Teaching the Teachers

General notes: Middle School teachers (fall term about eight weeks): These course outlines are quite different from those aimed to teach students at the college. Items to be considered include: these are adults in the 30-something range, several to ten years out of university; it has been some time since they have heard (if they ever had) a native speaker; their command of English has its strengths in grammar and possibly (probably) in reading; their weaknesses are in conversation (definitely including pronunciation) and listening (and definitely including comprehension as opposed to hearing and fulfilling tasks in the listening texts).

Without any clear direction the native speakers have conducted their classes as suggested in the course titles ¨C Oral English, Listening Skills, Activities and Games ¨C more often than not they cross disciplines for a more holistic approach. One class period per week there is a formal class in methodology. However, included in all the native speaker/teachers' assumed tasks is that of modeling American style teaching methods and practices. In terms of English as a Foreign Language this usually means a communicative approach with little lecture and much interaction between teacher and student. As already practicing teachers, the Chinese are being exposed to an entirely different approach and it is hoped that they will adopt/modify/tailor some of this methodology to their English language teaching.

In some ways finding subject matter for both listening and discussion can be easier for the native speaker/teacher since it is assumed the Chinese in this program are more mature and sophisticated and have a wider view of life and the world in general. However it's useful to remember that any subject matter taught to them can be used by them when they return to teach in their own classrooms.

It should be acknowledged that both the Oral English and Listening Skills teachers meet with these students in an intensive schedule ¨C four to six periods every day! There is a new lesson preparation required for each. This can be taxing but can also lead to a great deal of cohesive flow for both teacher and student. The use of film one day a week is, therefore, both useful for the Chinese teacher listening and comprehension skills and practical for the native speaker/teacher in terms of preparation time/scheduling. BUT , and it is an important ¡®but', the daily interaction with the same native speakers for four to six hours a day is a kind of immersion that is incredibly valuable for the Chinese teachers.

Listening Skills for KET Teachers ¨C Middle School

Judy's notes

Daily Given that the class meets in the language laboratory there is access to both tape, video and computer terminals which is incredibly helpful.

Each class session begins with a video display of an internet connection from xinhuanet.com the Chinese news service which provides late breaking news in English under the banner of ¡°China Daily¡±.

There is always a story related to the ¡®theme' of the class/week and usually additional material can be found in the left hand menu which includes World; China; Sports; Culture and Education; Business. The top menu includes features, people, and changes frequently if not daily. It often includes helpful additional material. There is a pull down (left hand bottom) for English Corner and here there are features in both Chinese and English. In the early days of the semester sometimes it is useful, as the Chinese teachers struggle to adapt to English only, to allow them to read the Chinese for the gist of the subject, and then do the listening in English. The right hand menu includes general information about China , e.g. map, which the teacher can access when needed.

From time to time it is useful to explain to the Ss tudents just how the computer ¡°works¡± and what a tool it might be if they had one in their own school/classroom.

Vocabulary here is pretty sophisticated and a good opportunity to add difficult words to the Chinese student's own stock of words. The native speaker/ teacher can begin to introduce the vocabulary of the theme unit with this daily reading of the news.

Weekly: Since the class meets every day it is useful to plan the entire week as a unit. Some thematic units have included: the Olympics (focusing on Beijing 2008); the environment (focusing on issues in China at large and in Hunan in particular); culture and manners (comparing Chinese and American/British traditions, etiquette, etc.); entertainment (broken into two units, one media related, the other sports); ¡­..

Resources have included the internet source above; the book/tape series Step-by-Step; a book/tape series on modern writers; articles from 21 st Century (an English language weekly available at a newsstand in Jishou) ¨C on line at 21stcentury.com.cn; and films available through the school library but mostly purchased at very reasonable prices by individual teachers in the local markets. Note: Step-by-Step is a familiar resource for these teachers and can be used out of sequence to coincide w/ the thematic unit (environment/population; culture; education in both cultures; immigration (kick-off at Thanksgiving) ). It is quite manageable for their English level skills and additional material is needed to stretch their study. The native speaker/ Tt eacher, unfamiliar w/ Chinese culture, may find it useful to introduce ¡®personalities in the news' in these units so that the material is more meaningful to the `Ss tudents ¨C and this a great way to suggest that their own students might find such topics/subjects more ¡®real world'!!! The textbook/video presentation in ¡°Family Album¡± ¨C American culture is excellent. It is a bit above the ¡°language¡± level of the teachers in general, but the text has enough Chinese to make it very useful without letting them rely primarily on their first language. The video presentations have a lots of extras in addition to the language that are helpful in sharing American culture.

The preparation of (test) exercises , i.e. fill in the blank, information queries, etc. that mirror Step-by-Step (traditional TOEFL-prep type listening exam questions) are easy to prepare by cutting and pasting material from the internet.

It is up to the creativity of the teacher to find a film that meets the criteria of the thematic unit. Films used included ¡°Chariots of Fire¡± (Olympics); ¡° America 's Sweethearts¡± (celebrity in media) ¨C not a good choice!¡­would have liked something like ¡°Hoop Dreams¡± (basketball players ¨C education theme as well); ¡°Empire of the Sun¡± (culture); and ¨C hopefully ¨C ¡°Dead Poet's Society¡± (education).

Teaching the Teachers ¨C Syllabi 

General notes ¨C Primary School teachers (spring term about eight weeks): There are very few similarities to teaching the Middle School teachers (fall term) except for the fact that the class ¡®students' here are adults, but rather younger adults since they have not achieved enough education to teach beyond their villages. One could be stunned that a high percentage (maybe 65-70) has no post-secondary education (think the United States in the prairie school era). What little English skills they have are self-taught. They are absolute beginners ¨C particularly w/ regard to speaking.

Again the course titles ¨C Oral English, Listening Skills, Activities and Games ¨C allow for crossing disciplines and it was useful if there was good communication between the foreign teachers working with these students. These students seemed to have a fuller program with classes taught by the Chinese teachers as well. It bears repeating that native speaker/teachers' have an additional to model American style teaching methods and practices. In terms of English as a Foreign Language this usually means a communicative approach with little lecture and much interaction between teacher and student: however, this is extremely difficult as there is little true communication.

In some ways finding subject matter for both listening and discussion and one must resort to the most elementary methods without teaching ¡°down¡± to these young adults. In some ways this group (differing form the fall term middle school teachers) was much easier to work with as they were incredibly focused and willing to do anything one asked of them. Where materials were available in English and Chinese (from on-line sources) these were useful. Again film and the ¡°Family Album¡± series (w/ worksheets and scripts of the dialogue which have to be photocopied) were useful.

These teachers met with the foreign teachers for about the same four to six hours a day and AGAIN , the daily interaction with the same native speakers at this intensity gave us a sense that real progress was made.

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