Job Discussion Forums

[hash]

1- I realize, of course, that in our home countries, that is in the English speaking world, you may get classes with students of many nationalities. Your Arabic isn't going to help you with a class composed of Ukranian, Vietnamese, Spanish, German and Taiwanese students. In that case, you'll have to resort to only English in class out of necessity.

I've never had such classes but I don't see how they can really be effective beyond the most basic sentence types: what time is it, what's your name, where are you from, etc. It's like a doctor trying to cure several divergent diseases with the same medicine. It just doesn't work because it can't.

Further, most students in western countries - i mean Americans, Brits, French, Australian and so on, when studying foreign languages themselves ARE ALWAYS TAUGHT THESE FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN ENGLISH or French or whatever the language of the students is.

If my French teacher had come into class and started blurting out everything in French and informed us that no English would be used in class - ever- she'd be booted out of her job before the day ended. Yet that's what many ESL teachers are expected to do.

That's why, for me, most ESL classes in KSA have a feeling of "unreality" somehow.....I'd say a good half, in some places, a good three quarters of the teachers are basically "motor-mouths"......they walk into class AND NEVER STOP TALKING. It's like they're in a trance.....nearly shouting and spouting out utter drivel that no student is understanding. I never say anything but just walk by shaking my head. I guess the idea is to make "noise"....to be moving...to show that you're DOING SOMETHING. It's a total disconnect between the teacher and the student. It's a dehumanization of the student.....he's not really there.....he's barely human....it's a total terror and rejection of confronting a completely alien culture....... It's pathetic.

Bottom line: all languages learned in school by most students are taught in the native language of the students - how else can you get students to understand even the most basic instructions in the foreign language? You can't. But in KSA, the instructions are invariably presented at a level WAY beyond the abilities of the students. You end up looking ridiculous - and you end up disadvantaging most of the students in class (and thus they give up as of day one).

During my own days as a (many) languages student, not once was I confronted with a similar situation as what you find in KSA....not even close. Had I been, I'm convinced there would have been a major and immediate overhaul of the teaching methodology by the errant teacher. It wouldn't have been tolerated for a single second. But in KSA, it's the norm (and therefore, totally unsuccessful).

[scot47]

"Only Use English in the EFL Classroom" is of course a fundamental tenet of those strange people in the IH school of language teaching. I will say no more in caser my blood pressure goes through the roof.

Time to lie down.

[MixtecaMike]

In eight years I learned so little Arabic it is embarrassing, but the minuscule amount I had was used to show students you needn't be shy about making mistakes in a foreign language and general amusement (for the students).
These days I am not supposed to speak Spanish in class, and make a big deal of looking around for (non-existent) supervisors whenever I speak it.
Ridiculous rule, and I 100% agree with Hash in that we white devils all insisted on being taught foreign tongues by English-speaking teachers.

[aliasrachel]

[scot47]

I left EFL too - I retired !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[worldtraveler411]

From what I have read and seen the students want one on one direct conversation even in the classroom. Not whole group. You go to each individual student and address them.
I have seen some pairwork.

No causing them to lose face. No screaming etc..
Even the tests they want to work together.
No critical thinking skills.

Animals are okay and usually safe. No Madonna, western culture stars etc..
I know a recruiter service that lost their contract because the book had a picture of Madonna.(another middle East country, not Saudi Arabia.) Of course that could have been the excuse. They were using western style esl books but I think that has now greatly changed.

Absolutely NO MUSIC!! My students would flip out even with the introduction instrumental music which was only 10 seconds.

Take some interest in learning their culture and language.

[scot47]

Group work can sometimes be okay. IH-style pair-work is often a no-no in my experience. Difficult to find teaching materials that are okay. Publishers are slow to learn !

[bigdurian]

[Hatcher]

I would say the what they want most is to not be there. The attitude that most display toward education is pathetic and if they were serious, they would be at a top uni or even outside the country.

After that, funny and a good personal relationship are important.