Job Discussion Forums

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

I thought about it long and hard; it really was a minor thing, but sometimes if you give an inch........

Silent Shadow · Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 3:03 am Post subject:

Well, that "minor thing", could have had major consequences if they had later demanded that you took those English corners.

You did the right thing. Three English corners are too much. I would not feel comfortable signing a contract with that clause in, if I didn't want to attend them (and I wouldn't want to attend them).

bnej · Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 57 Location: Toronto

What's an English Corner exactly? I have a general idea... but it's kinda vague.

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

It's a semi-scheduled gathering at a pre-arranged spot on a campus where students will kinda hang out and speak English. You get a VERY wide range of English proficiency. It's okay for the students, but for a teacher (particularly a foreign teacher who doesn't speak the native language) it can be a recipe for a huge headache. Said teacher will spend most of the time doing all of the talking because of the curious onlookers who spend the entire time listening to the students translate everything that you say. It's like a very intense primary school classroom. They want a song and dance man.

dakelei · Joined: 17 May 2009 Posts: 351 Location: USA

And we won't even get into how at each one a "new" attendee will ask the same questions you were asked last time and the time before that, etc. I taught at a uni for one term and there were 3 EC's every week. They got very old very fast. One colleague simply refused to go to them and his contract wasn't renewed.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Still haven't quite got my head around 3 per week.
What are the other FTS doing?
We have 8 FTs. We rotate and it works out about 3x per semester, per teacher. The Cleric mentioned something similar.
I refuse to do the dumb questions routine and insist on some learning taking place. A bit of vocab, sentence formation from cue words.
I did a routine from the Interchange Beginner (yellow) book last time. I had a set of keys and a small box.
The students formed sentences 'The keys are in/under/beside/behind/on top of the box'.
Worked well but a big effort for little as I had FOUR students attending!

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Thanks John
That makes more sense.
I think you did the right thing BUT wouldn't it be great if the Chinese actually asked FTs for input before putting out decrees!

LanGuTou · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 621 Location: Shandong