Job Discussion Forums

[mcl sonya]

I recently did a mid-semester teacher evaluation, for my own sake and also because that's what my GSI's (graduate student teachers) always did. I got a lot of good feedback - more games and slang for the lower level classes, more free talk for the english majors (what exactly is free talk?) and they'd like to go outside sometime and have me sit in a circle with them. They also want to know more about my personal life. I have no idea how any of this would involve them talking or how it could be done.

free talk sounds cool, but how does this work? I have such a hard time getting them to talk about anything with me unless I give them time to come up with things in group and present things together. They explained that they love answering questions, but that they want to make sure they have the perfect answer. I've been telling them there's no such thing as a stupid answer but it isn't working. I've been thinking of topics for them to discuss, but everything I could think about talking about was already done during their debates. Someone suggested current events, but wouldn't I get my ass fired for talking about that? I was thinking about giving them riddles or poems to discuss, but it would be hard to find good ones they can handle and discuss I think. I studied literature in French and I hardly remember anything from high school English classes, but I don't think they want translations of interesting passages from French. They also want new ways of talking to each other, outside of dialogues and the occasional game. Does anyone have any advice on new ways to make them talk to each other in English? I'd love it if we didn't do group work and dialogues all the time, because I feel like a lot of time gets killed in them. I had them pretend to go on dates recently (also a lesson on how to politely order food in America) and they loved that, the whole class was in stitches and attentively listening the entire time and the students were getting really creative, but if I feel like generally whenever they perform in front of the class, the rest of the class gets really bored and tunes out.

In the tourism classes the students do famous places in the English speaking world presentations, but they plagiarize and don't know what they're saying so badly that no one understands what they're saying, not even I. It is an endless struggle to get them to stop copying things and write their own presentation. I don't know what to do about it. The kids say they want to learn about new places, but I don't know how to introduce new places without doing all the talking myself. And how would I get them to talk afterwards?

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Generally my classes are going well, and they say they like them, it's just I need to find something to replace introducing a topic and having them discuss it in groups.

I'm also thinking of reintroducing the star system from elementary school and awarding smarties (parents brought me a huge sack of them) whenever someone accumulates enough stars by asking questions or telling me I'm speaking too fast or am using vocabulary they don't understand. This seems like a stroke of genius to me. Hopefully it works and breaks the silence.

[Mpho]

Sonya, I too teach tourism classes. I'm a little luckier most of my students talk. But I get them to talk more by taking them to the library and going to the tourism section and getting them to pick a book. You would be amazed there are hundreds some in English most in Chinese.

Get them to give a book report or a "place" report. Have them do it in Chinese and then ask them to do it in writing in English and then after finished to read it to the class. They are the expert, ask questions as a tourist of them a guide. I use this technique a lot and it works.

Similarly, tell them ahead of time where you will be going and have them research a different part of the topic and they can talk for a minute or two on their part of the place.

Similarly, I assign internet research on a place and let them come up with info. Who cares if they copy, plagarize or whatever. You're to get them to talk. Even if they all say the same thing, it is talking.

Likewise, help them by preparing a site visit ahead of time, a dialogue, whatever and let them present to the class. Then have them rewrite the dialogue so that they are the guide and you the tourist asking questions as they prepare the dialogue.

Mpho

[flutterbayou]

I sometimes assign students radio programming to listen to (if it is available, that is). www.npr.org is one great station, because students can listen to any program repeatedly and then give a summary of a news topic in class.You need not fear the news items, because they range from arts and culture to sports and technology. Travel is included, too, I believe.

Here are a few other activities, which could be revised for topics in tourism:


Pass the Bottle: Chinese version of Musical Chairs

Music is played while the group passes around a bottle. When the music stops, the one left holding the bottle has to perform in some way. Here are suggestions:

1. Tell us about your best friend
2. Tell us about something that made you laugh.
3. What is your favorite animal, and why?
4. What is your taste in clothing?
5. Talk about a dream you cannot forget.
6. Describe the home you want someday.
7. Sing a song in English!
8. Where will you be in 10 years & what will you be doing?
9. What did you do last night?
10. Which movie star would you like to have dinner with?
11. What does your room look like?
12. Who is the most interesting person in history, and why?
13. Talk about your favorite tv program.
14. What was the happiest moment you had in the past year?
15. Talk about a recent movie you liked.
16. What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
17. What are your hopes for the future?
18. What do you like to do with your free time?
19. Tell us about something you think is stupid.
20. Tell us about your favorite love story.

Drop and Run: A great memory game
Divide the group into teams of four.
Take a reading excerpt that is typed out, and cut it into strips, so that the paragraphs are separated. Tape each paragraph to the wall in the corridor, out of sequence. One member of the team is designated �scribe,� and another team member goes out to the corridor, memorizes one paragraph and has to repeat it to the writer, who writes it down. Second team member rushes out to memorize the next paragraph, and then relates it to the scribe. This goes on until all sections are written, then the team must number each paragraph in logical sequence. The race between teams is fun, and this is a good exercise in reading, speaking, and listening!!!
Sample text is on the following page:

With so many people on the roads, it is necessary for everyone to know how to drive safely. That�s why you � and all other drivers � must pass a test to get a driver�s license before you drive.

It takes time and practice to become a safe driver. You will have to learn how to drive safely in fog, snow, and other dangerous weather conditions. You will also have to learn how to drive in different traffic situations.

In the city, for example, you have to be careful about traffic at cross-streets. On expressways, you don�t have to deal with cross-traffic, but you must know how to change lanes and pass other cars.

Finally, you have to learn the driving laws. Many of these are common sense. For example, according to the law, you must wear your safety belt when you drive. And, of course, you must not drive under the influence of alcohol.

[Andre 3000]

Sonya,

I was teaching oral English to college-age Chinese students and had a lot of success with the materials on this guy's website:
http://waze.net/oea/
I used his "weekly chatshow" on a regular basis, finding that it gave the students the chance to prepare something to say. It was also pretty easy to prepare for: I would supplement the activity with questions taken from this site:
http://iteslj.org/questions/
Best, Andre

[mcl sonya]

hey, this is fantastic. thanks for all of the suggestions. I love these websites; pass the bottle sounds like a good game, and making the students act like tour guides is brilliant. the problem right now is that they copy so much that they don't even understand what they're saying, unless they look up all the words, then the rest of the class doesn't understand. but if people are asking questions then they'll have to put it in a way people understand.

thanks!

[Lorean]

I had to teach tourism last year. It sounds like your class is going a lot better than mine.

From my experiences, 'free talk' doesn't work in China. This is because there is very little expressive energy in the society. In my Japanese and Chinese classes back home, some of us were absolutely thrilled when we figured out to put together sentences like "我是你爸爸", and got a good laugh.

To get them to talk, you will have to stimulate them with topics which are of interest to them. I've had success with talking about dating, the Japanese, and the Koreans. Sometimes it is useful to rile'em up with statements like "studying history is a waste of time".

You should be okay talking about current affairs so long as you remain objective.

Presentations are only useful for burning class time.

You cannot stop them from plagiarizing unless you supervise them while they prepare their presentation. That is, they are given the presentation topic in class, and must prepare for and present their presentation in class. (This is not a bad idea, it has worked for my writing class)

Almost all the public speeches I have had the misery of listening to have all been nothing more than incoherent babble. Half the students cannot pronounce English, the other forty-nine percent have no notion of English structure.