Today's class was much better than anyone I have had so far. The class is all young girls and most what to be Chinese teachers to foreigners. We did manage to play the Pictionary/telephone game. It was a smaller game with only 8 people but it takes a while to get the rules explained. I thought I went will and many of the students reminded the others to speak English. I introduced my self and showed them on the map where I lived and told them about my wonderful wife, and our cat. I then had them introduce themselves and show me on the map of China where they are from. I was surprised that so many kids are from where out west. It would be like a student attending ICC from Montana. Many of the students had a brother or a sister and one had each. You learn more about this place every day. In the Pictionary/telephone game one of the topics I chose for them was Shang Hai. One of the pictures they drew was of the most important building in Shang Hai. I know what the sky line looks like from the travel shows but knew nothing of this building. They also did a drawing of me which I will post. I did meet with the English Department Chair and showed her the ICC TumbleBooks collect that we have on line. We both think this material will help their students to improve their English skills. Not only should they be able to read better, but to speak and understand better. What is so good about this program is it starts at the K to 2 grade and gets harder. The books are also quick. Many are only 13 minutes. What was interesting about our meeting was that I was working on a Chinese language computer, talking in English and bad Mandarin to a person talking to me in Chinese and fairly good English. We were working on a computer with no speakers but she does think this will really help and should try to log on at home and research it some more. What she said to me was, " I do not know where to find this." I would not have known abou it if Becky Houghton had not told me about the Chinese language TumbleBook several years ago. I also need to share this with the hotel manager, Yao. He has a computer, with speakers, and a three year son that he also wants to learn English. Today was a better day for me. While walking around the campus I was able to see some of my students. I hope to see more of them as time goes by.
I told the English Chair, Zhao Sha Sha, that I want to try and teach the students to be better at English but that I want to also try to help them learn how to teach English to foreigners. I have had 4 different Chinese teachers and have my own ideas how we learn and what is difficult to say. I hope I can make some difference in their lives. I will let you know at the end of this trip. The assignment for next week is for the students to teach me about Chinese food. I want to learn what it is, how to write it, how to speak it, and how much it should cost. I also need to learn how to say "fried mushrooms" and how to read the characters because I want to go back to the place I ate when I first got here and have some more of those mushrooms. In class I try to mix in a little Chinese but not too much. I do want them to know that I am trying to adapt to their culture and I want them to understand what type of mistakes we will make. The students said English is hard and I agreed with them. I explained that yes English is hard and that many westerners will tell Chinese teachers that too many words sound the same, but that is because we don't know the right tones. I also wrote, there, their, and they're on the board and told them to remind their future students that many of our words sound the same. I need to move on and will post a picture of me from my class. The phase was "Laoshi Eric and the one picture is the first one and the other picture is the last one. I have changed a lot since I have been in China.
No comments:
Post a Comment