Job Discussion Forums

[Texas_blu]

I'd been waiting for Teacherviet to write on this topic but after reading this article in the Thanh Nien news, I decided it was time to bring this to light. And here's the link:

http://www.thanhniennews.com/commentaries/?catid=11&newsid=51126

I like this as it's typical of the English Entertainment Schools in HCMC. For far too long, the administrations have chosen fun over academics and now it's apparent that that's not working.

Quote:
Only six out of the 2,464 Ho Chi Minh City ninth graders seeking admission to advanced high school English classes passed their language tests this year.


Any real teacher is serious by nature as what they have to teach required work for them to learn and thus work is the key ideal to be taught to the student. I also think that all teachers would like for their classes to be fun but that should be from the comradeship of the work ethic. The common goal to learn and provide the means for the advancement of their studies.

Teacherviet wrote:

Quote:
Yes, entertainment is a factor but it depends whether one is teaching children, teenagers or adults.

I agree, if you are teaching children, entertainment/games plays an important part of any lesson. In particular, if the students do not have the ability to ask questions and their cognitive ability in general.
Quote:
Highly qualified, experienced and boring teachers will also fail.


WRONG - the ESL industry has created this monster and 95% of the schools have followed suit so that more than 99% of these students were duped into believing that they could achieve English proficiency by magic rather than hard work.

So I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Quote:
The industry has created this Frankenstein, any real teacher has to still accept second place to a great entertainer, regardless of educational background!


But maybe, just maybe that's about to change - I hope so!
_________________
Happily living with my family in HCMC

[inky]

The article doesn't state exactly how many of these students attended private language centers, and given the wide disparity in quality of these schools, that statistic wouldn't matter much anyway. However, what does matter is the tests themselves. Have you ever seen these tests? They are ridiculously bad, full of ambiguities, obscure references, and outright errors. The tests are the problem.

[Texas_blu]

No, I haven't seen these tests and it may be true that they're bad tests. But just because my original point of reference might be faulty - it doesn't negate the rest of the argument.

The thrust of my point is that the overwhelming majority of VN schools have been greedy for so long that they've cut the legs off of academics.

[Green Acres]

inky is right. The tests are ridiculous, though this alone doesn't save the Edutainment industry. What's funny about the tests is that teachers (Vietnamese) can really teach to the test. I am amazed at this really, and I wouldn't want to take such a test if I were a student.

How do they get this figure...only 6? Where did they study. I wonder too, since NO ONE fails any class in any school in Vietnam. Everyone excels, and in some provinces like CAN THO, the students all make perfect scores in every class. I guess the kids in HCMC are just way behind the curve (please don't take me seriously!).

[inky]

Exactly. The fact that the tests are bad does nothing to help the reputation/business of the ESL industry. All the parents see is the fact that they paid for classes, their kids passed those classes, and their kids failed the government test. And the test results in no way reflect the quality of private language centers in general. Yes, some of these places are no good, but to make a blanket condemnation isn't appropriate. A lot of the study skills that are taught don't do the students much good in Vietnam, but may serve them well if they study overseas.

[Green Acres]

Maybe the hammer is finally coming down, and with economic ruin on the horizon, the age-old scapegoat is caught between a rock and a sickle. Did these students all study at "private" language academies?

[mcsensei]

I don't know which EFL schools the original poster has in mind but I know that my school does not market itself as an 'edutainment' center, nor does it place such an expection on its teachers. It does encourage the use of games and fun for all ages and levels but with the idea that these help to motivate, encourage and relax the students. While a teacher should be serious about his/her aims, this does not mean that he/she must behave in a serious way. Learning a language is work so making it enjoyable while still being effective can only be a plus.

[Green Acres]

No school markets itself this way, though there are plenty of people who do not know the difference and they pave the way of good intention.

[Texas_blu]

Here's a link that could explain it better but this isn't just about VN Schools:

http://www.lingua.org.uk/geifr.html

mcsensei wrote: