Job Discussion Forums

[LongShiKong]

Five years ago, a Chinese student contributed this to the longest and most viewed thread over on the Student Forums. I think it's worth repeating here as it sums up the real challenge for many--to dispense with the way you were conditioned. I want to get it translated and posted in my classroom. Try as I might, I can't convince certain students of mine they've got to speak if they want to become conversant in English--the fact even simplistic listening is a challenge for them isn't convincing enough apparently. I'd like to get the students that have come to appreciate that fact to write something similar to this--the more such testimonials, the better:

[fluffyhamster]

Is it "ESML" if you've got a stepmom?

But seriously, I didn't quite understand what that ESML apparent tangent had to do with the writer's general line of "reasoning" (which simply seems to be advocating more communicative~functional as opposed to too-formal learning methods - who'd've thunk it?!).

[DebMer]

This is a good reminder to keep conversation at the forefront of my classroom activities. My adult students often prefer to "hide" in their workbooks. They like being able to control the pace of the questions and answers in that way, and not being put on the spot to answer verbally. I love that they're interested in the structure of the language, but not that it's so difficult for them to feel comfortable interacting. Even some of my high intermediates still get that startled/panicked look when we're conversing.

When I was polishing my Spanish I was in the best case scenario - living with Mexican families, getting around Mexico forced to use Spanish, plus taking Spanish classes daily. I heartily wish I could duplicate this experience for my English students. They live in the U.S. in a bubble of Latinos and bilinguals. All of their children's school notes are in English and Spanish, they can have their parent-teacher conferences with a translator, they go to Mexican markets to shop and watch Mexican TV or movies with Spanish subtitles. Only a few of them take advantage of the English-only activities outside of class that I promote to them.

[Glenski]

So, essentially, all he is saying is that you don't need any grammar books, but that with lots of exposure to native level material and perseverence and self-motivation, one can study on one's own and get the job done. Communicability is better than perfection, at least to overcome some fears of correctness being a bad thing.

Well, uh, ok. the last sentence is something I hope most of us teach anyway.

As for the first part and the ESML stuff, well..................

Basically, that person's success came from an internal drive that most students (probably) don't have (certainly, not in Japan where I live!). As DebMer pointed out:
Only a few of them take advantage of the English-only activities outside of class that I promote to them.

But one does need a source of grammar and spelling rules (and help with pronunciation). Perhaps that person simply realized that the Chinese way of teaching is inadequate and stormed ahead on their own.

Kudos to this student, but IMO it really won't help most students to see that.

[Sashadroogie]

Again with the 'thinking in English'... oh dear.

[Glenski]