Job Discussion Forums

MESL · Joined: 23 Aug 2003 Posts: 291

My students in China: Their skill level is high. Their communication skills are excellent. They are enthusiastic. They attend class. They pay attention to the lecture. They participate. They follow instuctions. They study the textbook and bring it to the classroom. They behave. They do their homework. The chairman is knowledgable and diligent, and has convictions about standards and skills. The textbook is ideal. The college has a reading resource room, and the students make good use of it. Most of them read at least a half a dozen classic novels their freshman year (I'm talking about the graded readers, not the original versions), many have read a dozen or more. Their previous reading teacher gave them handouts every week. Neither the administration nor the staff nor the students treat you like you're from another planet if you assign a book report or demonstrate how to search the China Daily website.

Van Norden · Joined: 23 Oct 2004 Posts: 409

Saudi pay & conditions vs Chinese pay & conditions?

Get on with your life. Do you really need to resort to such immature point scoring? If you're so happy in China why on earth are you writing this?

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

canuqk · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 5

MESL is only sharing his own experience and comparing the two groups of students. Pay/salary and conditions were not an issue. " ... immature point scoring" is really a bad call; did you get up on the wrong side of bed?

I'd like to have more details on S. Jones' main class (size, level, course content, ...); feedback from his colleague at Jubail tell a different story. But he did state "luck" was on his side. At least in China, it's more the norm than "luck".

As for me, I'm still waiting to be blessed with such "luck" with my Saudi students.

johnyarrington · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 66 Location: Saudi Arabia

I agree with canuqk. MESL was only sharing information. I didn't see it as "point-scoring" at all. Give the guy a break.

I thought it was interesting.

Van Norden · Joined: 23 Oct 2004 Posts: 409

You're doing MESL no favours by encouraging him. Better he put it all behind him rather than seek some sad form of retribution via this forum.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

I did say this particular class canuqk :)

In general I find that, it is rare to get a very good class, and rare to get a very bad one.

The main problem in Saudi is unrealistic expectations and atrocious curricula. At least we're dumping the KFUPM stuff for something the students can do, even if it leaves both students and staff comatose at the end of the day.

Class sizes at JIC are 40 for prep year and 20-30 for specialization classes. I doubt they will go down in the immediate future.