Job Discussion Forums

[bendan]

You mean someone can be professional while lacking professionalism? I'm afraid I don't follow you. It sounds like something from a CET question.

I think the difference is in our understanding of the word teacher. Where I come from, teachers read about the research of lecturers/professors, in order to implement best teaching practice. They don't have time for research themselves, they are not expected to do it, and they are not given any resources to do it. I'm a teacher, not a professor. Of course, that doesn't mean I don't read about teaching foreign languages, nor does it mean I don't analyse and learn from my own, and other teachers', experiences.

[Henry_Cowell]

I think everyone here (with the notable exception of "saint57") realizes that teaching English is what one makes it. One can certainly go to places like China with minimal (or no) experience and training and do the job by doing nothing more than using native speaking ability. But that's not teaching. That's being a language partner or a language informant. Any native speaker can do that with any language.

Teachers can improve their skills in many ways: degrees (of all types), certificates, research, classroom observation, reading, practice, joining teacher groups, attending conferences and workshops. All of these contribute to "professional development".

And the discussion here of "theory" and "research" is quite illuminating. In the field of education, these two areas have contributed greatly to teaching practice worldwide. One learns more about this in a B.Ed course and can then appreciate the contributions of theory and research to classroom practice.

[saint57]

[saint57]

Perhaps our difference of opinion comes from our past experience. Right now I teach grade 11 and grade 12 accounting. When I go back to my university at the end of the month I will reflect and write papers about how I used what I learned in my university classes in my classroom. No problem, I won't argue that this will help me refine my practice. When I taught in China I had a university degree, TESOL and one year of teaching experiece. I had a great time and felt like I improved my students' ability to speak English but as you said, I would have likened myself to an English facilitator rather than a teacher. My average class size was 45 which is small for China. I knew my job was to get my students to speak English. Guess what happens if you try to lecture to a group of people who don't understand you. You lose them. My speaking time was limited and the students enjoyed the class and improved their English. Teaching to a large class of people who don't understand you well severely limits what you can teach them. I'd like to know what level you teach.

[Henry_Cowell]

"saint", you are making MUCH more sense now than earlier in this thread. You made some rather outrageous statements about English teaching and teacher training that simply didn't hold up. Now you are finally ready for that B.Ed. degree and the insights it will provide you. I wish you well.

By the way, I have taught all levels of English: from beginners with no previous English knowledge (in classes with 50 students) to professionals in the corporate world (including native speakers). I use many of the same principles and techniques with all groups I've taught.

[Henry_Cowell]

[Henry_Cowell]

...

[saint57]

[saint57]

I just googled it and a few came up but upon further investigation they are degrees in TESL not ESL. Send me a link and I'll check it out.

[Henry_Cowell]

What in the world do you mean by "degree in ESL"???

[saint57]

The Chinese students who attend English classes taught by foreigners are working towards some other degree. They want to improve their English in order to be more successful. Technically, this could be done outside of their university at a private language institute. I'm just trying to highlight why FT's might not get the same respect as professors of math or science. Giving English lessons in a university does not make one a professor. On the other hand, if a Chinese university had a MA Tesol program and they hired foreign Ph.D holders to be instructors I'm sure their status would be on par with their Chinese colleagues.

[Henry_Cowell]

You mean you've been talking about Chinese degrees all this time??? A Chinese degree in ESL?

[saint57]

Here is my summary of what has happened so far. This thread has two main points. A) The criteria for professionalism. Henry hit the nail on the head when he said something like a committment to professonal development in all its forms is the key to professionalism. There is no way I'll disagree with that. B) The status of FT's in Chinese universities. Yu feels as a whole FT's have a low status. All I really want to say on this one is that there are positions out there that offer what you are looking for. Do what you are qualified to do and you'll be happy. If you feel you are over-qualified and under appreciated change jobs.

[vikdk]

Wow what a kooky discussion

Why compare mainstream respect for the true empirical sciences - with a subject like education, since like sociology, psychology and many other fields which try a give themselves the airs of science, it is a psuedoscience whose theories are impossible to actually proove in a definite scientific matter, and are always changing to suite social thinking and trends!!! Shizer most of that research you guys is talking about is fueled by a changing society who demand new method - and their results only give indications without any true scientific foundation.

The bottom line being that those science guys will always be the cornerstone of the great future inventions, which I would argue that mainstream thinking views as the hope of the future world - and some of them like that Piaget guy, when they get a bit bored, will even wander into our kneck of the woods and rock the very foundations of our practice with their ideas. As for the ol' teachers - well we aint going to make any devistating new discoveries, since education aint geared for that. No, we do a thankless job helping to shape society - and with all the critism directed at that - how the hell you expect that respect - unless of course you think that automatically comes with sticking letters on the back your name

[InTime]

The OP asked for INFO regarding our research/publications.
From my research paper for an on-line M.A. course at the California Institute of Integral Studies, I wrote an article for the Journal of Imagination in Language Learning entitle: Chin's English Corners and te Learning Revolution, focusing upon strategies to bring the Corners to a higher level. The JILL articles are typically classroom-focused, and can be quite relevant to FTs in China. BELOW are some samples:

http://www.njcu.edu/cill/journal-index.html

Autonomous Learning through Cinema:One Learner 's Memories

Connecting the Powers of Music to the Learning of Languages

The Creative Connection in Movies and TV: What '"Degrassi High" Teaches Teachers

Creating Theater in the ESL Classroom

The Deep Water Had Deeper Fishes: On Creating a Language of the Imagination with Children

Imagination and Memory: Friends or Enemies

Imagination in Second Language Acquisition

Imagination Really Means Freedom

The Imagination:Where Roles and Images Reside

The Influence of Affective Variables on EFL/ESL Learning and Teaching

L 2 Learning:Restructuring the Inner World

Language Learning through Lies and Fantasies