Job Discussion Forums

[ShapeSphere]

Hello Cafe-Dwellers. Hope all is well in your part of the world.

Out of interest, who has (or had) the longest running conversation class?

Anybody with a class for five years or more? Ten years? Where are/were you? Did the group improve? Did you run out of topics? Did you lose your mind?

Here in Japan I've had a few classes for just over one year. Class duration is 50 minutes, which is tolerable, as the topics need to be light and fluffy. Anything too serious or contentious is met with silence. In China, nothing of note, but I spent many 90 minute-"English Corners" avoiding forty people asking if I can use chopsticks. In Germany, some classes for two years. Very enjoyable, 90 minutes, and advanced level speakers. Anything up for discussion... politics, Nazis, religion, private life, etc.

And one last thing that I feel compelled to mention. If by chance I have made a tiny spelling mistake, there's no need to recommend remedial classes in English. It's a forum and some of us would like to relax a little. If you feel the need to pontificate, please don't. Take a deep breath, lie down in a darkened room, get your nurse to loosen your straitjacket a little, ask for some sedatives, and please please please ... chill.

[John Hall]

[Shonai Ben]

Still have a group class of about 12 students that I started teaching over 5 years ago.......
A private student going just as long also.
I wonder though how much longer this will last.......so far so good.

[hollysuel]

I have taught several workplace groups here in Finland for about five years. Normally, they were the students who did not want a textbook or any structure. They just wanted a place where they could practice speaking English and receive feedback in a non-threatening environment. I tell these groups that their levels will probably not increase, but remain the same. They are quite happy with the arrangement and so am I (as it is very easy to 'teach' or 'encourage confidence'...).

[jonniboy]

I've had one since February which is a bit trickier to do. Basically all the students in our company go to their normal group and then 'Conversation club' is offered as an optional extra for them on Friday evenings. It started well but over time numerous problems have become obvious. The students can all be of different levels, from beginner to advanced and numbers could fluctuate depending on the student's moods i.e. who can be bothered turning up. (They usually ask them to confirm in advance but this usually only gives a rough idea of who will come.) Last Friday there were 8 students whereas the Friday before that there were 18. Too many since the classroom really only holds a maximum of 15 and it's also more difficult to plan the class since I often don't know until the last minute how many people will come. Also it's on a Friday from 6pm to 8pm when students minds are turning towards the weekend and chilling out.

I've finally talked my management into running a second one simultaneously for the lower level students, to reduce the numbers and make it easier to introduce more advanced conversation topics, so we'll see how it goes.

[ShapeSphere]

Five years is the highest so far. Don't you feel any repetition of topics or sense of over familiarity? Any advance on five? Do I hear six?

[The Lemon]

I spent five years teaching adult classes. They were fraught with interpersonal politics on a level I rarely saw with the classes of teenagers.

The longest I ever wanted to go with a particular class was a year, but they kept asking the management for me. I didn't take this as a compliment - I think it was because they knew they could control me.

After a year, I felt I'd run out of new tricks. And what was worse, a small number of entrenched core students would effectively chase out newcomers if proper deference to these "old-timers" wasn't paid.

[chollimaspeed]

[hollysuel]

[The_Prodiigy]

Five years - one hour a week with a dentist.

Level was not of the highest and manner somewhat, a little reticent. At times it did feel quite like knitting fog. Cameron commented rather more akin to picking up mercury with a fork.

Together we did each lesson at least more than once and less than five times. To vary it, shake the lessons up I would wear a T-shirt with different design, in another order or mix-'n'-match the question and his answers. There were plethora of similarities - the student never made comment that this lesson or that lesson was a repeat.

Videos, puzzles, playing Nine Mens Morris, Chess and Back Gammon. I made an error and did not allow him to win any games when we played Hungry Hippo so he did not want to play and there was a struggle for a topic to fill in 30 minutes.

Survived.

Never Hangman.

[TheLongWayHome]

My longest conversation class was 54 minutes.

[eslstudies]

I had a great class in China for 2 years. Management types from various companies working for the same umbrella group, there was some flux, but the core group remained the same. They'd still be going now if I didn't have to come back home 3 years ago.
Lovely people and good friends, not to mention very good connections.

[hollysuel]