Job Discussion Forums

[matador]

A lot of my students roll up to class each week and put in the effort required of them for a 50 minute lesson but I know they do not do anything outside of class. They have no real need for English and do not have the opportunity/motivation to practice what I have taught them.

Should I be honest with them and say that they are not going to make progress based on 50 minutes a week? I feel I am stuck in a freaky time-warp with no solid progress being made on the part of students.

I want to help them but it just seems to be a hobby for them, like learning pottery!

They SAY they want to improve, but they don`t seem willing to put in the required out of class effort.

[PAULH]

[Glenski]

matador,
Are you teaching in an eikaiwa or a mainstream school? Makes a difference.

[matador]

Its an eikaiwa situation. They pay their money so we cannot turn them away. At the same time, there is a feeling that its just a game.... I have made it clear that there needs to be home study for progress to be made.

I would have thought that progress is what they want... but am I just being naive? Should I just serve up a menu of light, frothy 'genki' lessons (imagine you are in a supermarket/restaurant and .....etc, etc.)?

Its not taxing work on my part but it does feel a bit daft sometimes. Anyone else in the same boat?

[Gordon]

You've told them what they need to do and they are too lazy to actually work at learning the language. That is their problem, not yours. For many, learning English is a hobby and hobbies should be fun. So try to make the lessons fun. Eikaiwas are there to make money so keep em happy.

[mrjohndub]

I couldn't agree more with the previous few posters.

It took me a long time to realize that 90% or so of my adult students, despite claiming to have concrete goals for the use of their newfound English skills, just were doing it for fun or for the hell of it.

The ones who really want measurable success seem now to me to be easy to spot. Like black and white... And I indulge them in challenging classes and homework assignments. They take my advice seriously and it's rewarding. But I've also learned that the casual majority can be rewarding as well. It's really just a form of entertainment with them. I can dig it. It is like pottery, good analogy. I'd definitely take a pottery class, and I'd want an expert to show me some things, but at the end of the day I don't think I'd even care if my skills were advancing that rapidly, or at even at all. It would be the in-class moments that I would savor as a break from my usual routine.

Now, with kids in an eikawa, noticable improvement and homework are important. The reasons are clearly evident. So I do invest that part of my seriousness-as-an-educator ideal in them. But with the adults, only the ones who are in it for the big payoff.

The rest, I've learned to just have fun with. And it is all about making money. For the life of me, I don't get language learning as a casual hobby. I've learned a few, intensively and that's the only way that I'd ever do it. It's the only way that I think would ever be successful for the vast majority of people. But, the Japanese...as they will readily tell you...well, they're different.

[earthmonkey]

Yes, be honest. They will not improve much by having a 50 minute lesson once a week. Tell them this. The eikaiwa industry has created a myth that if you have a native teacher, you will magically be able to speak English. Your school would have you believe this too.

Lower their expectations. It takes some pressure off of you. We all know that nobody will improve much without outside study. If they want to study on their own and improve their English, ok. If they don't, ok.
You should know your students' goals. If they just want to have a chat once a week, so be it. If they want to learn, it's pretty much up to them.

Working at an eikaiwa, you should think of yourself more as a tutor for serious students, and an entertainer/conversation partner for the less serious ones.

Take it easy on yourself.