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loboman

I agreed to teach several business related classes for this upcoming semester and was just informed that none of my classes will have a text book because the school didn't want to pay for them.

So I am a little puzzled how to do this.

In the past I had a book and so did the students but now, how should I be expected to teach effectively when they have no books?

I was told that the classes will have multimedia and i should teach from powerpoints that can be downloaded, left from former teachers, or create my own.

I really don't want to make my own. Have not seen what was left from former teachers, and have not seen the book yet. They said they will give me the book in a few weeks.

What should I expect from my students if they don't have a book because the school was too cheap to buy them...?

Who has had this issue before that can give me insight.

Seska · Joined: 22 Jul 2008 Posts: 40

You could take it out of your own salary, I guess. It might be good to specify a monthly classroom allowance in your contract. Even if you don't get anything, you can always wave it in their face. 200 RMBs a month is very little, but it sounds like something they'd agree to.

You could always have the students sit side by side and share one textbook.

Don't listen to me though, I'm a newbie. Just offering some suggestions.

jwbhomer · Joined: 14 Dec 2003 Posts: 876 Location: CANADA

At the first university I taught at, if you wanted the students to use a textbook, you could specify the book and tell the students to buy it themselves. Some would, some wouldn't. If you asked the university to stock the book in the campus bookstore, they might...or they might not.

At the second (better organized) university, the English Department specified the book and the students had to buy it. The class monitor collected money for the books and the university gave them out to the students.

I wouldn't rely on old PowerPoint presentations or handouts.

Anda · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 2199 Location: Jiangsu Province

I always prepare my own material as I can add more interest into my lessons that way.

It would seem that you don't want to spend the time necessary to prepare your own material so you can either photo copy stuff off the Net of photocopy lessons out of books. Most places that teach business English will have a photocopy machine. If the equipment is good you can get CDs on business English and teach part of your lessons that way.

I have my own photocopy machine, printer, computer, scanner at home plus add my own equipment like TVs and DVD players where I teach part time so no problem!

randyj · Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:08 pm Post subject:

You didn't hear this from me, but if the class monitor obtained the book for a day or two, perhaps copies could be made, unknown to you. I certainly do not advocate violating IPR in China, but these things happen.

Chinese students tend to take a course much more seriously if there is a textbook for the course.

Lorean · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 476 Location: Beijing

This is just another example of how 'serious' we are taken as teachers.

In my various jobs teaching university English and high-school maths textbooks were seldomly provided and never applicable.

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"...I should teach from PowerPoints that can be downloaded, left from former teachers, or create my own." -- Loboman

Why not just ask the students to download their degrees so they can skip the cost of textbooks and an education entirely? But seriously, getting the students to buy a set text is a good idea. The difficulty is that you'll be teaching business, and the selection of such books published in English in China is fairly limited -- many will be graduate level or otherwise inappropriate for your students. I'd recommend spending some time during your summer travels in a few of the largest bookstores you can find to see what's co-published here. Work with your campus bookstore or local, privately-owned test bookshop to see if they will stock them for you. In future, don't agree to teach any course without a textbook -- it's really just a measure of those who are running schools' ignorance of education in general and contempt for foreign teachers in particular.

lf_aristotle69 · Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 546 Location: HangZhou, China

When you say "business related classes" do you mean formal Economics, Marketing and Accounting theory (etc.). Or do you mean vocabulary and situational business e.g. writing a business email, phone calls to a client/company, dealing with complaints, intercultural workplace issues, meeting scenarios, negotiation, basic marketing, etc., etc.?

If the latter, then the following text is very usable:

Jones, Leo (2004 - China edition) Cambridge Professional English: Working in English-Student's Book; Posts and Telecom Press; BeiJing

It might give you 50-100 hours of content, depending on how you use it. It's printed in China and costs 45rmb for a single original copy. If they ordered a class set they might get a discount...? So, it's not much more than photocopying it. It also has a free VCD of authentic business situations.

There's a separate audio double-CD for another 20rmb, but you could just get that yourself and play it through the multimedia system.

There's also a Teacher's book, and a Personal study book. The latter you could use to make handout sheets. You should have daily access to a photocopier... I would hope...

"Working in English" is the middle level set of a series of books connected to the Cambridge BEC test. But, if the content is suitable for you it's a good option.

Bigger bookshops should have the books, but not many have the separate Student audio double CD and the staff just point dumbly to the free VCD on the cover and say 'look it's right there'... Grrr. I couldn't find the audio CDs in HangZhou, but when I went to a big XinHua in ShangHai (near NanJing East Road) they had a bunch of them.

If you're after technical business theory book ideas... I've been wasting my breath... Smile

Do a search here on Daves. Other people have asked similar questions about 6-8 months ago if I recall correctly...

I know some foreign universities put their PPT lecture content on publicly accessible areas of the Internet. You might be lucky and find some suitable material that way too.

Good luck.

LFA

Kootvela · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania

loboman · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject:

I can only say that I am very apprehensive now knowing that my students will not have any textbooks. Had I know this before I signed the contract i would have not taken this job.

The salary is 6500 rmb a month for 16 45 minute classes a week. They sent me an airline ticket to come to China - i am in the US now. It is a 10 month contract and they will pay me for the month of no school in January - February and provide a return ticket.

But my experience has always been to teach students with their own textbook.

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"[M]y experience has always been to teach students with their own textbook." -- Loboman

With your air ticket and all, your school is on the hook for a fair bit already. After you arrive in China, explain calmly but firmly that you can't teach effectively without a student book; that's how qualified foreigners do things. They may or may not care about this, but you can still act as if you do. See what they can come up with. Due to the shortness of time, your choices will likely be limited to what's co-published in China. They may just want to photocopy something for your students, but this would be as much due to poor planning and execution as it is to any budgetary considerations (co-published editions can usually be had within a week or two). If they cannot satisfy your concerns, nor fix the situation for the subsequent year, feel free to use the relatively short 10-month contract to look for a more agreeable position elsewhere.

loboman · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:58 am Post subject:

I discussed it with the Australian people that oversee the program. They had no comment on the textbook issue and just said discuss with the school.

My feeling is it is going to be alot of extra work for me to make up assignments and teach them when they don't have a book.

I know when i went to college i always had a book for the course Very Happy

Lobster · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:45 am Post subject:

Do they have a curriculum, or are you supposed to create that for them too? Hello extra unpaid hours!

RED

Kootvela · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 513 Location: Lithuania

For emergency cases like this I suggest you download as many internet worksheets, podcasts, etc. related to business as you can. Many can fit in a CD and you can easily print them out for your students (using the schools resources, naturally). I've been compiling such a CD for exam classes and it's really convenient.

loboman · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject:

There is an outline I believe.

Since I am in the USA right now I am trying to prepare some marketing ideas to bring with me.

Samples, business ideas / products that I can use in class.

I found 2 Mr Potato head kits and will bring them and tell the students to do a project on how to market Mr. Potato head in China