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margittarget
Joined: 31 Mar 2010
Posts: 7
Location: USA
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 Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 11:37 am Post subject: In China Kindergaten=Preschool |
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| Just started my first job as an ESL teacher in China. It is at a "kindergarten". Just a warning to those of you who might not already know, If you get a job teaching kindergarten in China, you could be teaching kids as young as 2 years old. In China, the term "kindergarten" encompasses all of what we know in the west as preschool, as well as kindergarten. Basically it's all the formal education there is before first grade. So, basically, consider yourself warned. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:04 am Post subject: Re: In China Kindergaten=Preschool |
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| margittarget wrote: |
| Just started my first job as an ESL teacher in China. It is at a "kindergarten". Just a warning to those of you who might not already know, If you get a job teaching kindergarten in China, you could be teaching kids as young as 2 years old. In China, the term "kindergarten" encompasses all of what we know in the west as preschool, as well as kindergarten. Basically it's all the formal education there is before first grade. So, basically, consider yourself warned. |
It is the same in most Asian countries. It is certainly the same in Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, and China.
Kindy can encompass anything from "just out of diapers" and up to the 1st grade in school. It's great if you like working with kids (as in ECE trained) but can be a nightmare for those who were expecting ages 5+ or worse yet, those who wanted adult or middle/high school ages but simply took the job as a foot in the door.
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 4:16 am Post subject: |
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Wow, that's young...not exactly something the CELTA prepares you for.
In Mexico, daycare (let's call it) can start from what is referred to as lactantes (milkers? breast or bottlefed) and on up to pre-school, kindergarten, etc. |
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Big Poppa Pump
Joined: 28 May 2010
Posts: 167
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| Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 12:25 pm Post subject: |
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I did a promotional class last term at a Chinese Kindergarten. I was a bit surprised at how young the kids were. Some of them looked like they could barely walk.
Suffices to say, no English was taught and many Chinese teachers got their picture taken with the foreign bloke.
lol...
entertaining to say the least. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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| I taught 1.5 year olds in China. It lasted a month until they reorganised and then I was permanently placed in the 4 year old class. Thank goodness. |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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| Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| I taught 1.5 year olds in China. It lasted a month until they reorganised and then I was permanently placed in the 4 year old class. Thank goodness. |
What on earth can you do with 18-month old toddlers in an English classroom    |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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Presumably about the same thing the English-speaking parent in a mixed-language marraige does....
Where I live, it's pretty common that children have parents who speak different languages, and they end up going to school in yet a third language...it's probably a good head start for a lot of them.
But to call what people do in these 'kindergartens' 'teaching' is probably a serious example of a misnomer  |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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| Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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That makes sense, spiral.
The multi-lingual nature of the place where you live sounds fascinating, especially for someone like you, who's a language teacher. What third-language situation do children usually end up in when they start school? |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2010 9:15 pm Post subject: |
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Here all the little kids study in Dutch. All the big kids study in English.
Nobody's really much concerned with teaching either language. The kids are just expected to make the transition.
Somehow, it works. |
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xi.gua
Joined: 15 Jul 2010
Posts: 170
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: |
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| There's really no "teaching" to be done at Kindergarten anyway. No one understands you, so it's basically just babysitting and you get to sing the ABC's for a year. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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| Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 2:23 am Post subject: |
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| xi.gua wrote: |
| There's really no "teaching" to be done at Kindergarten anyway. No one understands you, so it's basically just babysitting and you get to sing the ABC's for a year. |
Perhaps some familiarity with ECE might be in order or perhaps you should have never been placed in charge of young charges.
The amount of developmental learning that takes place between the ages of 2-6 is beyond what most people can imagine.
It may seem like babysitting to you but in reality you are providing interaction for 2-8 hours per day (often as much or more time than their own parents spend with them during their waking hours) while they are forming language, morals, and behaviors.... at a critical, impressionable and formative period in their young lives.
"No teaching to be done ... No one understands you" ... they understand as much from you as they do from their own parents in their L1.
If you think there is no "teaching" or "learning" taking place with young children then I pray that you are never placed in a young learners classroom and perhaps that you shouldn't have kids of your heaven forbid that you do that your partner takes a more active role in their young life.
Understanding (of teaching little kids) like yours is what makes many western countries such screwed up places.
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warda
Joined: 22 May 2010
Posts: 29
Location: in transit
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| Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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| tttompatz wrote: |
| Perhaps some familiarity with ECE might be in order[...] |
Since we're on the subject of ECE and kindergartens, what are some resources for introducing oneself to the subject? Anything that will also make it easier to plan and run classes? Any favorite activities for preschoolers in a TEFL classroom?
I need to learn how to be more effective with my 4-6 year old class, and I'm sure the OP could use some help coping if s/he's kept his/her job. |
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tttompatz
Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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tttom, that really takes me back. My mother was a professional preschool teacher who helped pioneer many of those concepts. She was great with us when we were small  |
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