Job Discussion Forums

[Tretyakovskii]

I'm teaching in a state university in Cancun, Mexico, and would like to partner my classes with university classes at a comparable level of English Language skill in Kashgar, China (or, any other "Silk Road" city). The purpose would be cultural exchange of information, and practice of English Language skills, using the internet, and live satellite links for teleconferencing.

My students are International Business majors and we are studying the Silk Road, at the moment; hence, my search for an exchange with students in Kashgar, or any other city on the Silk Road route with a state university.

Although my students are intermediate/high intermediate/advanced learners, there are 1,200 students in the English Language dept and they represent all levels, starting with false beginner, so there is potential for a wider exchange and practice of English than what is represented by just my students.

If your university is located on a Silk Road city and you'd be interested in exchanging contacts, I'd be happy to set this up with you on an informal, teacher to teacher, class to class basis.

[xi.gua]

while it's a good idea. I find it hard to imagine a classroom in China set up with this kind of technology. I'm sure some of the guys here do have amazing classes, but mine have never been NEAR that good. I've never even gotten a computer or a tv.

The other thing is, our class time is limited here. Most of us teach once a week for each class which isn't really enough time to get teleconferencing going and then you're not doing much in class. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good idea if we taught our kids every day and providing our classes had the technology. I feel like this would be better just to swap MSN's and have them do it on their own. Plus with the time difference, how do our schedules stack up?

[rogerwilco]

My classrooms have the equipment, and each of my classes is 2 periods (almost 2 hours) long.

Sounds like a fun idea to try, but, what about the time difference ?

I believe there is about a 12 hour time difference.

[Tretyakovskii]

Thanks for the replies, guys. Are you teaching at state universities, in a city that was notable for being on the Silk Road? (Xian, formerly Chang'an, would certainly qualify, as would points westward from there along the route used for trade). These two criteria are of interest to me, then the level: my students range from solid intermediate through high intermediate, with perhaps 20% at an advanced stage of learning the language. I have two groups of 24 students, each.

(I could put you in touch with teachers, and groups, at lower levels, but this is not my priority, at the moment: I'd like to get the first exchange done this semester, if possible; that is, before December.)

I imagined we might initially arrange an exchange of videos between teams on either side- with narration, filming and editing done by the students- in which the ordinary life of our students would be depicted.

Cancun is noted for its resorts, but that is not where the life of the city, or the university, is lived. Most of our students are from families of modest means and they attend here, in part, because it is far less expensive than are the private universities in the city. (Tuition here is about $170 USD/semester, at current exchange rates of 12.5 pesos/USD.)

Riding around the typical neighborhoods would reveal homes and buildings built mainly of cinder block, with scrap metal used for outbuildings, parts of roofs, etc. Some streets are unpaved; many others poorly paved. A family might count themselves lucky to have $700/month to live on, and many live on little more than half that. As in many countries, there is a great contrast between the rich, and the rest of society. There is also a significant, and slowly growing, middle class.
_________________

I imagined much of this activity, producing the videos, for example, as taking place outside of class and outside of class hours, as supplemental projects: as for a satellite link/videoconference, I would consider that as a follow on to the initial exchange of videos.

Classes are conducted until 10 PM, here, and start at 7 AM, so our time difference (approximately 12 hours) need not be a barrier, it seems to me; more so, if the students consider this an extracurricular activity.

[HiddenTreasure]

100%, completely, entirely, absolutely unrealistic

[Tretyakovskii]

Though we be poor, there's nothing in what I've suggested that we cannot do. Is there something in my proposal that those in China cannot do? If so, what?

[Tretyakovskii]

We've now finished our study of the Silk Road, and I'd like to know if there are any teachers out there who'd like to connect their classes/students with mine- through exchanges of student made videos depicting student life at our universities- regardless of what part of China they are teaching in.

[Paul D.]

I agree with Hidden Treasure.

It's not going to happen with an entire class in China. Perhaps one or two of the more ambitious students may be interested, but, their heavy class loads will eventually result in a peetering out of what is a good idea. Perhaps your students will also lose interest.

Before I began my 1st university "teaching" job here in China, I had a similar idea and arranged with a friend who taught at a university in the US to set-up an email exchange/foreigner pen pal program between his and my students. We even created a free forum for the students to communicate with each other on, besides emails.

Sadly, after a bunch of promoting by both my friend and I to our respective students of the cultural, email exchange idea, the forum only garnered 3 members. I appreciate my Mother's editorial feedback.

Either way, it is a good idea.

[Tretyakovskii]

Thanks for your comments, Paul. My students would do this (make the videos) because their passing the course would depend on it, if for no other reason. But, often times, they develop some enthusiasm for the projects I give them- most recently, presentations on the Silk Road, done with twelve teams of two students each, using videos, images and information garnered from the web in their presentations. (Some efforts were better than others, none could be termed "professional," but some did a very credible job: for the most part, they have a relatively high level of English Language skill, which makes the task easier, if not easy: three failed this task, owing to inadequate preparation, not knowing their subject sufficiently well.)

For this task, I'd probably have both my classes do it, in teams of four: this would produce about 12 videos to be exchanged (approximately 48 students would be involved on this end). I'd match the groups for ability, so their videos could then be exchanged with teams of a similar language ability. (My least able students are solid low intermediate, I'd say: most are at least solid intermediate, with perhaps 25% solid high intermediate, a few are approaching advanced.)

They would have three weeks to produce a finished product, which would then be shown to their classes for a co-evaluation, and a teacher evaluation. At that point, they would be exchanged.

Unfortunately, our semester ends December 8th, so this would have to be initiated, very soon, to have any chance of happening in a timely fashion.

[Paul D.]

"Even Flow" the concept won't work with the mostly apathetic Chinese students who simply attend the Oral English class because they are required to do so, I wouldn't mind kicking back near the beach in Cancun. Any ideas?

The idea of being in the same time zone as my folks, as well as food I like is appealing.

Sorry, Zhongguo - I'd rather eat chips and dips than some of the stuff served here.

Too many noodles running through my veins; too many noodles driving me insane.

I might just call "The Police".

"...(approximately 48 students on this end)..."

I have approximately 1080.

[Tretyakovskii]

I'm a little surprised no one has felt they were in a position to respond to my proposal of an exchange of videos, narrated by the student producers, of the students' life in China, on a class-to-class basis.

I've polled my students, and perhaps 1/3 or more have access to digital video cameras, making it a viable undertaking. We would do these by groups, four students to a group, and preview them in class, enjoying watching them and determining marks to be given each effort, based on the students' opinion and my own.

We would then exchange them with the Chinese side.

We've got the technical capacity (not much is required, obviously), and the students will do it, if I require it as part of their classwork.

It's difficult for me to guess what the limitations on the Chinese side may be that prevent a response, at this point. I know that the readership of any forum, including this one, represents only a tiny fraction of those who labor as teachers in public institutions in China, but I thought there would at least be some who could respond from among those who read and post here.

[Tretyakovskii]

A teacher at a Chinese University has replied to my suggestion, indicating some of his students had expressed an interest in preparing a video for exchange.

Eight of my students are currently working together to develop their video, depicting the typical student's life with an anticipated date of completion of about Nov 15.

If you have thought some of your students would enjoy this activity and the practice it would give them in the creative use of the English Language- conceiving things to be depicted in the video, writing the script for the narration, as well as presenting, filming and editing the product- we can easily exchange our video with more than one group of students, at more than one Chinese University.

Please let me know if you're interested.

[xiao51]

[Tretyakovskii]

Thanks for your thoughts, and comments. I'm aware that internet use is monitored, and have had depth conversations, face to face, with Chinese Nationals who were summoned to the PSB to explain themselves over one or more messages they sent abroad.

However, this is the sort of thing I would never consider getting permission for, as that would convert it into an official act and require everyone to sign off on it: having nothing to gain by approving it, I'd expect one or more to refuse to approve it.

For those who might choose to go ahead with a project of this sort, I'd put it in the category of "it's easier to apologize, than to get permission". That has been the case everywhere I've worked, and I've never had to apologize for anything, as I've never even gotten to the stage of being questioned about anything I've done.

China, for me, proved to be the least problematic of anywhere I've lived and worked, but there are no guarantees in life, for anyone. It didn't cross my mind to do an exchange of this sort while I was there, so I don't know how it might have gone, nor did I work in a university, so I don't know any of the special characteristics of that work.

The video that I conceive is innocuous, but I recognize that others might think it otherwise.

[7969]

doez mexico recognize the one china policy?