Job Discussion Forums

Sabine11 · Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:39 pm Post subject: Buying a Tape Recorder?

Question: I teach in a language institute for a lady; I teach private classes and groups of students of all levels. It's going great with the classes and students.

However, my boss uses textbooks which have cassettes for the listening part. I don't have a tape recorder and she won't supply one for the classes. None of the companies where I teach will supply one either. She is now pressuring me to buy a tape recorder (which I have no personal use for) to teach for her..

I'm reallly not interested in buying a tape recorder, I'd sooner invest my money on a CD player instead.

Is this common? Was anyone ever forced to purchase equipment in order to work at a language institute?.. Any insight would be welcome.

Thanks, Sabine.

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

I haven't taught in Mexico, but I would think that's an expense for a language school, not one that should be paid by an instructor. As you say, if it were a CD player you could use personally, it would make more sense.

Besides, if it's to play in class, most cheap grabadoras (or whatever you call the larger ones) have lousy sound quality and a student who's even close to the machine doesn't know what's being spoken. Third hand copied tapes also have lousy sound.

I gave up using sound tracks from tapes, teaching in Thailand. Not only could the students not hear the speech, but my own voice was much better.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Sabine wrote:

Dragonlady · Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 3:54 am Post subject:

deleted

out of date

Sabine11 · Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:31 pm Post subject:

Thank you so much for the responses everyone..

I've actually been reading the scripts in class and have never had any problems...

The lady for some reason doesn't like it when I do that because she says 'the students can't hear different voices, intonations, ect..' which to me doesn't make any sense.. A native speaker reading the script can do that..

So this confirms my inner nudge and I will look for work at another institute for the next year.. Luckily for me there are only 2 months left before the end of the year here. I definitely need to change language institutes.. Live and learn..

Thanks for the support,
Sabine.

Dragonlady · Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:42 pm Post subject:

deleted

out of date

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

The director can solve her own problems by buying a tape recorder or two, buying good quality original tapes, or hiring an Aussie, a Brit, a Scot, and a French Canadian.

The teacher reading the script surely knows to speak higher for a female voice, and lower for Johnny Cash voices. That was part of edutainment in Thailand: falsetto for the girl parts, booming basso profundo for the men's parts.