Job Discussion Forums

[SahanRiddhi]

[Lobster]

You seem to be missing the point entirely. Speaking fluently or writing cohesively are not the goals of public school English. The point is to get a high mark on a standardized test. It's a trap to think that language learning in a public school here relates in any comprehensive way to what we experience back home, or indeed to even think that the general goals of education are the same. You seem to believe that the western system of education is superior and this is a feeling shared by many, myself included. Unfortunately, our beliefs are not very important to those who set the system.

Here are some points to ponder:

critical thinking and creativity are not desirable; rote learning, repetition and submission to authority are desirable

learning is not a cooperative undertaking; students should be competitive for high marks and not work together

students should be molded to fit into their society and its economic base; China is a factory country, so the schools will operate as factories do

there are limited university seats available; high school will act as a filter to exclude many from post-secondary studies

diversity is of low value and may create divisiveness; schools should strive to create harmony through unified thoughts and beliefs

schools are places for academic and theoretical learning; they are not intended to confer practical skills or abilities upon students

If you examine these philosophies and how public education is implemented, you will agree that the schools here are doing an admirable job of carrying out their mandate.

Yes, if you want to teach students who are more serious about improving their writing and speaking skills, you're better off teaching paying students at a mill.

Of course I've seen their course books here. The most common text is Oxford English. The topics are fairly generic.

If you think that you can in any way alter the entrenched education system here, you are deluded. Ha! The teachers and students don't like it either, and they have have a lot more influence than some FT.

It appears that you have no idea at all of the purpose of public education in China, particularly when it comes to the study of English. Let me try to put it simply. It's how it is because that's how BeiJing wants it to be. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why they want it like this.

You may choose to either devote your energy to system reform or helping your students get through the system in place. Certainly I agree that Interpol is the organization best suited to dealing with reforming the education system in China and its criminal acts against the English language and culture. They would definitely have more success than some laowai FTs.

RED

[Non Sequitur]

Thanks for lowering the tone Sahan, but, to answer your question, that's her spoken English is great too!

[dean_a_jones]

I think Lobster makes some pretty coherent points about the system and how, as FTs, we fit into it. Not every job will fit this mold, but it is pretty common.

Igor, your response is pretty incoherent, all style and no substance. Forget the coloured fonts, underlining, bolding, metaphors, switching names etc.

[GuestBob]

[Lobster]

[GuestBob]

[dean_a_jones]