Job Discussion Forums

[Changjiang]

I'm teaching at a vocational school where my graduating students will be going to work in factories and assembly plants in Guangdong Province. They most definitely will NOT be going on to higher education. Many are at the most basic level and most struggle with things like capitalization and punctuation.

But in every class (of 50) there will be one or two that have a working grasp of English. Since I can't focus on them to the exclusion of the other 48, I've been giving them take-home worksheets of idioms, prepositions, homophones, riddles, poetry and simple creative writing exercises based on examples. Then I take the sheets up with them one-on-one after class.

My questions are: 1) What do all of you do with your most gifted 2%?
2) Does anyone have suggestions for something more useful I could be doing for my good 'uns?

Thanks.

[Minhang Oz]

Rob
This is an issue that always concerns language teachers, even in a native speaker situation. Its even more highlighted in our situation-our schools sound similar by the way. All the things you're doing are spot on. Provide extension and challenge to those who need it, and your willingness to give up your own time shows a true teacher at work.
In writing classes, I always get students to keep a weekly journal, which I read regularly. This gives those better students the opportunity and incentive to try new things, and to break from the mediocrity of the group. If students have internet access at home or school, there are some useful and entertaining free sites for English learning. Do you have any teacher friends in your home country who could provide some email penpal contacts for your good students? A real life writing task is much better than a text book one.
Hope you get some other contributors on this topic.

[Roger]

Hi Rob,

you have hit upon a very common feature of teaching, although a less common one in the China EFL scene. There is hardly any emphasis on excellence among students, yet almost every class has a tiny minority of outstanding learners. What makes them leaders of their pack? It is their own diligence and interest. THe rest are also-rans.
It sometimes breaks my heart to have to neglect them for the perceived benefit of the masses who hardly care, yet who all imperiously demand to pass exams.
I think you have tackled the issue expertly - giving them tasks suited to their individual levels. Let them nudge you to more demanding chores, don't force them!
I would do much the same as you are doing right bnow. Over the years, I have varied this by adding certain games - TARGET, which I copied from some newspaper. IT is a game in which you scramble the letters of one word, then ask the student to rearrange the letters in as many words as possible; every word must contain one given letter.
This game was popular with a 17-year old I was training in Shenzhen. He was very happy doing this every day as he had to use his dictionary at home and check spellings.

How about writing a diary? Or answering fictitious letters? Job advwerts? Solving riddles?

I think the best service you can render them is to keep them glued to the language, to maintain their curtiosity! If you can stoke that fire they can help themselves. English has so many more applications outside the classroom! Just think of the immense literary body that's still closed to them...

[MissMolly]

Anything creative. I have found that creative writing and problem solving activities are very welcomed by students who must be "robots" at schools. They enjoy the challenge, and learn to use English.
Check out www.bogglesworld.com for some nice creative writing ideas and
iteslj.org for many, many good activities.
Molly

[Changjiang]

Thanks folks! Those are some useful suggestions and certainly interesting (flattering) to read. I guess I'll carry on as I have been and watch this space for any other pointers.

I can't really assign them to use the net for "homework", as it costs them RMB$1 an hour in the school and they're all completely broke. (I've asked about changing that, but it's a non-starter of a topic.) But I'll look up Bogglesworld and see what I can print off.

Thanks again to all!

[klasies]

Rob

I will offer my 2 cents worth and maybe some people will not agree! What I have done, but this means doing something extra for free! I have invited these students to a type of "English Corner" although I am loathe to call it an English Corner because I hate the typical English Corners where you get asked the same crappy questions such as "Do you like Chinese food?" and you end up doing all the talking!
At these sessions, which I do once a week, for free in my spare time, is to encourage them to think and talk outside the normal paradigms to which they are accustomed. These sessions are very informal and I make sure that they never happen in a classroom and books, pens and paper are banned!
It has worked wonders and most of the students have made remarkable progress. Perhaps this is not possible in your situation but it works for me. It keeps me sane in an insane daily routine. It is what keeps me going tru the week as I always look forward to it at the end of each long and tedious week.

Regards

Andre

[Roger]

Klasie has made a valid point that I fully support. In fact, every normal school I worked at had students that were eager to visit me in my spare time. In normal schools this can be a little inconvenient as the one expat is easy to locate and he or she may turn out to be -... a crowd attraction.
It also is difficult to maintain your own schedule as people simply drop by without making prior arrangements. SOmetimes you can of course suggest a meeting...and they don't turn up just then.

Anyway, these meetings can be really interesting for both sides. If you understand how emotionally starved they are you can be their Godfather.
Another factor may be books you have in your home. I am relatively lucky in this respect as I have a large selection of books covering many different subjects, and students often love to borrow some book from me. If you have a travel guide book or a book on a China-related topic you sure have students coming and discussing things with you!
No "English Corner" but an "English World"!

[ESL Guru]

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[ESL Guru]

Our 3rd tier college caters to students from farm and peasant families with a 3 rmb per day food budget. I can not assign any computer work because:

FIRST - 98% have never used a computer

SECOND - They would have to go off campus to an Internet Cafe and SARS prohibits that

THIRD - The Internet Cafe costs 1 rmb per hr, 1/3rd of their meal budget.

I have made this a very BIG issue here since we offer a Business English major and have no on campus English Department computer lab. There is a computer lab but it is for the science people only and the programming is all Chinese, even the Windows and Office.

I have staked out my position on this one and made some interesting moves. I co-authored a journal artricle with my Chinese FAO who wants to be promoted. The journal article criticises all Business English programs that do not have an English computer lab. He translated the article into Manadrin and sent it to a contest in the Provincial Capitol and we won 1st prize. Now it is being circulated throughout the Province.

We were just given seed money for a Business English computer lab with 60 computers. It will be in the new building under construction and due to open by Sept 2003. The contractor has agreed to include the computer lab and to hold off collecting any money for three years, giving the school some very good financing at 6% interest.

For those of you who are committed to your work, do not be shy, just try. Try different ways to get your job done as you know it should be done.

I write this to encourage you to press on. It can be done!