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148680 Posts in 8106 Topics- by 953 Members - Latest Member: wakethenight

May 25, 2013, 01:13:15 PM
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Author Topic: the perfect place for teaching English  (Read 557 times)
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kevcom1
Limboid


Posts: 58


« on: September 02, 2011, 01:07:44 AM »

If you had the chance to open and run an afterschool English program for kids what would you do to make it the perfect place?
I often talk with people who complain about where they work but I seldom hear how people if given the chance would make it better. Any ideas?
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kitano
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« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2011, 01:38:51 AM »

I haven't taught kids for years, but....

1)
Make it more like a school in that the educational aims are at the centre of the schools aims. I've never understood why there aren't (maybe there are...) any private institutes that reject or throw bad students out.  
There is so much demand for after-school language places and good quality would be very marketable. It doesn't even have to be more expensive, if a school turned out nothing but good students then that would be the best advertising ever

2)
A non-teaching Chinese HR person who speaks excellent English and liases (don't know how to spell that) with all of the FTs at least once a week giving feedback from students and helping not only with teaching but also with cultural issues etc
Communication between Chinese and foreign staff is very often woeful, even in most schools where all of the staff are happy there always seems to be a divide between the Chinese and foreign teachers

3)
English lessons for the Chinese English teachers. I never understood why this is so rare, even just one hour a week would be really useful in improving staff relations, coordinating the curricula not to mention helping their English. There seems to be an amazingly high proportion of teachers who are recent graduates who are very nervous about speaking English to foreigners

I think that relations between foreign and Chinese teachers has a massive effect on schools and is one of the most overlooked aspects of a school in my experience. A gap between foreign and Chinese teaching staff transfers to the students and alienates them from foreigners as well

4) Ideally a Chinese person who has lived in a western country and understands western culture to some degree, there are lots of graduates return from abroad and can't find jobs so it isn't pie in the sky. Again the cultural thing...

5) A good bonus system based on student feedback every month. I'm guessing that incentive based pay in China is still seen as getting your full pay being the incentive....

6) Fully stocked bar with smokin hot Russian bar girl (who speaks fairly bad English in a sexy voice and is easy)

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kevcom1
Limboid


Posts: 58


« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2011, 02:00:36 AM »

All good suggestions however the bonus one can be a problem. i have heard teachers in the past to stay in the good graces of their students have been more of an entertainer than an educator in hopes of getting the bonus that comes with keeping a clss running.
for sure a bonus for a job well done should be included but how to determine that is difficult. Student surveys are biased (usually to the negative by the lesser students) and re-enrollment can often be affected by situations completely out of the teachers control.
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kitano
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« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2011, 02:31:08 AM »

yeah bonuses is a tricky one cause it can cause resentment, and gaming the system like you said, in any line of work I guess....

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Mimi
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« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2011, 04:46:41 PM »

Quote
6) Fully stocked bar with smokin hot Russian bar girl (who speaks fairly bad English in a sexy voice and is easy)

This made me laugh  th_ah
I agree about the English lessons for CTs.  I don't think enough is done to foster real fluency in foreign language teachers here.
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Arnold J. Rimmer
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« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2011, 12:19:58 PM »


6) Fully stocked bar with smokin hot Russian bar girl (who speaks fairly bad English in a sexy voice and is easy)


YES!  th_bf

Though I'd change the nationality to French...
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