Summer holidays are quickly coming to an end here in China, with the students returning to school on or about September First. That means that most of the students I have been teaching for the last 6 weeks will soon be leaving me. Given the small classes and therefore the very personal contact that I have had with them all, it is a little saddening to see them all go.

 

Most of my students signed on for only a one month Summer course, and the first group of these graduated on August 7th.

 

I have been teaching 4 different classes, and each has a somewhat different style and feel to it.  For instance, I have been teaching Middle School and University students in the Morning; primary school children in the early afternoons, and some of the poorer middle school students in the early evening. Additionally I teach a class of students Saturday morning.

 

Most students signed on for 12 by 90 minute lessons, and there is so much to teach them. I believe that in addition to reading practice and listening skills, it is really necessary to teach them about the conversational skills.

 

For the more advanced students therefore, I organised for them to remain for an hour after their morning class, to discuss with each other the day's lesson, and to bond through discussion.

 

During the second week I decided that during weeks three and four, we would devote that time solely to improving their hearing ability. Before that could happen however, we had enough students wanting to join us, that we commenced an additional morning class, so I invited them all to attend the listening class between 10:30 and 11:30 am; prior to their 11:30 to 1pm class. The Shanghai franchiser of EET informed me that offering 'free classes' to students confused Chinese adults and made them a little suspicious. I guess that is a Chinese cultural thing.

 

At any rate, it became a very good time for students, for not only did they learn some of the skills of listening to normal speed English, but they got to know students from other classes.

 

During the month long course for the first class, I discovered that teaching in a private school has a drawback as far as my teaching skills is concerned. You see, in public schools, one of the ways that I 'force' students to enter into discussion, is by making each and every discussion (even impromptu speeches), an exam.

 

I have frequently been asked by Chinese and foreign teachers and by the students as well, why it is that I have so many exams. Well the answer is: 'Chinese Culture!' I discovered early that asking students to read something for their own information and advancement, was like asking the Red Sea to part. Without some miracle from God it was just not going to happen.  So rather than 'ask' students to do anything, I would just inform them that we would have a test on that particular subject, page or whatever.

 

Chinese students always come up with excuses for why they won't talk, and it is the most frustrating thing that a foreign teacher has to face. In my case however, no excuse is ever acceptable. Every single time I ask a student to read, or speak (whether on their own or in a group), they receive an exam mark that goes toward their final exam.

 

Now Chinese students are a funny lot. You will ask them to speak and they will stand there with face and eyes downcast just waiting for you to get so frustrated that you will say: 'Sit down!' Me, I just say: 'OK! Fail!' and record the failure.

 

Because I always leave my score sheet open on my desk, when I leave the class at break time, students immediately run to check their scores. It only takes them a short time to realise that they are going to fail my class. That's when they begin to get serious! I tell students from the beginning that there is no final exam. Final exam is just a case of taking their top 4 marks and calculating a final result.  So you see they have a lot of chances to fail or do poorly, and I can assure you, that when they do actually pass a test, their first half a dozen results will be poor.  I am, if nothing else, wise to their tricks. Once they see that they are going to have to work for their marks, they do!

 

In private school however, I discovered that I don't have this trick up my sleeve, and so it was that my very first class, no matter what I said and how I pleaded, failed to reach their potential. However, some of the students had signed up for a second month, and when they were amalgamated with the newer group, they began to blossom. After all, they had had more teaching and so were expected to be better. The final outcome is that this second group which will finish this week, has turned into an active bunch of students ready to enjoy a normal conversation.

 

My children's class of course, is a different kettle of fish. They are all very young, and as yet lacking the ability to actually talk in English, although they can all write and to some extent read. I have concentrated on teaching them 'verb patterns', while showing them how to extend simple sentences into compound or complex sentences.  Of course I do not tell them anything about the grammar behind the procedure.

 

It is quite amazing to see how such young children are already programmed to study and learn, but the frustrating thing has been their reluctance to actually speak English.When they ask me questions in Chinese, I tell them to ask in English. It doesn't matter how many times I give them the English translation, they persist in speaking Chinese.

 

On Monday of this week, we did our first real 'tingli' (listening) class. Well! Was it a shambles. There was lazy behaviour; playing around; failure to even write; and claims that they didn't know these words.  So I whipped out copies of all the material we had covered and showed them that they had been lazy.

 

I had my interpreter come into the class and lecture them, telling them that if they persist in just memorizing without learning, they too, like so many others, will study English for many years without understanding it. They were informed that when we do songs and poems on the audio system, the purpose is not to 'play' but to learn; not to mimic, but to understand. I played the part of an angry, disappointed teacher, and even informed the parents.

 

 Well the trick worked, and now they are beginning to translate their own Chinese questions into English.

Several of these students have signed up to stay on for a year, and so now they know what they can expect when we shift from Summer class to regular classes.

 

What is lovely with the kids is the way they like to play with the hair on my arms, or hold my hand, or lean on me during class.  It has really begun to make me homesick for my own kids and grandkids. That is a first! I have never felt homesick before!

 

Life has certainly been busy for me since I got here, and the last couple of weeks were the busiest.  As of September when we cross to a normal schedule and other foreign teachers start arriving, I am going to luxuriate in having Monday and Friday off work, as well as having Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings free till 2pm. I can't wait.

 

Well there you have it! An update on what my life has been like in Baotou Inner Mongolia.

 

I do hope that you have enjoyed reading about this little excerpt from my life, and that you have enjoyed the pictures. 

 

Luo Laoshi
Email rpbendedek@hotmail.com

 
Who is Luo Laoshi (R.P.BenDedek) and What does he Think