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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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 Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 11:55 am Post subject: |
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| gaijinalways wrote: |
Sasha , a belated welcome back to the net.
If you went back to the early '90s, and 80s, yes, you would meet a fair amount of those types. At that time, Japan (and some other places) was rife with people like that. Recently, no. Even mom and pop conversation schools here now have a curriculum and some kind of linguistic system, all of which include elements of grammar, structure, etc..
Students in these economic times complain about very insignificant things nowadays, it's a given that they can be very demanding about the quality of their language lessons. And one thing they're not demanding is someone who can only teach about only their experience.
Now as to that experience, it depends on what it is related to. When I teach business clients, having some knowledge of inventory systems, recruiting, and marketing puts me out in front of liberal arts degree holders, because simply I know what the clients are talking about. I studied those subject areas and worked in the marketing field before becoming a teacher.
So I'm wondering, where are you finding these people who know little or nothing about grammar and other linguistic properties of their subject matter?
Is fladude's 1# example the part and parcel of who is going to teach in Russia recently? |
No, not recently. Type number 1 is still to be found in Russia, but they are a dying breed as visa requirements make it harder to give them a job - no loss to anyone. They drift into the country on a tourist visa and hope that they can secure a 'gig' - use of this word on a job application raises several red flags. Some are earnest, and probably want to help their students. Most are only in it for the babes and booze. Sadly, I've had to interview quite a few of these types. Waste of time, but orders from on high are orders.
However, there are other, relatively more respectable types, who also claim to have some unique quality that will transform learners' English skills. Regrettably, they never seem to make good on these claims. Business types with MBAs are a typical example. No idea how to teach English, but plenty of business know-how. And confidence. While there is no doubt that there are plenty of high level business classes that would benefit from a teacher such as this, those benefits are not usually linguistic at all. And for learners who have low level English, there really isn't any point in having a teacher of this type. English language classes are not the same as business training - which students and teachers both seem to forget.
Vanity writers are another 'life experience' type that flit through Moscow. Well-read in Russian literature, sometimes, they feel that they have a unique insight into the Russian soul ( not making this up, I swear) and being writers, they are of course far, far better able to teach English than anybody else. They don't need a course book, as their latest opus has wonderful English and plenty of 'real life'. Again, this is rarely borne out in reality.
That said, most teachers who survive Russia are usually able to hold down a class. Dross gets removed fairly fast. They are then able to go on and teach elsewhere without too many difficulties. This does not appear to be the same for teachers whose experience is mainly in the Far East. I have always been told that this is due to the fact that there are very few if any professional or EFL requirements. Nearly every 'life-experience' person I've had to deal with had come from there. Perhaps I've been under a misapprehension for all this time, but I'm surprised, as I said before, that you don't seem to have encountered them. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 5:42 am Post subject: |
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But which bar, exactly? Needing a degree to get a visa is one thing. Needing to have real teaching skills, with the training and quals that provide them, is quite another. And, sorry to say this, I've rarely come across a teacher with work experience only in The Far East (Japan, Korea, China - there I've said it) who knew how the grammar system worked or how to teach it or teach vocabulary etc. I am well aware that this is probably down to my limited exposure to only one type of teacher, the 'life experience' type, drifting over from those parts, and so I could be guilty of a logical fallacy - but there have been just so. so many of them. And up to quite recently too. Hence my surprise that you have never meet any.
As for your sense of time - don't know what you mean at all. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2011 3:26 am Post subject: |
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If you wish to believe your research based on Oxford Seminars' website, then fair enough. However, I can tell you that to get a work permit, as a teacher, it is not as easy as it was, and certainly not as easy as this site maintains. Of course, the system can sometimes be played with and you may be officially a 'consultant' or something vague. In any case, you could be required to have all your docs apostilled etc. which is a major pain. Hence few drifters breezing through with solely 'life experience' to offer. Gone are the days of the freelancer on a Business visa.
I find it very hard to believe many of the people you've interviewed didn't know how to teach grammar or vocabulary. I suspect it's more likely they didn't know how to teach it to your satisfaction
Again, you can choose to believe what you wish, but your suspicions are unfounded. Strange research methods there... |
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