Job Discussion Forums

[william wallace]

I've been teaching/aiding this 18 year old kid since September(ends next week) he started with me a solid Band 3- His mom wanted him in a UK high school LAST year. I ranted and raved at him when he deviated from my prescription to have him Band 5-5.5 by June.His mom's sage response was to put him in OZ at guomao(where in one class it was entirely devoted to a Jackie Chan movie-of all possible movies!!), but the inevitable happened(as I had predicted to the boy: he started going through FTs like dirty underwear(3 in one week alone).His mother also got him a tutor for after my class.Now he was a 26 year old professional teacher with over 10 years experience and his own school.The student in question loved this guy cuz he'd spend the 2 hour lesson reading, and if he came to bits he didn't understand, the 26 year old would translate it into Chinese so the boy could understand.
That's the background.
Now he's off to Canada for starting CANADIAN high school in February-I did a sample test on him yesterday and I gave him a Band 3.5-4.He'll be staying at a home stay provided by this high school.He's had NO language assessment (IELTS,TOEFL), he has the visa...For me and my ego, what use was I ? The bigger issue is: how in the world will he be able to function in what I presume is a normal high school ? Not even ESL preparation!! wow

[mike w]

Simple answer - he won't be able to function.

Simple question - do I take it from the title to this thread that without a B.Ed, one cannot be a professional teacher?

[eslstudies]

To go straight into an Australian high school at year 11/12, an international student needs an IELTS of 5.00/5.5.
If they cannot manage this score they can do one or two semesters of Intensive English.
It is my experience [and I work in this sector] that even with these scores, many students find the task beyond them. This is even more so if they live in a Chinese homestay and immerse themselves in a Chinese social life. Unfortunately, many choose this path.
These kids go into an environment of native speakers, where most teachers don't have ESL awareness, let alone training. A 3.5/4 would put them at the language level of a local 6 year old, if that. Still, it's their money!

[bdawg]

[eslstudies]

[vikuk]

[Brian Caulfield]

William having worked in schools in Canada I can assure you he won't be in a normal school but a special school for immigrants. Even if he is a band 9 he won't be in a normal school. Canada has set up this system not to make sure his Engish is sufficient enough to survive in a regular school , but to protect the WASP's kids from being outscored by the Asians on other subjects like math and science. Go to any high school in Canada and you will see that the top ten in that school are probably 50% Asian.
His parents will be paying mega bucks and he will probably do the same sandbagging there that he does here. Vancouver and Toronto are inundated with these rip off schools that are supposedly accredited with the ministries of education in the different provinces. He will probably be in a Hong Kong family homestay also.
In Korea I saw the same thing. They would spend huge amounts of money and find out their child was living with Koreans in Canada.

[laska]

wow. informative!

[Lorean]

Where in Canada are they sending him? If he goes to school in Vancouver or Toronto, then the temptation to segregate himself may be too great.

I would not be too concerned about him being able to follow along - Canadian high schools are a joke, not much to learn anyways, four years of glorified socializing. He is going over there for language immersion right? EXCEPT since he's 18, he would be entering grade 12 which has serious courses. Canadian universities care about grade 12 marks when making admission decisions; however, since he is a foreign student this probably will never apply to him.

[TreKidation]

I live in a country of more than 1.3 BILLION people and I have no issue isolating/segregating myself. Is Canada so intrusive that you cannot remain so? YIKES!!

[malu]

[beck's]

Canadian school boards use these wealthy Chinese kids as cash cows. I have taught a few of them in Canadian high schools over the years. They pay huge tuition and are immersed into the regular classes with limited or no support--in my case it was my English lit classs.

They are given passing marks, sleep and listen to their MP3 players. The school boards provide no resources to the host teachers in the form of curriculum or workbooks. The Canadian teachers try to get materials but the boards say there is no money which is bulls-t given the high tution. The teachers eventually give up and since the Asian kids are not discipline problems they are allowed to veg. After a couple of weeks the kids start to skip classes, shop for designer clothing and hang around Asian university students in Chinatown. The girl I taught last year would spend $300 on a pair of jeans.

At the end of the year come back to China and their parents have huge face because their kid has studied abroad and the school boards make off like bandits with the cash. That's how it works.

[Lorean]

[Brian Caulfield]

There are good programs and great recources in Canada. I worked for the government of Canada teaching immigrants 14 years ago . The libraries in VAncouver are full of ESL materials. Vancouver Community College has an excellent program but there is a waiting list. Concordia University in Montreal also runs a top of the notch program but it is more designed for people who want to graduate work. The rip off programs are mainly run by Asians. Like the late Rodger used to say," The Chinese rip off each other more often than us."

[eslstudies]