posted by frances553 on May 2, 2013 | 4 comments
Hi everyone,I'd like to get some comments from other people on their experiences of learning Chinese with Chinese teachers- both good and bad. If you could give some pointers to trainee Chinese teachers, what would you say?!I'm hoping to have the chance to incorporate some of this into a teacher training course that I'm going to be involved in... but I need other people's input. Me ranting about the state of Chinese teaching isn't good enough for an official training course, even though I think it's stuff they should know!I'd be really grateful for your help!Thanks,Frances
frances553 on May 2, 2013 | reply
The latest elementary podcast is a good example of a teacher cutting in before the student even has a chance to talk- I've experienced that. When you're training to teach English you're told to reduce the amount of talking you do and try to get as much as you can from the students, always giving them plenty of time to formulate their answers. I don't know if Chinese people are used to this concept of a teacher not talking!
A good teacher should have learned the concept too :) It's an important rule for teaching language.A good Chinese teacher should also know how to use clear and simple language to teach, not rambling. She/he should be able to give enough repetition, but also flexible enough to not get students bored.--Echoecho@popupchinese.com
zombie_chris on July 11, 2013 | reply
A bit late, I've been off the interwebs for a while, but here goes:
A) Plan a speaking class that actually lets students speak. You don't need to practice your Chinese, your students do, so plan a lesson with minimal teacher talking time and maximum student talking time. The hardest part of being a language teacher is learning to shut the f**k up in class a giving your students a chance.
B) Don't ask and answer your own question, ending your explanation with a rhetorical question doesn't mean that the students agree or understand you. Use comprehension check questions and listen to your students producing the language for themselves
C) Grade your language! If it's obvious that I have a limited vocabulary, don't talk to me like your talk to your friends. Select simple words, slow down, but don't use baby-talk or patronise your students.
D) Describe usage, don't prescribe. Students aren't blank slates, and they probably already have a (patchy) knowledge of what you're talking about. Ask students questions, and let them do the hard work for you. Letting them take a chance and getting it right is a confidence booster, and even if they get it wrong, try to incorporate it positively to feel like they've contributed.
As a language teacher, your ultimate remit is that you act as a facilitator for the students to learn and discover by themselves. Keep them on topic and guide them from their mistakes to the right way. Students can learn long lists of words by themselves, but what you are actually teaching is conversation skills, so set up a classroom environment that facilitates conversation rather than rote learning.
Some general principles here for teaching English that can be transferred to teaching Chinese: http://iteslj.org/Articles/Zhou-SuccessulTeacher.html
frances553 on July 14, 2013 | reply
Thanks for your replies.The course is finished now and I think it went well... I wasn't sure what topics I'd be allowed to cover but in the end I got to do some sessions on things like grading language, giving instructions, and concept checking. I'll be observing some classes in the next couple of weeks so I'll be able to make sure they're staying on track!