Job Discussion Forums

AgentMulderUK · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:49 am Post subject: Most boring student ever

Q: So , Kaori , what's the most interesting thing you have ever done in your life?

A: Sleep

meh

nawlinsgurl · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 1:45 pm Post subject:

No I once had a student in my first months at Nova. He refused to do anything but stare at the table. He was not special ed or anything, just forced to go there by his parents. I used to do lessons with him there, but using a fake voice of the student. He would just stare at the table. Then one day I discovered he like the game "Shogi", suddenly he came to life. But then I had to change every lesson to something involving Shogi. And I found after a few months of that, I just didn't have the effort to do it.

Canuck2112 · Joined: 13 Jun 2003 Posts: 239

My school once had a student who decided to take a year off from studying English. When he returned the following year I had the first class with him.

Me: So, Tomohiro, long time no see! Tell me about some things you did this past year.

Him: <1 minute silence> Nothing special.

Me: I'm sure there must have been something! Did you go anywhere? Make any new friends? Any changes at work?

Him: <long pause> No, nothing special, but...<another pause...I got hopeful that he'd give me SOMETHING to go with here>....nothing special.

Me: So nothing happened in the past year? NOTHING?

Him: No

Me: Outstanding. Open to page 17.

I cannot bring myself to believe that some Japanese people are THAT LAME. It's almost impossible. I think they must have some reason for not volunteering information. As far as learning a language goes, this practice is just idiotic. LIE! MAKE SOMETHING UP!! I honestly couldn't care less what you did last year, but for the sake of practicing English INVENT SOMETHING!!

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Way back in 1996 I had a student at Nova who didn't say anything at all, ever. She had man to man lessons of course, and nothing any of us tried could make her speak, so it was mostly just asking questions and then supplying the answers ourselves. I suppose the idea that she would pay all that money and then not talk at all made her interesting in a way...

AndyH · Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 417

Sounds like a student I had, for a year. He just wanted to be entertained, and expected me to talk to him in English for one hour, once per week, without him contributing anything to the conversations. It got old, really quick, and by the time my year was up, I couldn't wait to be rid of him, even though he was a nice guy.

Yawarakaijin · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 504 Location: Middle of Nagano

Try teaching inside an engineering company. These guys work 75 hours a week and they have to get in English classes.

So what did you do on your weekend? Sleep.
What did you do for Golden Week? Sleep.
Do you have any plans for the weekend? I will Sleep.

Hell, I've started making all my questions about the future so I can have the excitement of hearing a few modals thrown in here and there. Wink

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

Does anybody know if this kind of questioning is considered by some Japanese to be really personal, I mean students might be reluctant to let on that in fact they are a stalwart of the Harajuku fashion scene and spend most weekends out clubbing 'til the wee hours, because it looks bad ?

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

It is too personal for some people I imagine. What many students don't seem to get though is that it doesn't matter what they say, the point is that they say something and expand on it in order to practice their English. I'd rather my students made something up than say nothing.

When I was learning Spanish and French, if I had had a boring weekend I used to use something I had done up to several years before just for the sake of the conversation, because I actually wanted to practice. It seems like that kind of idea just doesn't occur to most eikaiwa students, or maybe they just want to be scrupulously honest...

slodziak · Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 143 Location: Tokyo

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

so we should have them talk about what they dream about, or to describe their nightmares.

AgentMulderUK · Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

Indeed so. I thought, great, let's get her on the dream story theme.

Q: "So,Kaori, you enjoy sleeping. Can you tell me about any dreams you had?"

A: "I don't have dream"

Abandon hope all ye who enter here.

khusam · Joined: 06 Jul 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Oppama

I swear, some people here take English conversation classes as an alternative to getting mental health care.

One student I had always replied to the 'news' question with "special nothing". And that was it for the whole class. 3 years later, still no way to make her say "nothing special". Boring is a bit better than creepy, though.. had a student refuse to speak in class as "there's no reason to listen to you or answer any questions".

AndyH · Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 417

Actually, I did have one student who told me that his weekly English classes were a form of therapy to him!
He had a very stressful job (he was doing his residency as a new doctor), and not much personality.

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

southofreality · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Posts: 579 Location: Tokyo

If I ever start my own school (which I won't), the slogan will be "We can teach you English, but we can't give you a personality."