Teacher Discussion Forums

Hi-

have been teaching for 5 years in France and I'm not too bad (ie I don't do three hours grammar lessons or talk at them in a monotone voice or treat them like idiots). Normally things go well- at the moment I have an adult group I'm teaching for a social club.

The club doesnt believe in testing, so I get students who arrive or leave while "shopping" for the best level. Youngest student is 12, up to the age of 68. Most of them are retired.

They're there for general English, no defined motivations really, I guess they just want to speak...

problem is being French they like to COMPLAIN. Lately I've had one or two strong personalities who actively criticize in class.

I'm not being supersensitive...I'm working from headway Elementary, things are OK but every time I try and get them to do something new they grumble or lapse into French...they grumble about more autonomous activities in pairs because they dont feel they're speaking correctly and want to be corrected. When I do it the traditional way and impose total silence they grumble because only one student gets to speak at a time.

I feel some of the prob is the management of the club- they're so eager to please they promise them anything.

They all want cassettes and CDs of the audio material. I cant burn off of CDs (computer too slow) and don't want to give them copies of the cds anyway, since half of them will come to class having done the next chapter at home. So I'm compiling a dowloaded cd of audio files, the news, easy songs, etc.

They expect this as given and complain if I havent done it but there's a hell of a lot of taping involved to do forty cassettes.

It's been a while since Ive had a class of this size (twenty). I suppose in this size even adults are put in a child-like position- the club keeps adding more students to my class and the dynamic is changing.

Do I have to be like a school teacher then???

AAghhh!!! and I have them tonight again.

I'm experienced, but why do I still get stressed? Anyone else have the same prob?

Hi inmars,

There's not much you can do about grumpiness in France, even President Chirac told everyone to cheer up recently (with predictable results!)

However, here are a couple of things I've learned over the years dealing with adult trainees in France.

First, while the trainees might not respect the teacher, they generally respect methods. If you've decided to use Headway, then get them to follow it in the way you want, not what they feel like doing.

Regarding extra material, delegate. Do they want cassettes? OK, they bring in the blank tapes. Or, the students take it in turns to duplicate the tapes. They want a CD? OK, who has a CD burner? They want extra articles? Fine, good idea, everyone bring in an article in English on the subject of X next week.

Another thing is - they respect eccentricity. Drink your tea with milk, talk about the Queen (or Blackburn Rovers or The Pennines, whatever) and pretend ignorance about everything and everyone in France!

Activities such as brainstorming, pairwork, funny stories, etc, can be challenging. However, if any of them are going to spend time in an English speaking country, they have to realize that things are done differently abroad. Helping the trainees to see that may be just as important as the language you teach!

Let us know how it goes!

Sometimes people complain a lot because they don't feel important. If that is the case, make them feel important.

Sometimes complaints disappear by just listening. Also by listening to complaints, one can discover valuable feedback and problems that need solving. Let them complain in English.

Perhaps the teacher should make that complainer solve his own problem.
According to Robert M. Bramson, PhD in his book, "Coping with Difficult People," to deal with chronoc complainers:

1. Listen attentively
2. Acknlowledge
3. Be prepared to interrupt
4. Use limiting responses
5. Don't agree
6. Avoid the accusation-defense-reaccusation sequence
7. State facts without comment and apology
8. Switch to problem-solving

Thanks for the replies!!

Yep- to some extent the French just like to geuler (sp?) (moan). I love them, but its the way it is.

They do respect The Method, they have it beaten into them at school so a bit of authority can work wonders (remind them of their primary school teachers)

It's also true that people need to feel important, particularly in a social club situation where English is something these people do for fun, instead of pottery classes or tennis. Lots of different people w different problems and family situations.

It could be worse, I've taught large groups of unemployed people sent to learn English, that was VERY interesting psychologically speaking.

So..yes last week i was completely no nonsense, no argument, polite but firmer than usual.

Delicate teasing of problem students charmed them into submission.

And I have to stop worrying too much about the moaning, they do it for fun half the time/

I DO care about the quality of my teaching, so i worry about reactions like that.

I like the tips on managing chronic complainers..interesting. Especially "don't agree" !

thanks a lot.

Wierd that I've been visiting this website for years and never posted a comment in the forum. I've been missing a lot!!

Also
If they are old, they probably don't get listened to so often. So some will 'grandstand' if they have a captive audience.

Large classes of mixed ability are a real problem. If they are not cohesive then every time the group re-forms (new students) the group dynamic is lost and students will need to establish a new pecking order (for want of a better term).

With any new group of students the first class is the hardest, as you build rapport, and your position as teacher. If the class keeps changing, well I think you get the picture.

But another 30 years and you will be that grumpy old Franglais git yerself

Yes- you're right. They like to moan, it gives them something to do...they're not a bad lot really just retired and using it as a social club.

I've got a much worse class now (see my post re serious discipline problem) that puts all this into perspective!

Hi there,

I read your post with interest as I too live in France.

You've had lots of great replies.

One thing you say though I want to talk about:

You say: "They all want cassettes and CDs of the audio material. I cant burn off of CDs (computer too slow) and don't want to give them copies of the cds anyway, since half of them will come to class having done the next chapter at home."

Well if they are motivated and want to prepare for class then that is absolutely great! Let them - your discussions are likely to be much more fruitful as they will have had time to think about the content in the chapter and absorb some of the key vocabulary.

Re some of your other problems that you talk about: use a combo of accuracy drills and free speaking activities. Explain to them that the accuracy drills need to be right and you will be listening and correcting. The whole point of a fluency activity is not to stop every other word to correct something, but to get them to speak, to speed up their speaking and progress towards fluency - and you need both these kinds of things in a good class.

Try this game here with them - it's the kind of thing that gets people talking freely.

http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/adu ... uasion.htm

Kind regards
Shelley
http://www.teachingenglishgames.com