Learning to Teach - Part I

The first week of instruction is behind me, and I've learned quite a lot, myself, about teaching English and working with Chinese students. And it seems that the students are learning just as much.

The students' ages range from 17-20. They were selected to be part of this program because they are some of the best English students at Wuhan University, based on a written exam and their own professors' recommendations. Our mission here, however, is to improve their listening and speaking skills. Both formal speeches and classroom discussions are being promoted by all of the American teachers.

The first thing I noticed was how attentive the students are when I'm talking. Every eye is on me and paying close attention. But the second I ask them to contribute to the conversation, the entire mood of the class changes. The Chinese students are so afraid of making a mistake that they are unwilling to volunteer to speak first. Once the inertia is broken, it becomes easier (but by no mean simple) to coax more out of them. But there is one difference between these students and the ones back in the US that has been a constant frustration for me. As soon as a classmate speaks up and participates in (what I believe to be) a group discussion, many of the students' heads drop down to read their notes, look at their phones, or chat with their neighbor. It seems that in Chinese classrooms, students address their instructors only, not other students. It's as if they don't feel that they can learn from one another.

I've changed my approach for getting group discussions going. An observing Chinese English instructor suggested that I give the students the opportunity to talk to a partner first before expecting them to answer my questions or join a larger discussion. This gives them a chance to try out their new vocabulary and build confidence that they know what they're going to say. It has certainly improved the number of students willing to volunteer.

I need to run off to my afternoon class. I'll write again on this topic very soon!