Job Discussion Forums

[Archangel]

Hi folks,

I've never been to China but was thinking about accepting a position with a University there. The hours seem reasonable but the salary is not that much.

What I wanted to know is: Are Chinese University students studying English well-behaved and motivated in the Class, or unruly, bored and a real agony to teach?

Can anyone out there inform me about the above?


Archangel.

[eslstudies]

[Anda]

If you are a motivated interesting teacher then they are well behaved and motivated also.

On the other hand if you are a boring lazy inexperienced teacher then you will find them unruly, bored and a real agony to teach?

[Steppenwolf]

Of course you get any kind, the good, the very bad, and all that's in between; generally China's education system benefits the mediocre students, the degree chasers.

Foreign teachers enjoy the least respect yet they are the most popular; simple explanation: they are perceived to be easiest to get good marks from and to cheat on.

[latefordinner]

I'm going to agree with Stepp here, but I'll also go out on a limb and say that when a foreign teacher actually has the chutzpah to fail Chinese students, they complain and want to know why. They perceive it as their right to be given high grades for classes where they do little or no work, if they even bother to show up. And their Chinese teachers, who often can't speak let alone teach the target language, come along to guide them and find out for themselves, because they themselves can't see what the students are doing wrong. It's not as though FTs don't set clear standards at the beginning of term, but rather that a deliberate ignorance of these standards has become institutionalised. This is the real problem with most of the "problem classes" you'll see in China.

[TravellingAround]

[laodeng]

The dullards and behavior problems (frequently the same folk) tend to migrate to the back row. Partial solution: periodically rotate the back row to the front row.

[Anda]

One thing I don't like is teaching in institutes where there is no support for class room control, with young students, from the institute owner, which is all too common in South Korea. In the public school system you are pretty much left alone to control a class, but support is there provided that it is a real student problem, with just a class or two.

I taught in Indonesia for a while, and did not like teaching University students there, as they were from rich families, and had for the most part no interest in learning English.

I feel however that in general a teacher can get students interested in studying English provided they can create interesting lessons.

[laodeng]

Is the word hou2 zi meaningful to you?

[Vandros]

Anda, you make a lot of general statements.

[Anda]

Vandros if you are talking in general terms then those are the type of statements you make.

Talking about this and that lesson or student might be interesting but not very practical is getting an idea of teaching in a country or in gereral.

Look at the question below and tell me if a specific or gereral answer is being asked for?

"What I wanted to know is: Are Chinese University students studying English well-behaved and motivated in the Class, or unruly, bored and a real agony to teach?"

[patsy]

well, often they're so well behaved they're unconscious, like sleeping the whole time.

[Itsme]

Just wondering what happens to the foreign teachers who go into the classrooms and let their students do whatever they want and give their students all A's...

What happens?

[Shan-Shan]

[latefordinner]

Hardly beatification, but perhaps a smile of recognition for having accomplished the expected.