Throw a baby in the water. Watch them struggle to get to the surface. Watch them struggle to stay on the surface. Watch them figure out how to stay on the surface without struggling. No baby drowns.  That is how we teach a baby to swim in the west.

You [...]]]> LEARN TO SWIM

Throw a baby in the water. Watch them struggle to get to the surface. Watch them struggle to stay on the surface. Watch them figure out how to stay on the surface without struggling. No baby drowns.  That is how we teach a baby to swim in the west.

You have been thrown into the immersion water of English. You may be scared, you may be struggling. BUT, you will figure it out and survive.

In 8 years no one has drowned in the Holistic English pool.

Do not use machine translations. They are not even as good as your Chinglish.

UNREACHABLE AND UNTEACHABLE STUDENTS

Every Chinese college and university has them, from top tier down to the bottom 4th tier.Usually every class has at least one and the unlucky teacher may be saddled with several. Occasionally, an entire class may be beyond reach.

No matter what the pedagogy, the methodology, the materials; there [...]]]>

UNREACHABLE AND UNTEACHABLE STUDENTS

Every Chinese college and university has them, from top tier down to the bottom 4th tier.Usually every class has at least one and the unlucky teacher may be saddled with several. Occasionally, an entire class may be beyond reach.

No matter what the pedagogy, the methodology, the materials; there are some students who have decided that higher education is only an endurance requirement.  In America there is an educational philosophy that no child shall be left behind. China has a slightly different bent – no college student shall fail to receive a diploma so long as the tuition has been paid.

Nationally, 5% of Chinese university students are unreachable and unteachable. At Zongshan University 1.6%  of the post-graduate non-English majors are unreachable and unteachable.

Chinese students know full well that they will not be failed even if they never attend classes. They are allowed to retake a final exam, with a different teacher each time, until a teacher is found who will pass them. Failing grades issued by foreign teachers are administratively changes rather regularly. The Chinese educational system deprives the teacher of a major external motivational tool and the students take advantage of this situation.

These students are not too hard to identify. They sit in the back row and try to blend into the back wall. Some sit up front, arms crossed with a scowl on their face that says a D-8 bulldozer isn’t going to move them.

Some give themselves away by telling the foreign teacher “you do not understand China” or “you do not understand Chinese students” or “you do not teach like a Chinese teacher.”

Others will declare their open contempt for English due to some misguided nationalistic pride. Some will state that they do not need English now or in the future. A Shanghai University student declared that his father was a very high Shanghai Government party official and that his father would always take care of his future, both politically and financially. This boy was well connected and his future was assured. Within months his father was caught up in the political purge and power shift that saw all of Shanghai’s political leaders replaced. His father was imprisoned and made to forfeit all of his money and property.  The boy was weeks away from graduation and would receive a useless degree.

A young man in Guangzhou insisted that he would never need English because his father was Chairman of the Board and majority Shareholder of a major Chinese company. This boy wasted his educational opportunity in reliance on his father’s position and wealth. Within two months of the boy’s graduation his father was imprisoned for economic crimes and sentenced to death and forfeiture of all money and property.

It is sad indeed to watch any misguided student pursue a path of self-destruction. But no matter what you say or do, they are determined to serve their time at university without earning an education because they know an education (Diploma) will be handed to them as long as their tuition is paid. Educated idiots!

For the past 9 years I have tried my best to not only assist my students in improving their English, I have attempted to lead university administrators toward creating an English speaking environment.

No matter what I do, they just refuse to get it. No matter [...]]]> Maybe it is time to seriously think about retiring.

For the past 9 years I have tried my best to not only assist my students in improving their English, I have attempted to lead university administrators toward creating an English speaking environment.

No matter what I do, they just refuse to get it. No matter what I do, they find a way to undo it. Today, Monday, December 6, 2010 I found a Chinese sign pasted over my Holistic English Lab door.

I took the sign to the administration and bitterly complained. I was told it was an oversight error putting it on my door and I was over reacting.

Really? An over reaction to an English Department pasting a Chinese sign on every English classroom door?  They just refuse to get it. English departments all across China do everything in Chinese and then wonder why the students do not speak English.

I may be over reacting but I am fed up, sick and tired of trying to make a difference when the Chinese do not care enough to do things properly and in a productive manner.

Maybe it is time for me to adopt a “So-So” attitude and just retire and enjoy the time I have left.

10 years ago foreign teachers with a doctorate were paid 5,500 rmb per month for 12 teaching periods each week. (114.58 rmb per teaching period)

Today the university pays the same person 5,200 rmb for 16 teaching periods each week. [...]]]> In the last 10 years China has reduced or cut the salary for foreign teachers.

10 years ago foreign teachers with a doctorate were paid 5,500 rmb per month for 12 teaching periods each week. (114.58 rmb per teaching period)

Today the university pays the same person 5,200 rmb for 16 teaching periods each week. (81.25 per teaching hour)

Inflation in China has made food, clothing and transportation costs higher now than 10 years ago.

Compared to foreign teacher’s salaries in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Miramar, China pays the lowest.

This is a major reason China does not get the better teachers.

China claims that foreign teachers are paid better than local teachers.  This is simply not true. Chinese university professors with a doctorate are paid much better than foreign teachers with a doctorate. There is more than basic salary given to Chinese professors.

Foreign teachers salary is often compared to Chinese primary school teachers who average 700 rmb per month.  However, a Chinese teacher with a family and local support network along with Government programs, can live much cheaper than a foreigner in China.

Rainmaker

Thank You For Not Smoking

The Constant Gardner

Wal Mart: The High Cost of Low Price

McLibel

Jerry Maguire (sports marketing)

Ted Koppel documentary on China-US trade

Thank You For Smoking

INTRODUCTION

At any given moment there are twice as many Chinese learning English as there are citizens of the U.S.A. English instruction begins in kindergarten and continues into postgraduate study, for both English majors and non-English majors. Everyone in China must study English. Local variants of English such as Chinglish and Chinese English [...]]]>

INTRODUCTION

At any given moment there are twice as many Chinese learning English as there are citizens of the U.S.A. English instruction begins in kindergarten and continues into postgraduate study, for both English majors and non-English majors. Everyone in China must study English. Local variants of English such as Chinglish and Chinese English are discouraged as inappropriate. Students are placed under extreme pressure to “master” English. National English competency exams are a predicate to further study or employment. China employs more than 150,000 native English speakers to teach English in its schools. Some programs encourage Chinese learners of English to locate foreigners on the street and run up to them and yell “Hello” in the foreigner’s face. This crazy approach is predicated upon the belief that the only way to improve your English is to engage with a native English speaker. Teaching English as a Foreign Language in China is predicated upon 4 GREAT LIES.

1. FIRST LIE – YOU MUST MASTER ENGLISH

Every Chinese learner of English is instructed that they must “master” English.

Due to the inordinate influence of the British Council on English learning in China, most Chinese students of English own the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary or Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. These are also the most available dictionaries in school libraries and book stores throughout China.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE ON THE DOWNLOAD PAGE China EFL: The Four Great Lies

MY ENGLISH CORNER EXPERIENCE

Also: go to the download page and read the free article       China EFL: English Corner

Over the years I have attended enough English Corers to know that it is better to avoid them like you would avoid SARS, they make me sick. Many foreign teachers have no choice; it [...]]]> English Corner

MY ENGLISH CORNER EXPERIENCE

Also: go to the download page and read the free article       China EFL: English Corner

Over the years I have attended enough English Corers to know that it is better to avoid them like you would avoid SARS, they make me sick. Many foreign teachers have no choice; it is written in their employment contract that they must attend English Corner. No Chinese teacher of English is required to attend English Corner. Of course, many Chinese teachers of English can’t even speak English in English class, so why should they attend English Corner?

Every Chinese college and university has English Corner. There isn’t a single journal article establishing the value of English Corner. There is no scientific study confirming that English Corner has any material benefits to offer.

When I attend English Corner the students ask a set group of questions, and keep repeating them no matter how many times I answer them.

Where are you from?

Do you like China?

Do you like Chinese food?

Do you like Chinese people?

Do you use chopsticks?

What is your favorite color?

Do you play basketball?

Do you play the guitar?

Etc., etc., etc.

As the students complete their Q and A they move off to speak with one another in Chinese. English Corner never seems to transcend into any meaningful discussions. I guess the language barrier, age barrier, culture barrier and even gender barrier are formidable and insurmountable.

ATTEND ENGLISH CORNER FRIDAY APRIL 16, 2010 AND POST YOUR EXPERIENCE HERE.

Read the article on the download page China EFL: English Corner

I just published a study called “Dissatisfied Customers” of a Shanghai joint venture business institute. (It is available on my download page) The study reveals the complaints of the 1,600 students.  The Dean’s reaction can be found at the end of the article. She was a horrible administrator who repeatedly lied to her [...]]]> CHINESE  ADMINS

I just published a study called “Dissatisfied Customers” of a Shanghai joint venture business institute. (It is available on my download page) The study reveals the complaints of the 1,600 students.  The Dean’s reaction can be found at the end of the article. She was a horrible administrator who repeatedly lied to her students but when confronted with the students’ complaints she exclaimed that the students’ are not mature enough to express such opinions and most of them were lying.

One Foreign Language Department dean in Henan was a DVM, an animal doctor, who spoke no English.

One Foreign Language Department dean in Henan calls his 18 – 24 year old students “boys and girls.”

One Foreign Language Department dean in Dalian ranks his female students by how much desire he has to make sex with them.

One famous Beijing University dean exclaimed that he had no interest in Holistic English because he does not care if his students can speak English or not. He just wants high pass rates on the CET exams.

And then there are Dean Xia Jimei   and Dean Wang Zhe  my current deans at SYSU. I have never had such deans in my prior 7 years of teaching in China. They are supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!

Their support and encouragement makes Holistic English possible at SYSU. All educational administrators throughout China should emulate them. So do not thank me for Holistic English, thank them.

EAST VS WEST

Several years ago there was an educational conference in Beijing where the three keynote speakers were the Chancellor of Oxford University, President of Yale University and the President [...]]]> THE PURPOSE OF THIS THREAD IS TO SHOW AGREEMENT BETWEEN ONE CHINESE AND TWO WESTERN TOP EDUCATORS AND IS NOT AN ATTACK ON CHINA.

EAST VS WEST

Several years ago there was an educational conference in Beijing where the three keynote speakers were the Chancellor of Oxford University, President of Yale University and the President of Peking University.

All three agreed that western college graduates had less value to their employers upon graduation that Chinese college graduates.

The reason is simple, western college students are taught concepts and philosophies along with the ability for creative problem solving. The western student does not memorize the latest data and information in their major area of study, they learn how to find and use these materials when needed.

Chinese students spend 4 years memorizing all the latest data and solutions to current problems thus equipping them for immediate problem solving upon graduation.

As the western student is immersed in their post-graduation employment and gain valuable hands-on experience, they are able to solve new problems as they come along.

The more years removed from graduation, the more valuable they become.

The Chinese student is not adequately equipped with creative problem solving abilities. They know the solutions to current problems but are unable to solve new problems as they arise. The more years removed from graduation, the less valuable the Chinese college graduate becomes.

All three academic leaders called for a paradigm shift in China’s educational pedagogy and methodology to enable Chinese to compete for jobs in the new global community.