Job Discussion Forums

[btt73]

Just got my schedule for fall semester. In addition to the usual oral English classes, it includes one class called "European Culture." I know it would be foolish to expect any guidance from my FAO as to what they want me to teach, so I thought I'd ask if anyone on this board has experience with this type of class.


I'm from the US, I've never really studied European culture, but I guess my white face suffices as a qualification. Should I be giving lectures about art, religion, music, lifestyle, etc.? That's a lot more work than the typical oral English class, but it could be interesting.

[johntpartee]

I'm afraid I can't help you much. They just sprung this on you? You can help me. Give me the name of your school so I can avoid the place. Unreal.

[China Guy]

Yikes, that's a tough one. Best advice is just to have discussions in class about big European events in history. Maybe do some lessons on major countries food, traditions, etc. Best of luck.

[themanymoonsofjupiter]

wouldn't like this sprung on me last minute, but would love to teach it instead of oral english. would be more work, but i wouldn't care. how about portraying france as a real-life place instead of a place full of romance, for one?

[Zero]

Potential lesson topics:

-Manpurses
-Skinny jeans for men
-Unshaved armpits for women. (Chinese students will relate to this.)
-Dirtyness.
-29 weeks or so of vacation per year.

[cormac]

To the OP, Europe has plenty of extremely different types of cultures in a rather small geographical area. Why not pick a different country each week, and do some minor research in an area of interest (for the students), and give a basic presentation of it, followed by class discussion? Get the students to make suggestions of areas of interest at the start of the term, and base your research on those areas. You could do a class review/test at the end of each month to see what students remember or can compared to other European cultures. [I'd be careful of the political side of European culture, since its boring. Keep to boy bands, drinking, fashion, etc]

Being Irish, I've received a lot of interest from the Chinese about Ireland, and what's different between the Irish and the British. Usually leads on to explanations as to who the Scottish and the Welsh are. Its funny how many Asians think William Wallace (Braveheart) was Irish history not Scottish.

[Miles Smiles]

Ask the languages department for a western history textbook. Then ask to teach American culture.

You could also discuss the various European ethnic groups in America: when they arrived; why they came; their contributions to American culture, etc.. This would allow you to give mini lessons on various European countries within the context of American culture.

[nickpellatt]

What does your employer actually want you to do/cover? Do they actually want you to lecture students?? That sounds like it would be terribly boring to me. Should the students actually learn something, or is it just meant to be a 'fun' class in which they listen to a foreigner tell stories?

How big are the classes? What ability level are the students? Do you have access to printers and photocopiers?

'Culture' covers a pretty broad topic. In my experience, when students ask about 'culture' they arent asking about the renaissance art movement or morris dancing. They are asking more about current affairs, how people live today, what they are worried about, what they aspire to and are interested in. Topics of that nature are likely to be more engaging IMO.

What I would do is use lesson material from The Guardian UK newspaper. They adapt current news stories on a variety of topics for EFL lessons, and these lesson include an adapted text with a variety of exercises. These cover speaking and reading skills, and also language points of grammar and vocabulary. These lessons are available on the Guardian website and are free to download.

I have used them quite a lot. Im in the UK now, and used one last week that was called 'Germans told to eat less meat to save the planet' and I am using one tomorrow about nightclubs in Ibiza. They dont always focus on European stories, but they do feature them quite a lot.

These lessons are really good in training centres, and really engage the students. The variety offered in the material does allow any student to take something from it, regardless of their different needs.

Im not sure it would work so well in a Uni though, class sizes not lend themselves to decent interactive lessons IMO, and that is exactly why I would be hard pushed to ever accept Uni work, but Ill save that for another thread

[powerrose]

If you have the ability to hook your computer up to a TV/projector, I think its fun and stress-free to show a clip of something at the beginning of the lesson (Italian cooking show, travel show, clip from a French movie). If you feel ambitious, you can type up a transcript and have a ton of worksheet options: fill in the blank, multiple choice, word scrambles.

Anyway, that was just my coping mechanism for dealing with frackin' 90 minute classes. I agree with doing country by country, and you could do things like plan trips, choose hotels, analyze menus (and practice ordering), etc.

You could finish the lessons by learning a short dialogue or a song in each language, another fun time-killer.

[Hindi2610]

I'll say how about teaching some of the Euro classics? Alfred Hitchcock, Sheerlock Holmes, the Beatles? The Kinks?

[btt73]

First of all, thanks for all of your replies.


I don't know how it is at your schools, but at mine, I have never been given a curriculum for any class, and I've never been held to any standard beyond showing up every day. So I don't expect them to provide any guidance in terms of what the content of the course should be, and I don't expect them to really care what I do with it. Still, I have my own standards and I want the class to be worthwhile.


I think, in line with several of the replies above, the class could easily be turned into a more general "Western Culture" class. Each week I could bring an article or give a short lecture about a given topic, and then break the class into groups to do an activity. More along the lines of an oral English class with a "Western Culture" emphasis.


These are 90 minute classes, I don't want to bore the students to death, and giving hour and a half lectures each week would be well beyond my pay grade, so I feel like this is probably the best way to approach it.

[rogerwilco]

"European Culture" in Chinglish probably has the same meaning as "Western Culture".

Might as well just talk about what interests you and have fun.


"I have never been given a curriculum for any class, and I've never been held to any standard beyond showing up every day."

Same for me at my school.

[Blingcosa]

Just take everything you hate about Chinese culture and reverse it. Tell them:
Europeans wait in line
In Europe people speak quietly
They don't spit or toss rubbish in the street
Their children can't just take a crap wherever they like
It isn't considered polite to stare at people
You should NOT peer into people's shopping carts, handbags or laptops
etc etc etc

Also, teach them how to use a knife and fork, that should fill up at least a couple of lessons.

[nickpellatt]

I think, in line with several of the replies above, the class could easily be turned into a more general "Western Culture" class. Each week I could bring an article or give a short lecture about a given topic, and then break the class into groups to do an activity. More along the lines of an oral English class with a "Western Culture" emphasis.

Yeah, I would say thats the way to go. Just do regular Oral English classes, but the source material should always be related to something specifically European or Western. You can experiment with this, and include songs perhaps? Texts can show both positive and negative sides of Western culture, and if enough activities are included they could turn out to be good lessons for both you and the students.


I don't know how it is at your schools, but at mine, I have never been given a curriculum for any class, and I've never been held to any standard beyond showing up every day.

I know people always pop up in training school / EF type threads, but I have to say....this type of set up (which seems typical of most Uni jobs) is why Uni teaching should be avoided IMO. Definitely the lowest level of EFL employment, and unlikely to add anything to a CV or teaching experience / skills. Not knocking you btt, but your Uni sounds typical of most Uni gigs, and I am amazed that posters than frequently state Uni gigs are the ones to have whilst slating training schools.

Good luck with the classes though, and let us know how you get on

[Sashadroogie]

What is this 'Western culture'?