training and examinations to the grade 1 students. This is only for the 'international classes' of between 100 and 150 students. I have taught IELTS in the past, but the circumstances were very different.

1. My Salary was almost double what I now recieve (same workload).
2. The classes had less than 20 students.
3. The students were there by choice.

I'm contemplating whether or not to stick around for this.

The good side are that my classes will no longer be a waste of time. At the moment they are simply oral English lessons running along side their normal English lessons. The students would have real exams similar to other subjects. This would, in my opinion, give them a reason to perform better.

The downsides are that the class sizes are just too large. IELTS is advanced English, beyond what they would do even in uni. Can this be taught to classes of 60 students? There is a large leap in the English level, how is it possible to make such an improvement in the space of a year? Many of the syudents have no interest in English, they are here because their parents say so.

What do you guys (and gals) think about this? Also please share any of your IELTS teaching experiences.

ChineseChris · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 45 Location: Brrrrr in the North

If I was you I would run for the hills. As I have taught IELTS in Australia where it is accepted and have also taught it in China I have found that the chinese kids get way out of their depth. I have tried it with 20 senior grade 1 students and most of them just found it too hard for the level of english they had. These were top students in the school so I would hate to say what would happen if they were average or below average and to try and teach class sizes that you are talking about would be egg on your face if you fail.

bendan · Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 739 Location: North China

I don't get it. IELTS is a measurement of their English proficiency, not a pass or fail test. How can it be too hard for them? Unless you mean you have to teach for a certain level, like band 6.

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

mondrian · Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:10 am Post subject:

imho you are on a 'hiding to nothing"

You need to spell out to the powers that be:
1. YOU vet all the intake before they start, as they will NOT in 6 months improve beyond half an IELTS band the level they are currently at
2. Maximum class size of 20 as you need to test them every two weeks to get them used to the test and to build their confidence.
3. The going rate (in the provinces) is 150RMB per hour, so never accept less than this or else you cause problems regarding the other IELTS teachers pay.
If you don't do these things then, as you say, you will be blamed for ?100% failure to achieve whatever level is required.
I know, as I have seen it happen!

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

mondrian,

I agree with you. All these facts need to be pointed out, and I have been mentioning them in a subtle way this week. But before I sign a contract I may have to take some more drastic actions.

In all honesty though, I am really tempted to just bail out of this one. Even if they did break the 2 classes of 60 into 6 of 20, it just triples my workload. I also can't imagine the salary going up by more than 1000 RMB, which would still fall below the expected.

But, the worst part is, I cannot guess what the reaction of the school would be when the students don't acheive band 5.5 or band 6. The probability would be that I would take the blame and be branded as a "not so good teacher".

ChineseChris · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 45 Location: Brrrrr in the North

Voldermort what sort of money are they offering you to do this. It sounds as if you are not sure wether to stay at this school or not. Have you been offered another position at another school so you have something to compare with or fall back on? I am aware of somebody who runs an IELTS program and they are extremely rewarded, not only in terms of pay but in the extra benefits they receive. The last sum that I was made aware of was that their monthly pay was in excess of the normal rate for FT's in average middle schools. Plus they got success bonuses.

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

As of yet, they have offered me no money, neither have I mentioned it. The simple fact of the matter is, IELTS and 15 year olds are not going to mix. I think today the school have realised this, and are looking into alternatives. Infact today, me and the school had a good talk about many of the current problems. Some form of structure is needed, but IELTS is not it. I suggested the possibility of A-level exams (UK college entry) and am currently looking into it.

bendan · Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 739 Location: North China

Wouldn't the Cambridge Certificates be more appropriate?

ChineseChris · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 45 Location: Brrrrr in the North

Voldermort you must have started something because now my school has asked me today if I thought it was a good idea that some IELTS was taught at our school. I suggested that NO it was not a good idea but are now milling around ideas with them of what they could teach. Any ideas??
Have you come up with anything with your school that could help??

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

hey Chris,

I hope this isn't going to turn into some nationwaide fad because China just couldn't afford for all us FT's to be teaching this. In my case, one of the bigger leaders at the school agreed with me in that it was too difficult and problematic. But now they are milling around the idea of A-level, AS-level and GCSE English. I'm not exactly sure what is going to happen, but I can say that in all probability I won't be here to find out.

I have spent the last 9 months teaching the same 2 classes each day. This is the same volume of lessons they would receive with any other subject. I have no help from the school, no text books, no teaching materials, no examinations, no monitoring no nothing. It has been left up to me to think about what and how to teach. The students have started to notice now that 'Oral English class' is unlike any other class. They can do what they like in the lesson without worrying about their grade.

I came to this school with the expectation of being a real teacher (unlike the once a week practice with the clown that most FT's have to deal with,) but I am dissapointed. Without textbooks the students have nothing to look at or self-judge their performance which leads to "the teacher doesn't teach us anything useful". Without regular exams (like with their other subjects) the students have no grade which leads to "the teacher doesn't teach us anything useful"; hell my classes don't even count towards their graduation grade.

So far this year I have bent over backwards to help my school. I have done research for them, I have changed my teaching style 5 times, I have interviewed and advised about new foreign teachers, I have taught extra classes without compensation... and a hell of a lot more. Only to be kicked in the crotch and lied to.

Next year I am thinking either of going back to the UK and teaching IT again, or going back to the once a week red nose and big slippers position. Either way, I am not going to further support teaching advanced English when the school is only interested in making money.

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

clarrie · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 75

Hate to be negat ... No I don't! You have to prepare yourself to be informed by your students that what you do and how you do it is of course no use to them. They, being education experts will, at some stage, mark my words, tell you that you are wrong in the way you teach and your methods do not help. That is of course unless you're going to get them to memorise long scripts, give them all the 'secrets' about the test, ask them to memorise large numbers of ... 'IELTS words', ...

Happens every time at every level. I now tell people they really need to get a Chinese teacher of any quality and standard and they'll be happy!

Good luck!

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Clarrie, you sound frustrated, although you are so right.

Now, I have a problem with students that have already memorized those large numbers of words and phrases elsewhere (with their Chinese teachers). Using those words or phrases incorrectly has given me a hell of a time in China. Sometimes, I understand every word my students say, but I don't get the meaning of it.
In my opinion, it's easier to teach than "unteach".

Cheers and beers

____________________________________________________________
Teaching can be and sometimes has to be "edutaining",