Job Discussion Forums

[Gorm]

What is it exactly? What topics are discussed? How is it organized? Etc...
thanks

[danielb]

What is it? Torture
What topics are discussed? Forever Love
How is it organised? Poorly

[DirtGuy]

Thank you, danielb, for your brilliant witicisms. Perhaps you have missed you calling as a stand-up comic.

I have also seen this term used in postings and do not understand its meaning. Anybody out there care to enlighten me and Gorm with a serious reply?

DirtGuy

[danielb]

Sorry it came across that way but that is my opinion. It is torture. You will be asked the same questions over and over again. For example, "Do you like Chinese food?", "Can you use chopsticks?", Do you think Chinese are the friendliest people in the world?", "Why you come China?"

Students (both male and female) like to talk about love and any time they put into the event will be in creating a really big cardboard heart and blowing up balloons.

Hence, in my experience only, of course, they are poorly organised.


They are meant to be for the students to practice their English. If you are at a school or city where there are not many foreigners it will be a place for them to practice their Chinese except for asking the abovementioned questions.

[DirtGuy]

Well, OK, that is a bit more info. Is this some sort of class? Is a time reserved just for people to talk with you? I still don't understand how it works. Have taught adult ESL at night for some time and am not familiar with anything like this.

Forgive me for sounding naive, but it seems that if the students keep talking about the same subjects, should the teacher have some options for them to use more English? Same subject matter but approached in different ways so the students have to work a bit more. Maybe allowing the students to ask just one question about "love" for each question about another emotion? Just a thought.

Are all teachers required to do this? Will be working a short-term job this winter in China and am trying to learn as much as possible before I get there.

DirtGuy

[danielb]

I know a few teachers that go regularly but that�s just to practice their Chinese. It depends on your contract as to requirements to attend. Generally, again just from my knowledge/experience, it is not up to the teacher to organise them but a different class will have that job every week. Here, where I am, they are held on a Sunday night. There are usually about 100 people there, most with the ability to ask the questions I have already mentioned. When you get there (or happen to walk past) you are swarmed by the students. I wouldn�t accept a contract that said I had to attend English corner.

[Voldermort]

I have done many many 'English corners' during my tenure here, and yes they are torture!

Depending on where the English corner you can expect many things. If in a school, the participants will go along to get out of class, not giving two hoots about English. If outside school, there will be a crowd of people wanting to practice their English. In the case of the latter, be prepared for 2 or 3 participants doing most/all of the speaking, the rest not having the courage to jump in.

English corner is not a class, so don't go there thinking of teaching. It is simply a way for oral practice.

Now, my advice to you. Before you go, think of a topic. Also think of as many subtopics/questions you can discuss. Here is some help http://iteslj.org/questions/

What you need to try to do is encourage them to speak to each other rather than only speak to you. So small groups of 3 or 4 would be ideal. Speak in a quieter voice than normal, discouraging those from trying to only listen.

My method of dealing with this is as follows:

1) sit down, relax, have a beer.
2) make an excuse and run for the door.
2) start chatting softly with those who are not scared to open their mouths.
3) start discussing a topic with the whole group. (only a few will participate)
4) break them into smaller groups and encourage them to further discuss amongst themselves. In particular here, point out that they should help each other to express their opinion in English.
5) as a whole group again, further discuss the topic and the subtopics.
6) when one has spoken, ask another how they feel about their answer.
7) ask for plenty of examples and reasons.

Now be warned, nine times out of ten, they will steer away from your origional topic. You should discuss the new topic only for a short time, but always take it back. If you allow them to go their own way, you will lose control of the situation and they will start struggling to comprehend each other.

Another trick, for burning a little time, is the vocab. When one comes out with a good word, ask one of the others for the meaning of this word, also ask one of them to spell the word. I have found this to be an excellent way for people to remember new words both in the class and out.

[Shan-Shan]

If there is some regularity to the English Corner, a topic/assignment can be given to the students in advance, i.e., next session, we'll discuss "this", or "for next session, please read, watch or listen to "this"; we'll be discussing it from "this" angle". Some preparation just might help keep the EC on track, and varied (opening up the potential for new vocabulary/grammar structures to be used and praticed)

Many EC's, however, just breakdown into a barrage of the usual questions: this is often a result of people showing up late and without a clue to what has been discussed. One should also not ignore the paucity of the standard Chinese imagination as a major stumbling block for advancing ECs beyond discussions of eating utensils, girlfriends and evaluations of one's favourite Chinese travel destinations (this last one is the most difficult for me as I have no backpack nor will to move about!).

Many EC attendees are just plain dull, or allow their fear of talking to Mr. Joe or Ms. Jane to snuff out what little spark of the imagination they might have had. Thus, it is often up to the FT to provide a context, and imaginative jump start for the students to make productive use of the EC, and not have another repeat session of every single session's intensive talk about why foreigner's come to China.

A student once informed me that she was collectively chastised for speaking at an EC. Her mouth opened during the FT's "brilliant speech", and was immediately slammed shut with condemnations from other students saying she was interrupting the FT! The FT apparently just kept on yapping (many FT's love the attention of an EC; delusions of self-grander blind them to the fact that the students only want to hear the linguistics, and often couldn't care less about the content of the FT's speech, discarding it as a necessary evil for the transfer of English linguistics).

When I've told students that when there's one FT at an EC, and ten plus of them, speaking in groups with a "roving" FT is more productive than one FT addressing them all. However, even with my own assurances to the contrary, many students stll fear picking up errors from other students, and prefer to remain silent througout an EC, believing that by simply listening to English from the Idiot's lips magically enhances their own speaking ability.

I avoid EC's, too, finding them to be more exhausting than any class could be. Why some foreigners actively search this venues might just be a testament to the loneliness of many outsiders here.

[Voldermort]

[mondrian]

Why don't you do a search on Dave's? This topic has been covered before.
As regards English corner in your contract. My approach is to strike it out of the contract and see what they say.
If they insist then make sure you have: another class at the same time; or a good excuse such as a visit to the hospital for an unspecified and non- life threatening illness (such as an ingrowing toenail) that requires periodic treatment (on the same day and at the same time as the E C)

[DirtGuy]

Good stuff everyone and I appreciate all of it. 'Specially the part about avoiding contracts with an EC requirement.

DirtGuy

[vikdk]

By the way the trem English Corner comes from the boxing term - being pinned in the corner - you know when your opponent traps you in a ring corner with a barrage of punches - but don't expect it to be a barrage of questions thats gonna make your head spin - no, its more usualy the blank stares from the gathered masses that tend to be the knock-out punch in this perticular game

[Super Frank]

I have done two English Corners, both at a large primary school, with over 100 pupils. It involved me hiding under a desk for the first ten minutes then jumping out like 'wow the white mans here.' Then I had to hold up a picture of a pair of trousers and shout "Pants" for ten minutes, then answer a few questions, whats your favorite colour etc. It wasn't difficult, all organised by someone else but a bit humilating maybe.
As Vikdk would say "performing monkey", I don't think the term could be better utilised.

[SheZook]

English Corner...the bane of the middle school teacher!

I agree...it is torture! Our school has English Corner on Monday afternoons during the students supper break - as a result, we have students coming and going throughout the whole hour so there is no point in trying to organise any activity because you have to keep stopping to explain to the newcomers what is happening. Any semblance of organisation goes straight out the window as some students don't want to participate in the activities anyway, and just want to ask the FT all those annoying questions (eg. How can I learn English?). If you are claustrophobic, forget it. They will crowd around you and keep edging closer and closer until you suffocate and trying to get them to stand back in a circle doesn't work. Breaking them up into smaller groups doesn't work either unless you are standing right there with them - if you are going from group to group, as soon as you leave one group they will stop talking English and will probably follow you to the next group. When we first started EC in February, we had a couple of hundred students attending each week, which (thankfully) dwindled as the semester progressed as by that time, most of the students had asked all the usual boring questions that they wanted to know. The last couple of weeks were almost bearable - with about 40 students between 2 of us. Having said that though, I am dreading the start of the new semester, with all the new Grade 1 students who will start asking all those questions all over again. I am trying to come up with a plan to deal with this. Maybe handing out flyers with a list of "FAQ's" and the "standard responses" FT's give and telling the students that I will not answer any questions on that list.
In my experience, as far as LEARNING/TEACHING English goes, EC is pointless. I was suckered into it this time round (having never experienced one before and not knowing what was in store) so I will grin and bear it until the end of my contract and then will refuse to sign any other contract that requires me to attend EC.

[danielb]

I tried the FAQ list with university students. Didn't work. Hope you have better luck. Getting them to stand in groups without riot police and a loud hailer is near impossible in itself.