kjk_esl
- 2010-01-17
Whatta! Whatta is all this!
I could not agree more with you EG! In my three years of teaching in China and with meeting so many Chinese who have immigrated to Canada here where I am once living again. I have taught at public schools, colleges and the wonderful cram schools and never once did I see a Chinese teacher try to improve the pronunciation of their students. Teachers pass on their miss-pronunciation on to their students. The Chinese education system has a very narrow view of what English is and how we speak it. China's education system is still like most of the country, no one is brave enough to stand up and tell everyone that the emperor has no clothes. No one wants to upset the carefully arranged apple cart with rotten apples. Lets be honest here. The English language in China and most of Asia is a cash cow for the vast majority of schools and those teaching English.
Yes trying to teach there in China can cost you your job as the vast majority of schools are only interested in you entertaining the students, putting smiles on their faces with the fun games that you play with them (games are good if they are lesson based, fast paced and do not take up most of the class). Oh yes you will be confronted by Chinese teachers who do not want to be shown as a bumpkin. They will fight you tooth and nail to try to prove to you that you are wrong and that they are right.
As for cutting the there in China, the whole country cuts corners! With safety, education, food, contracts etc. It is a very interesting study there seeing all of the corner cutting that takes place in China. School will cut corners in order to maximize profits, to control you ( I am still at a loss why they like to control you so much there in China). It is an interesting study but I still see corner cutting here in Canada but at least we have more laws to prevent it and we kick up a fuss when it happens more often.
It is hard at times to find your groove when you are there teaching but when you do it is a great feeling! Enjoy your time there folks it can be rewarding.
englishgibson
- 2010-01-16
sadly enough, many chinese that have learnt or are studying english do not seem to be interested in their pronunciation improvements anymore. from my experience, they do not study pronunciation in their primary or secondary schools, and, in fact, the chinese english teachers lead all their students on to believing the pronunciation or intonation aren't as important. to my knowledge, in nanning (guanxi) the public school teachers of english were not even allowed to teach intonation. so, most if not all of my elementary and intermediate students from local high schools that were planning to join the western unis had great pronunciation issues. their word stress and pitches when saying the whole sentences was just so much like their native language...no wonder why.
trying to do your job may ironically cost you the job. one of my former coworkers has tried to improve the students' pronunciation and also has done the intonation exercises, although he was not as appreciated. he stayed on the job for just about a year and a half there. students out of these public schools often feel uncomfortable when a foreign teacher directs them into some standard ways of pronunciation and when the intonation is pointed out many local students just do not see the importance of it. they may even confront you on the issue of the necessary pitches when they're messing up their whole sentences and that no matter how much descretion you may use with them.
the foundation of education on mainland is well known for cutting corners and leading students to exams ONLY. there aren't any english language speaking exams in chinese public sector as far as i know..well, unless you are majoring in english. and i've done some of these so called speaking exams at a teachers' college, and never been asked to pay attention to the issues pointed out in this thread.
cheers and beers to the chinese english speakers "singing" english to us :)