Son of My Father
- 2009-11-22
Cunning inguist is without doubt an academic, and one who is worthy of being a professor at a Chinese university. I am very happy to second what you have stated re his excellent contribution to this thread!
Native Son
- 2009-11-22
Excellent post. I'll add - you are an exception. Were there more like you.
cunning inguist
- 2009-11-20
What is being referred to here is English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and I would think that any competent teacher could adapt, given further study. As an example of ESP, I was offered a job teaching airline English, to an international agreed standard, to Chinese domestic pilots. A former boss was offering a very good package, but the timing was wrong and would have required a return home, several months of waiting until the contracts with the airlines were signed, and a new visa. But I have never flown a plane or worked at an airport! I did however recommend a course book and (audio material) written by a former pilot, and published at the same time as the job offer.I also looked at the research for air crashes and found that a percentage of crashes were down to pilot and ground crew mis -communication in English. "Descend to 22,000 feet" was heard by the pilot as "...2,000 feet" and ended in disaster. My purpose in doing the research was a PP presentation to the airline companies.
There are posts on other ESL sites from teachers who have already worked in this field. And Macmillan in the UK have published "Campaign" :-
"Campaign is a three-level English language course English for the military designed for multinational military and peacekeeping forces on peacekeeping operations.
All three levels of this award-winning Military English course are now available. Providing approximately 200 hours of teaching materials and consisting of four components, this flexible course syllabus can be adapted for any length of course. If you are teaching English find out more about Campaign - English for the Military."
http://www.campaignmilitaryenglish.com/
Turnoi has provided an example of what could be meant by the phrase from the article that you highlighted. The vocabulary, and understanding the context may be different, but it's amazing what good teachers can teach given the opportunity.
But the screening and checking process for applicants will, I expect be very thorough indeed.
As China continues to grow and assume its role as economic and military co-leader of the world - so does its need to have more of her people speak English.
If Miss Hornby is correct, it seems that in China's military
"We need English for better communications with the other U.N. personnel and teams," peacekeeping veteran Liu Zhao said, in fluent English, as he showed reporters around a compound modeled on the Chinese camp in Darfur.
"The relatively low English standards of peacekeepers" ranks after general security issues and a lack of trained teachers with peacekeeping experience among the challenges they face, Kui said.
Well, guys.....I guess this means that not a single one of you qualifies as a potential hire to teach English to the China Military Services because, almost to a person, none of you is qualified to teach, and with the added qualification of "peacekeeping experience,"
a potential new venue for bilking the Chinese out of money, the door of opportunity is slammed in your face. Too bad.
More English needed as China steps up peacekeeping
Lucy Hornby, Reuters http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/6494185/more-english-needed-as-china-steps-up-peacekeeping/