Job Discussion Forums

[sheeba]

latefordinner -

On being a Pig!!

"Oooohhh, what a juicy place to start, if that's the sort of pig you're inclined to be. I tell mine pretty much truthfully that Chinese students are the laziest I've seen anywhere in the world. I've only seen one thing lazier than a Chinese student, and that's a Chinese teacher."

I'm a boar !!!

[7969]

hmmmm. i dont agree with some of you that the OP was being provocative.

"college students do not need to learn english"..... thats provovative? LOL. glad none of you are kim jong il..... we'd have a nuke blowing up above our heads right now over nothing.

suggesting that "taiwan is not part of china" or "china is an awful country" are provocative statements.

the OP seemed to be simply asking for the students to list the reasons why they (and everyone else) in china are learning english now (or why they dont need to).

[tw]

The worst (or most ridiculous) comment I've heard came last week when when my first-year university English majors (whose English are better than most of my second-year college English majors) were doing embedded question drills. The questions was "... if it is okay to speak Chinese in Thomas' class" and one girl said, "Yes." When I asked her why, her answer was "Because we are Chinese."

[DaXiangLouis]

[cj750]

[KES]

Ever try giving mandatory training to union members? Same reaction.

Adult learning has different charactorisitics. Adult learners can do well when they are self-motivated learners and can apply what is learned in the very near term.

Any group of adult learners forced to undergo mandatory training will often be a challenge.

You might google some teaching strategies for adults and see if that helps.

But I sense it is going to be a challenge.

[cj750]

[Calories]

I'm at a high school doing the Oral English class thing. I try to get the students to talk to eachother in English you know, to practice their oral English. Sometimes they do, sometimes I get responses like "We can only speak English with you because you are foriegner. We cannot speak English with eachother because we are Chinese" Uh huh. So I reply with, "yes speaking in another language does feel strange but, do it anyways." Then, they gabber in Chinese with each other. How dare their English teacher ask that they speak English to each other!

[xinpu]

Well, same class again today and we are finishing off the last couple of presentations.

Second group up had also decided that learning English is a waste of time...and actually they had some sensible reasons (won't speak to foreigners so not useful, better to learn 'fighting') so I ventured to ask them what they tought they should learn.

Answer: 'Chinese' so 'WE can Communicate with WE Chinese'

Uh-huh....it's all about testing the boundries with you people isn't it? I mean you're 20 years old...didn't you do the teenage rebellion bit in High School when you were caught necking Xiao Li from class 0502 on the poorly lit cinder sports track and responding in monosyllabic grunts / sniggers when confronted by your class teacher???

Obviously not.

Conclusion No. 1: Lift the lid and there's some right nasty undercurrents going on in their minds.

Conclusion No. 2: Students here are an angry bunch but haven't quite got the balls to challange anybody in authority. This probably adds to the anger.

Conclusion No. 3: Chinese teachers (at college level) continue to treat the students as children to be bossed about (get hot water, fetch books, wipe board, photocopy stuff ...la de da). Students seem to accept this and everybody is (superficially at least) happy. Self expression seems to be confined to over elaborate basketball moves, crappy singing competitions and an unnerving mobile phone fetish. WE westerners (I really should start using this more in class) teaching style involve a bit more freedom for the students. Some students dig this and use it the freedom responsibly.....haven't weall been surprised at some stage by a cracking presentation or innovative role play or similar activity where the students have been given a bit of autonomy..err well????. However most (like dem0cr*cy for the masses) aren't really ready for it and use the opportnity to ar$e around / parade their lovely predjudices.

Conlcusion No. 4: Teaching non-English majors sucks and I have learnt a harsh year-long lesson. Getting paid RMB 100 for a 40 minute lesson and having to cop this sh*t isn't enough.

Rant over. I honestly do have a good life here but people don't want to hear me re-hash my inconsequential classroom bullsh*t in person ...that' what 'Daves' is for isnt t?

[Shan-Shan]