Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:05 am Post subject: Poor like us

Dear sidjameson,

"apparently" 50% of Americans haven't read a book either. Now that IS poverty"

And we're not alone:

From the Guardian:

http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,12084,865225,00.html

"About 50% of British people are said never to read a book. Is it rational to try to reach them? We should try, most publishers say, more wistfully than convincingly. It might not be cost-effective. Crucially, does the children's book market increase as a result of Rowling and Tolkien?"

Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

johnslat

50 percent ?

I am impressed,

Out of approx 100 colleagues here teaching English I would be more than surprised if more than 25 ever pick up a book apart from the ones they use in class !

johnslat · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:50 am Post subject: Book 'em, Danno

Dear scot47,
True - 50% or close to it may actually be on the high side. One thing that surprised me as well was the relatively small percentage of my colleagues who read very much. And even with the ones who did, most of their reading was of the "escapist" variety (well, considering their environment, Saudi Arabia, perhaps that's not to be wondered at; I indulged in a lot of that genre myself). But if our anecdotal observations are indicative of the EFL field in general, well, why should it seem odd that only about 50% of the whole population has ever read a book, when even those whose job it is to teach English are usually not avid readers?
Regards,
John
P.S. Hmm, a poll here might be interesting, something along the lines of:
How many non-work related books do you read every week/month/year.

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

I feel just like sex surveys you might not get 100% truthful answers. Very Happy

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

Can I ask why it is that it is only in the world of EFL that people talk about hobbies? What are we doing people?

No one in their right mind in the English speaking world gets to know someone by saying "So, do you have any hobbies?"

The word "hobby" to me conjures up images of poring over stamp collections or jotting down engine numbers while I sip from my flask under my anorak. I have "interests" yes - I am a normal human being. But if you get to know me even a tad, you will find out what these are without simply going for the jugular and saying "So, shmooj do you have any hobbies?"

So, why do we insist our students practice and acquire this outmoded (if it was ever moded) conversation non-starter?

There, I've said it now...

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

It doesn't necessarily have to be a conversation starter or an ice-breaker. Generally, over the course of the class, students' interests will come up--in writing or speaking logs, in casual conversation outside of class, etc.

Would it sound less forced if it were worded differently? "What did you do over the weekend?" ("I slept.")

d

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

zaneth · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:12 pm Post subject:

Saying it's work related is my favorite rationalization for reading a book when I should be doing something else.

If you teach English language and culture isn't just about anything work related?

I'm lucky. In the tiniest Russian apartment you'll find walls devoted to books where the shelves are packed in double rows. Don't know about the younger generation, though.

I'm staying in someone elses cabin right now where they have all their surplus books stored. Soviet children's propaganda and books by North Korea's leader and outdated science books and stuff. It's great.

khmerhit · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 4:29 pm Post subject:

In the National Library of Cambodia, a great old edifice (but very hot because they cant afford to operate the electric fans,) there are two English sections: one, the Marxist-Leninist stuff, containing among the propaganda the great works of Russian Lit, and two, the US army's contributions from Eng Lit. the latter has replaced the former in the front section. If you go past the counter to the stacks, you would think you were in Moscow! Very cool.
khmerhit

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

willy · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 7:43 pm Post subject:

That bowl thing just doesn�t work here in the land of squat toilets
My hobby is trying to thing of new ways to express my hobbies

august03 · Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 159 Location: Jiangsu, China

In China the Middle School kids have no time for sleeping at all!! They would be lucky to get 6hrs every night, every week. So for them YES, sleeping is a hobby. When asked what they would most like to do in their spare time, regardless of cost, they say SLEEP and more SLEEP. When I was a teenager the best part of the week was sleeping-in Saturday and Sunday mornings. I feel sorry for the kids here.