Job Discussion Forums

[leeroy]

It interests me, working in an ESL environment, to see how students from different nationalities interact/compare with each other. Although it seems like we sometimes discuss the KoreaJapanChinese to death, mostly students from Latin America remain unanalysed here on the General Discussion forum.

Generally, I like Latin American students.

They are funny, talkative, good looking (hell, it shouldn't matter I know!), motivated and carry far less cultural baggage than students from the aforementioned Asian countries. I can connect to, and relate to South American students in ways that I find difficult with other (mostly Asian) nationalities.

South American cultures are more similar to my own, I suppose, than those from Confucian ones. They are almost always a joy to teach - 90% of my in-class headaches come from Chinese/Korean students. While they remain highly nationalistic (Sao Paolo is The Best Place In The World, apparently, along with Bogota, Rio, La Paz, etc...) - my South American students seem far more "open to the world".

But can it be that all students from this vast continent are wonderful? Somehow, I doubt it. Perhaps the ones that decide to up-and-come-to London have "the right stuff". Perhaps I am just inherently biased (when I see "Gloria", "Juan", "Carlos" on a register I think "yes!" - but when it's "Xiao Cheng", "Eun-sook" and "Sayaka" I think "s**t!").

In any case, I fully intend to hop over to SA when my degree is completed - as teaching in Ecuador/Colombia sounds like much more fun than Guandong (sp?). This isn't just in the class - generally I've had more fun socially with South Americans than Asians.

Generally, what are the experiences of others on this board in regard to South American students? The Job Information Journal, basically, seems to confirm my suspicions. Are Latin American students really just better? And if that is the case, then why the hell is everyone in North East Asia? What am I missing?

[Lynn]

I don't know why Japan/Korea/China were ever linked in the first place. Chinenese students belong in a world of their own. They are SOOOO differently from Japanese/Korean students. (Maybe I'll start a new thread for that one)

I'm in a similar situation because I teach in New York City. I enjoy the LA students because many are not afraid to dance at the class parties. Our token Korean student, and Slavakian student also danced, but it seems like the LA student got it started. And of course there is teacher, shaking her ass trying to get total class participation.

And I also find myself saying things like "personal information" and "companion" and unnatural English, but I know the Spanish speakers will understand.

But, I can't say that I wince when I see an Asian name on the roster; especially for my Sunday class. Everyone(20+ total) is LA, except for the previous mention Korean and Slavakian student. And the students also get excited when a non LA enters the classroom. "Where are you from?!!!" everyone wants to know AND they must ask in English.

I think all countries have their fair share of prejudices, though. My SA students pull back their eye lids when I talk about my Japanese husband, and when I announced I'd bring Japanese food to the class party, Maria stood up and shook her head with disgust and said,"eww! me no like" and left to go to the bathroom.

Anyhow, I had to disregard it, Maria is just like that. I'd have to say, I'm very happy with my class dynamics at the moment.

Class A) 2 China, 1 Lao, 1 Spain (these 2 Chinese Ss are not interested in using Chinese in the classroom, so it works out very well)
Class B) All Chinese women from HK, Taiwan and China (a favorite class)
Class C) 20 Plus students, most Spanish/Portuguese speaking, 1 Korean, 1 Slavakian. (used to have Polish, Romanian and Russian, but they all left)

PAST CLASSES
A) 12 Japanese, 1 Korean, 1 Peruvian (I hated this class)
B) 8 Japanese, 8 Korean (probably my most interesting class in my ESL career)

[SueH]

[yaramaz]

When I first started out teaching in the dark, satanic language mills of western Canada a few years ago, my students were a mixed bag of Korean, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, and the occasional straggler from Switzerland, Guatemala, Turkey, Hong Kong. My sweetest but most daunting class was a 2 week, immersion course with 15 japanese high school girls. It took so much work to get them to say anything, and when you are together for 6 hours a day, five days a week, it is really exhausting. However, they were brilliant at actually doing the work... my class room was decorated with a half dozen different art projects we worked on. I also taught a one month immersion course with a half dozen Mexican 12 year olds, a job that had been rejected by every other on-call teacher at the school because Mexi kids had a fierce reputation. They were actually quite fun, quite vibrant and lively--- but they were a handful. They talked a lot, which was a huge relief. And they loved to write songs about our reading comprehension passages. When I taught adults later on, I really enjoyed ALL of the students, though Korean boys drove me nuts a lot of the time with their absenteeism, tardiness, and competitiveness. We couldnt play games when there was more than one Korean guy (14-15 yrs approx) in the class. Fights would break out.
I am currently teaching Turkish teenagers in a Turkish high school... and they are more of a challenge than any other nationality I have encountered before. Some of my students are brilliant and hard working and insightful... others could barely be bothered to look at me let alone pick up their text book.

I know this topic is about Latin American students... but my digressions are here to point out that each student brings what they can to the classroom. Some of my 30 something single female Japanese students were more open and spontaneous than the neurotic middle aged guy from Mexico City who was always angry and belligerant because he thought his English was perfect and he shouldnt be in the Low Intermediate class... or the young Mexican woman who wouldnt come to class unless her boyfriend sat by the door and checked in on her at every break time. Or the high school principal from Guadalajara who criticised everything I did but never actually studied or made an effort...

[naturegirl321]

I think that Chinese and Japanese are so different. I spent half the time with my Chinese students trying to get them to Shut Up and admit when the don't know something.
But, I like Latin American students. The easy going attitude. Laid back, everything is tranquilo!