|
Books
have been, are being, and will be written about this subject.
How do you explain what it's like teaching in a truly foreign
environment?
If
you are reading this then it is most likely that you have some
desire to "give it a try". Just to whet your
appetite here are a few answers to perhaps some of those myths you
have heard about Chinese teaching conditions:
-
Yes, classes are big, mostly 30-40 students.
-
Yes,
resources can be scarce.
-
Yes,
curriculum may be fragile.
-
Yes,
management may be frustrating.
-
No,
not all students are machines.
-
No,
not all students are well behaved.
-
No,
not all students are interested.
As a
matter of fact there are also some very pleasant surprises:
-
People
are incredibly friendly.
-
Not
speaking Chinese does limit you.
-
Local
teachers are most often very helpful.
-
All
students will want to befriend you.
-
Invitations
to social events are common.
More of the same
In China, when told
that western class activities try to make learning fun, students
and parents ask, "but when do you learn?”
Learning to them
cannot be fun. You will probably want to explain the
pedagogical benefits of your methods, why you are playing a game,
etc. When the primary or only method of teaching is
rote learning, students are used to it and may consider it the
only legitimate method. You may need to use a bit of it (or
at least have students use it on your materials) until you can
demonstrate that the other activities are producing better
results.
In children's
classes and the lower level adult classes there may be Chinese
teaching assistants (TAs) who work with foreign teachers providing
translation when necessary and explaining difficult
concepts. These TAs are usually English majors or teachers
from local universities and will be able to communicate anything
relevant to the level of English being taught.
Many westerners
may want to use their knowledge of Chinese in the classroom and
at times this can be useful in helping a class of nervous speakers
relax while letting the students know that teachers understand the
difficulty of learning foreign languages. However, we stress
that the main reason students crave foreign teachers is to have
firsthand conversational experience with a native English
speaker. The TA is there to co-teach and translate, this is
their work just as teaching is yours. For these reasons we
suggest that you limit your use of classroom Chinese to a minimum.
All in all, teaching in China is a unique experience, full of
spice and adventure, intrigue and mayhem. Boredom is a very
rare complaint.
|
Listen to those who
have been before you and your more experienced
colleagues.
