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woman2003 |
02/20/04 |
I entered this site to ask for an opinon.It's an international site. I'd like you to analyze my English,I got deeply sad and offended by one person.
Dear rich
I'm facing a new challenge now, that's why I like hearing from the expert ones.
Most of my students are seeing English as an ESL for the first time. As I'm used to teach at English courses, I'm not used to tranlaste word by word into the mother tongue. Recently one of my students who despite all of my efforts and even translating, can't say or keep in the memory "I am a student", for instance, told me that she wanted to talk to the coordinator. I got angry with her, I know I shouldn't(but you know, we are humans) and told her that she could do it and nobody could take off my position because I'm a statutory teacher. During the talk, I thought again and tried to change things. I told her that I was appreciating herinterest and I'd try to help her further. They need to be guided at every step, they don't know to speak our native English correcty, not mention English.
I'd just like a help on how teaching adults, they are not aimed to learn English to talk or write as in English courses, but they don't know a damn of nothing. English is a mystery to them.And I translate, and they don't remember, I bring flash cards, everything.
They don't take the effort. My friend, who is an ESL teacher too, told me:dont worry, they just want to finish high school to work in a store.
Thank you
Answer by richturner on 02/20/04 11:51 am:
I'm afraid that you are going to take offense at my answer, but I must be honest. If I am wrong, I invite other experts to tell me how and why; if I am right, I hope that others will reinforce my answer because I don't think you will be easily convinced by one man's opinion.
Since the English in your question is not very good, it frightens me that you are teaching English as a second language, or that you are teaching English at all. I am not referring to typos but to incorrect forms of verbs, grammatical errors, and faulty idioms. If you speak the language the way you write it, I don't believe that you can accurately translate for non-native speakers.
Among my adult college students, I always have several for whom English is a second language. Teaching them requires even more understanding of the English language than teaching native speakers does. Furthermore, I am obligated to use perfect English with them because, since I am the teacher, I am the example that they follow. Sometimes students in my class (which is not an ESL class) tell me: "I took ESL, and I didn't learn anything because the teacher didn't speak correct English. How can I learn a language from someone who can't speak it properly herself / himself?" I am extremely upset that these students pass ESL and go on to regular classes such as mine – classes for which they are not prepared. I agree with them that they cannot learn English from a teacher who does not know English, but I don't make an issue out of it. If the student is willing to make the effort (and most are if they are convinced that the teacher has the knowledge and skill to teach them), I spend hours tutoring them.
Your friend who says, "Don't worry; they just want to finish high school to work in the store," has a terrible attitude. She is saying that you should not even try to teach them. If that's how she feels, why is she teaching at all? Anyone who knows anything about teaching knows that part of the job is getting students to want to learn. Of course, some students (both native speakers and non-native speakers) are interested only in finishing school and getting on with whatever they plan to do afterwards. But, from my side of the desk, I have an obligation to at least try to make them feel that what I am teaching is worth learning. If I am not willing to do that, I might as well go to "work in a store" myself. Pardon me, but that's probably where your friend belongs, since she clearly has a negative attitude about teaching.
In short, the problem is not with your students. A few may not want to learn (there will always be some of these), but I'll bet that most are merely frustrated because they are not learning anything. And, whether you like it or not, that's your fault.
AND HERE'S MY ANSWER:
So could you tell me my errors?
In Brazil most of people don't speak English.
My English was already praised even by native English speaking people.I've been studying English for ten years.Yes, I took offense in the way you reported it to me. I am not perfect, and in my country 80% of people don't talk in English.I'm always trying to improve and I'm self demanding.If your aim was bothering me, you got it.You could advise me with other words. Language, I MUST tell you, what what I've heard from great English and American teachers, is a mean of communication.I'm not aimed to teach them perfect English or talk, just the main rules. I must also say tyhat I learned English through studying only, which is hard, not only going abroad. I love teaching, yes. I also like my students, and as the old saying, TEACHING IS A WORK FROM THE HEART. So sad to hear that you despise a colleague this way. You didn't have any heart in it.
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Clarification/Follow-up by woman2003 on 02/21/04 6:40 am:
I'm sorry to say, but you don't know me. I may have commited mistakes when i was typing. I love teaching, yes, and you don't know me to say I don't like it. I'm not affected by your rich's flattery. I wonder if you can speak a second language PERFECTLY.
I love teaching, yes, many of mys students know it.And what's you concept of bad English?Can't a person be in a hurry, exhausted, in a site which is aimed to help???If I couldn't communicate, we wouldn't be exchanging these posts. I know the double negative can't occur as well as I prepare my classes beforehand. If you read my answer again, you must have seen that I thought again. I was led by the emotion and the fear of losing my job, because if you don't know or didn't pay attention but I live in Brazil and I have a 9 year old daughter to maintain. I know I was rude with her, I admitted it and everything is fine now, I'm helping her and I knew her better and I even admire her.I may have exagerated when I said that they don't know a damn, but as a human being I was stressed out. I'm very patient with my students and I always help them. I'm not there only for money, otherwise I wouldn't spend my nights studying and prepare class to, yes, despite of what you say,teach a good class and the correct grammar, walking from desk to desk to help them. I prayed to God for pardon because even when we love our profession sometimes we get stressed out, and for a lot of reasons, not only the students.If we were meant to be perfect,there wouldn't be schools or dictionaries or grammar books to help us, even the expert ones. In thirty years from now on, I'll know much more, but instead of offending,I'll help a fellow teacher who wrote for help.You can mispell words in writing or in the heat of emotion.But think:English is YOUR native language, not mine. You are reading everything that I wrote in English.Maybe it's not perfect, nobody is, even the languages themselves, but you did understand everything, I'm sure. Maybe when I get at my sixties as rich I'll know a lot more, I'm sure. And I will have travelled (Future perfect) to the U.S and England. When I enter at my classes,my students love me and I don't fake it. I regret what I did as you could have read. And I love teaching, I love English.I hope everything is clearer now. On second thought, as I'm self demanding I took ricxh's answers for my own improvement. But I point out again, offenses aren't necessary.
Everything could have said in another way. Remember:English is my second language, and I don't teach wrong grammar to my students.
Some of them already speak and write. Clarification/Follow-up by woman2003 on 02/21/04 7:43 am:
And mine is Portuguese. I'm still young, I've never gone abroad, and I'm nore than willing to learn. I got deeply offended by his bluntness, but maybe it's not personal.
He could have advised me with other words, but anyway it was yesterday. I'm regaining my strength again.
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