Job Discussion Forums

[nickpellatt]

In fairness ... what a University lecturer does in the West isnt that relevant IMO. They normally lecture in L1. Different ball game to teaching using L2.

[xiaolongbaolaoxi]

Yes we can address L1/L2 issues forever, but a key concept to keep in mind is that independent learning skills are not valued highly. That is, students will be able to memorize huge amounts of data that you will never be able to do (even if you created/provided the data), but classroom routines/procedures and skills that are addressed and constantly modeled/corrected/addressed in the west can be VERY new to students. Turning homework on time can be a major issue (and a large part of this is that your class may be receiving messages from CTs that your class is not a serious one), amazing plagiarism, delivering a speech without reading directly from a notecard, rotating groups, setting priorities and making deadlines, etc. CTs will frequently give answers to questions, so there is no reason to even venture a guess, and CTs will provide answers to questions on the final (and on that, final examinations in China receive a much/very high grade weighting/percentage that I never experienced in undergraduate or graduate school). There is a serious amount of "this is the expectation and this is how you meet it" involved in teaching in China. It's easy to address this is you have a teaching background and can show photos of your elementary students doing highly involved tasks that your students have never attempted; it starts a great discussion about differences in education (a lot of countries don't have do-or-die college entrance exams but we do have something, students are expected to do major parts of schoolwork outside of school, students can pick their classes and majors [which is not realistic for Chinese students as the parents may tell them and the structure(s) of courses don't allow a lot of flexibility], the dramatically smaller class size in western classrooms allows teachers to do a lot more things because we are watching 20-35 kids not 60, elementary students will probably have the same teacher for most of the day, etc.) They will catch the hint. If you don't have access to such pics and have done a large/weighty paper in college, this could work out well (as most of the students I met have to do a very involved senior thesis and really have little experience in this)... "This was my topic, what do you think I had to do to get 30-80 pages?". As most people have to satisfy foreign language requirements for a college degree, you can ask them what is the best way to study xyz language and get ideas/conversation from there, as well as insight as to what they think is important in education. (Do not be surprised if the course/methods they name is [or are used by] the teacher who is the most fashionable/best dressed. Also, vocabulary will be stressed, which is fine, until you realize that vocabulary in China means huge amounts of rote memorization with very little break; there is no "ten words a day.") My wife (native PRC, three dialects) taught in a Chinese uni, and was completely shocked by the lack of responsibility: students had cut and pasted from the internet, turned in the immaculate prose, and asked her why she asked them "why did you turn in something you know I would have read on the net?" Their response was, "We turned it in, it is obviously our work, there is no problem with it, so you need to give us a good grade." She was then bombarded with emails "we love your class," "you are a great teacher, " etc. Got zeros anyway. It's not just FTs.

Thus endeth the sermon.

Aloha,

XLB

[shenyanggerry]

I usually have at least a couple of discussions in groups of three or four. All have the same topic. It took me years to get a good list of discussion topics. After the discussion, I ask each group to put their conclusions on the board. Watch their lips! They can't make them move too fast using English.

One that I use is ask each group to come up with three words to describe the spouse they'd like to have - then define 'spouse'. Make sure they don't use their translators unless you want words like 'filial'.

Another exercise I use is pair work. Give the topic and they have one minute to prepare then they must speak for two - in English. After two minutes, I call 'time, second person begin'. Use easy topice everyone can speak on like Your Mother, Your Grandfather, Your Primary School, etc.

I also often give them a listening exercise by talking about any special days that happen like Mother's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Christmas, Labour Day, etc.