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007
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2684
Location: UK/Veteran of the Magic Kingdom
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 Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Never Ceased To Be Amazed wrote: |
| The main criticisms of British teachers that I've ever heard is that they are not as "warm" as the American teachers...NCTBA |
Well, I guess the Brits will blame the Americans for their rudeness!
The tasteless Mickey Mouse pop-culture of Ameerika is infiltrating UK, UAE and other countries, and with it comes the American vulgarity of Jerry Springer and other such impoliteness!
I hope I haven't offended Uncle Sam, just reporting MY perceptions!  |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject: |
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Dear 007,
Much as I hate to point it out, "the tasteless Mickey Mouse pop-culture of Ameerika" can "infiltrate" other lands only if the people there are receptive to it.
Poor taste, believe it or not, is hardly confined to the USA (though admittedly, we're probably Number One.)
Regards,
John |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: ESL or FL? |
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| Iamherebecause wrote: |
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| The best jobs in the UAE (for both pay/benefits and conditions) are at university level teaching Academic Writing (basically standard US Freshman Comp 1&2). |
That's a snip from another topic and sums up what I meant ages ago when I mentioned that sometimes North Americans don't distinguish between ESL and EFL. Indeed, as I understand it Freshman Comp is for native speakers. Is teaching writing at tertiary level here really akin to teaching writing in the US? Surely the fact that students are not surrounded by English outside the classroommakes a difference? They are also not sharing the Freshman writing course with native speakers; they are not necessarily doing other courses through the medium of English; they have not 'bought in' to US/Anglo-Saxon/Western (choose your favourite epithet) culture and education; they are unlikely to live in an English speaking country. All these factors affect student attitudes and knowledge, how much exposure they get to English and how fast they are going to acquire the language. |
Here we have an example of pulling things from context and I don't believe it proves your point at all. This was written as an explanation for a fellow American with whom the topic was also discussed by PM - note the addition of the word "basically." I didn't find any more 'confusion' of EFL or ESL in North Americans than in teachers from any other English speaking country. To me ESL means you are teaching students in a country where English is the first language and EFL is if you are teaching students outside of these. The problem is materials we are pushed to use by managements overseas are often ESL - both British and American - which is written for students who are assumed to be residing away from their home countries... way too much cultural baggage included.
The courses I am referring to here are the courses beyond ESL/EFL Foundations and are neither. It is Academic Writing to prepare them to write in their content courses. Naturally for the foreign students in the US, they are at a major disadvantage as they have to compete for grades with native speakers.
In the Gulf, the classes are a hybrid. Because of this factor, I found that there is really no existing text that works - and thus didn't use one for the many years that I taught this level in the Gulf. You have to adjust and adapt materials to match what your university has set as a goal for these students. (whether they choose to match upper IELTS bands or their own banding system) You have to use more culturally appropriate materials and to be honest, bring things down to their level - which is what brings in ESL/EFL materials in...
VS |
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