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5. Teaching
Pages 115-129

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From page 115... ... Adjusting to the teaching environment in China takes time. The fall semester the faculty member quoted above had begun with the discovery that his students were ill-prepared for the intermediate economics course he had planned to teach, the books he had ordered were inappropriate, his students were frightened because they did not understand market economics, and the dean of his college thought he should give up trying to teach them. Read the entire page →
From page 116... ... Bring as many of your own materials as possible, as most Chinese materials are poorly structured and do not stress class participation. Materials from Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Read the entire page →
From page 117... ... Others have little or no contact with each other. Generally, the foreign affairs office handles administrative details: hiring; conditions of employment; your contract; daily living concerns; issuance of necessary documents such as the university identification card, expert privileges card, alien residence card and library card; assistance with travel arrangements; and the like. Read the entire page →
From page 118... ... Other foreign teachers at your own or neighboring schools will be a major asset in this regard. You probably share many of the same successes and frustrations. Read the entire page →
From page 119... ... WORKLOADS Workloads and class size often vary substantially from one institution or program to another, but all teachers report that they do far more than teach assigned classes. Additional activities include work on special projects, such as helping to write or edit textbooks and dictionaries, editing university publications in English, giving informal English lessons to colleagues, conducting oral exams, overseeing thesis projects, and assisting students with writing papers. Read the entire page →
From page 120... ... STUDENTS American teachers generally have found their Chinese students to be bright and able. They have also been surprised by how perceptive students have been in discussing a situation far removed from them in distance and experience. Read the entire page →
From page 121... ... One U.S. law professor reported that he had a regular interpreter through whom he did all his teaching, including dialogues with his students. Read the entire page →
From page 122... ... Some found it essential to spend time outside of class with the students to give them enough exposure to a foreigner speaking and to overcome typical language problems such as lack of confidence, shyness, misuse of verb tenses, and omission of pronouns and articles. The teachers found that once the students gained confidence, their rate of learning increased dramatically. Read the entire page →
From page 123... ... HOMEWORK AND WORKLOADS American teachers report that their students do not expect to do homework and complain about extra reading and assignments outside of class. There are several reasons for this. Read the entire page →
From page 124... ... Most classroom buildings are not air conditioned in the summer, but in some places electric fans are used during the hottest months. Some institutions assign private offices to their foreign teachers; in others, foreigners share a single work room. Read the entire page →
From page 125... ... Fulbright faculty are given a generous allowance to purchase books for their classes. Most foreign experts and teachers suggest bringing your own teaching materials, although in some English-language classes the course material is dictated by the school. Read the entire page →
From page 126... ... SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS Many teachers develop rewarding informal relationships with colleagues and students. Just as a professor in China is expected to take an interest not only in his students' class work but in their overall development as well, so students' obligations to their teachers extend beyond the classroom. Read the entire page →
From page 127... ... Contact outside working hours may be limited to special ceremonial occasions, banquets, and outings planned by the host unit or department. Some foreign teachers have developed close relationships with Chinese colleagues, frequently visiting their homes for meals and evenings of discussion or inviting their colleagues to their own homes. Read the entire page →
From page 128... ... Many "traders" end up in an unbalanced relationship. GENERAL ADJUSTMENT ADVICE Every teacher encounters problems in adjusting to life in China, but the individuals who provided information for this book believe the satisfactions of working with intensely dedicated students, participating in Chinese life, making a contribution to the quality of Chinese education, and feeling their way through the subtle nuances of friendships with Chinese people outweigh the negative aspects. Read the entire page →
From page 129... ... Spend as much time as possible with Chinese people. Read the entire page →

From page 115...

... Adjusting to the teaching environment in China takes time. The fall semester the faculty member quoted above had begun with the discovery that his students were ill-prepared for the intermediate economics course he had planned to teach, the books he had ordered were inappropriate, his students were frightened because they did not understand market economics, and the dean of his college thought he should give up trying to teach them.

5. Teaching Pages 115-129

5. Teaching
Pages 115-129