Search found 274 matches

by Roger
Thu Jun 10, 2004 12:31 pm
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Teaching Teachers How to Teach
Replies: 6
Views: 3735

I don't want to discourage you, but I have plenty of experience with teachers from an almost identical cultural background: my Chinese coun terparts have a problem with their thinking. They are inured to their Chinese rote-learning method and are not used to thinking independently. They are not accu...
by Roger
Mon May 31, 2004 12:22 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: Should I use L1 in my english classes?
Replies: 23
Views: 11052

In principle, I am in favour of using the target language for grammar instruction but I am beginning to understand that mother tongue use may sometimes be helpful The thing to consider is: do the students have a good grasp of their own language's grammar? If so, then I would assume that using their ...
by Roger
Sun Apr 25, 2004 1:47 pm
Forum: Applied Linguistics
Topic: what should i do?
Replies: 1
Views: 1138

Keep reading, man, and if you can't get the drift of a story, report or letter to the editor of a magazine you go over the sentence that's a hurdle; then check the vocabulary. Every day you will find new words or phrases; check whether they are colloquialisms or standard expressions. Enter them in a...
by Roger
Sun Apr 25, 2004 1:42 pm
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Another older learner qyestion
Replies: 3
Views: 1925

I enjoyed reading this thread; very sensitive questions, and very sensible observations. I learnt a lot from both of you!
by Roger
Wed Apr 14, 2004 1:39 pm
Forum: Bilingual Education
Topic: Bilingual Education in Taiwan
Replies: 4
Views: 6617

What are you ram,bling on about? Sure, Taiwan does not have bilingual education? Teaching English as a subject does not make a school, its students or its curriculum bilingual!
by Roger
Mon Apr 05, 2004 11:03 am
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Teaching Fluent Adults
Replies: 10
Views: 4165

I would concur with Latham in that your student's interests should be guiding you in your dialogues and conversations with him. He or she seems to be a dedicated and gifted person. As an aside, I would try to help your student become aware of his or her problems. It's better for a student to realise...
by Roger
Mon Apr 05, 2004 10:58 am
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Writing Exercises For Adults
Replies: 6
Views: 5235

I am currently teaching university students and middle-school students; in the first case my subject is Writing. My experience may not fully square with yours, but you may take a hint: I find them to be a wee bit immature, unprepared for the challenges of life. Writing is regarded as a waste of time...
by Roger
Sun Apr 04, 2004 9:34 am
Forum: Secondary School Education
Topic: Teaching China
Replies: 4
Views: 3491

You have some time left before the new semester begins, unless you want to come here subito and start work at a language mill. I would suggest two things you can do: - Familiarise yourself with what's in store for you via this website's Employment forums - you will find two forums dedicated to China...
by Roger
Mon Mar 29, 2004 10:44 am
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Basic English vocabulary...how many words?
Replies: 13
Views: 5472

Thanks, Larry, for rushing to my succour. I am beginning to underswtand you a lot better too; I had no idea what your relationship with the Chinese was. I am sorry, kaysa, if I come across as "condescending", but I won't apologise for anything expressed so far. If you want to understand a student's ...
by Roger
Wed Mar 24, 2004 1:03 pm
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Basic English vocabulary...how many words?
Replies: 13
Views: 5472

Well, kaysa, I have now been in China for the last ten years, taught at every level right from kindergarten up to university and adults; I surely have met gifted and motivated students, but I have most of the time been dealing with the fall-out of a dysfunctional educational system that produces med...
by Roger
Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:22 am
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Basic English vocabulary...how many words?
Replies: 13
Views: 5472

You will probably soon find out for yourself that not every Chinese has two M.A.'s, nor are they capable of obtaining them. And you will see for yourself that here, "memory" is almost synonymous with 'brain', and so too much is made of quantitative learning. That, and not the structural differences ...
by Roger
Tue Mar 23, 2004 1:31 pm
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Basic English vocabulary...how many words?
Replies: 13
Views: 5472

Hello, my China-based colleague, since you are new here let me tell you you should never allow your CHinese charges believe that "knowing" such and such a number of vocables is all that English is all about; steer them away from this quantitative (and in my view: stupid!) thinking. THis is the ver5y...
by Roger
Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:08 am
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: cute wannabes
Replies: 6
Views: 3593

Maybe you review their mistakes one by one in class, without identifying the "culprits"?
It would seem to me they are not by any stretch of imagination "beginners"...

How old are they?
by Roger
Sat Mar 13, 2004 8:05 am
Forum: Adult Education
Topic: Is Could the past tense of can?
Replies: 3
Views: 2406

I go along with Tesse's post. Maybe you are not in the full know of verbs in general, and modal verbs in particular; might be useful to refresh your theory: - Can is one of less than a dozen modal verbs; as such, they do not have any particular third-person form (ending in S), nor do they have tense...
by Roger
Wed Mar 10, 2004 11:51 am
Forum: Elementary Education
Topic: Your opinions on native languages
Replies: 9
Views: 6126

I think most of us cannot support our students in improving their mother tongue mastery.
I also think you can only teach one subject at a time.