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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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 Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:38 pm Post subject: Re: I do not even mention anything from my MA studies |
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| Deicide wrote: |
| Chris_Crossley wrote: |
Even though I have two master's degrees in education myself (but no DELTA or equivalent), I basically carry on in the same vein as when I taught at my current place of work during the period before I even started studying for these degrees, since I believe that I do not need to do more or else to "prove" anything other than to get my students prepared for academic life in England by giving them the skills they need to become effective postgraduate students in what is, after all, a generalist pre-master's preparation programme, where no subject knowledge is formally taught.
I do not even mention anything about my studies to my students because doing so would probably get in the way and they are, in any case, not remotely relevant to most of my students who are not all that interested in undertaking master's degrees in anything related to English language teaching.
A few of my now-ex-students have actually gone on to do related degrees, but I can promise you that I did not influence them in any way; it just so happened that they were interested in becoming English language teachers and/or materials developers and genuinely believed that undertaking such study at postgraduate level in England would enhance their career prospects back in China. |
In my experience the Chinese postgraduate students' level of English was poor to absolutely horrible, even for 'TESOL' postgraduates. Given that the Chinese finance a good deal of the English unis these days it doesn't surprise anyone that the unis accept them (their money) even though their English is vastly sub-par. At my old uni there is a well known underground/black market service that writes MA theses for Chinese postgrads and it is likely the uni (University of York) knows about it but turns a blind eye. With the nouveau riche Chinese pooring �10,000+ plus in for tuition and other expenses it comes as no surprise. Still more astounding is that the Chinese continue their insularity overseas and make no effort to improve their English or socialise with others...anyway...I am sure such degrees enhance their career prospects in China. |
Decide,
I can add more. I was tutoring a student who got an M.A. in TESOL from St. John's. She could not believe how she could get an M.A. in the United States but still not be able to write an essay good enough on the PRAXIS to become a teacher in the US.
After reading her practice essays it was obvious that St. John's basically gave her a MA for paying the tuition.
Last edited by JZer on Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:51 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Deicide
Joined: 29 Jul 2006
Posts: 1005
Location: Caput Imperii Americani
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| Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:44 pm Post subject: Re: I do not even mention anything from my MA studies |
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| JZer wrote: |
| Deicide wrote: |
| Chris_Crossley wrote: |
Even though I have two master's degrees in education myself (but no DELTA or equivalent), I basically carry on in the same vein as when I taught at my current place of work during the period before I even started studying for these degrees, since I believe that I do not need to do more or else to "prove" anything other than to get my students prepared for academic life in England by giving them the skills they need to become effective postgraduate students in what is, after all, a generalist pre-master's preparation programme, where no subject knowledge is formally taught.
I do not even mention anything about my studies to my students because doing so would probably get in the way and they are, in any case, not remotely relevant to most of my students who are not all that interested in undertaking master's degrees in anything related to English language teaching.
A few of my now-ex-students have actually gone on to do related degrees, but I can promise you that I did not influence them in any way; it just so happened that they were interested in becoming English language teachers and/or materials developers and genuinely believed that undertaking such study at postgraduate level in England would enhance their career prospects back in China. |
In my experience the Chinese postgraduate students' level of English was poor to absolutely horrible, even for 'TESOL' postgraduates. Given that the Chinese finance a good deal of the English unis these days it doesn't surprise anyone that the unis accept them (their money) even though their English is vastly sub-par. At my old uni there is a well known underground/black market service that writes MA theses for Chinese postgrads and it is likely the uni (University of York) knows about it but turns a blind eye. With the nouveau riche Chinese pooring �10,000+ plus in for tuition and other expenses it comes as no surprise. Still more astounding is that the Chinese continue their insularity overseas and make no effort to improve their English or socialise with others...anyway...I am sure such degrees enhance their career prospects in China. |
Decide,
I can add more. I was tutoring a student who got an M.A. in TESOL from St. John's. She could not believe how she could get an M.A. in the United States but still not be able to write an essay good enough on the PRAXIS to become a teacher in the US.
Obviously from reading her practice essays, I could tell that St. John's basically gave her a MA for paying the tuition. |
Chinese pay big dosh to attend uni and the unis are happy to oblige. |
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gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
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| Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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Now I am wondering how I can get some of those students?    |
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Chris_Crossley
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 1797
Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:12 am Post subject: The insularity of the Chinese |
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Deicide is certainly right about the insularity of the Chinese.
When I was an MBA student in Scotland in 1998-99, eight of my classmates were ethnically Chinese, spread geographically between the mainland PRC, HK and Taiwan. Right from the word go, they hived themselves off, much to almost everyone else's annoyance, by forming what could only really be described as an ethnic clique and virtually excluded everyone else. For them, coming to Scotland meant getting only the degree - and hang the locals and other foreigners who could complain till Kingdom come!
However, their singular lack of collective work ethic, not to mention their abysmally low level of English, including even in basic pronunciation by one student claiming to be from HK, meant that, one by one, they either dropped out of the programme or else failed their dissertation stage and chose not to retake it.
Ultimately, only one of those eight Chinese students, the only one who really was not like the others and whose standard of English was quite good, got her degree. Why was she "not like the others"? Simple: she married a Spaniard and immigrated to Spain!
Being on the other side of the fence as an EAP tutor for the past 4 1/2 years in China, I hardly ever get to hear from any of my former students. While they are in England doing their master's degree, they may occasionally e-mail me to say something suitably flattering such as "I wouldn't've been as well prepared for my master's without your help" or some such, yet, once they return to China with their newly minted degree, I virtually cease to exist for them. I have basically served my purpose, as far as they are concerned, and they need me no more.
Then again, I did get an e-mail from a former student just the other day asking me how to conduct a literature review despite the fact that he would have had to write one for his pre-master's programme dissertation. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was no longer his tutor and that he should no longer treat me as if I still am. Questions of an academic nature should, after all, be addressed to his own tutors in England, not to me!
Such is life. Such are the Chinese. Some people never change!  |
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gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:34 am Post subject: |
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| Then again, I did get an e-mail from a former student just the other day asking me how to conduct a literature review despite the fact that he would have had to write one for his pre-master's programme dissertation. I told him in no uncertain terms that I was no longer his tutor and that he should no longer treat me as if I still am. Questions of an academic nature should, after all, be addressed to his own tutors in England, not to me! |
You should have offered your help, and then politely ask for an address to send a bill ! Or better yet, give them a bank account to wire payment to you first.  |
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Chris_Crossley
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 1797
Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 7:55 am Post subject: Give him my bank account details? |
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| gaijinalways wrote: |
| You should have offered your help, and then politely ask for an address to send a bill ! Or better yet, give them a bank account to wire payment to you first. |
Are you kidding? He may be associated with those nasty people involved in Nigerian Law 419 scams! |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Go open a separate bank account for that purpose. |
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Chris_Crossley
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 1797
Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
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| Posted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 2:20 pm Post subject: I can use an inactive Chinese bank account of mine! |
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| JZer wrote: |
| Go open a separate bank account for that purpose. |
No need for that, because I can use one of my several completely inactive Chinese bank accounts that have hardly got anything in it as it is.
They're all inactive because I get paid in cold, hard cash nowadays!  |
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