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Posts: 827

Shifu

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Q: Are "english corners" becoming more like Lessons?

This is a question for those of us who have been teaching for more than 4 years. Many contracts are now asking for an EC to be conducted. Some schools are using this as an excuse to add a "free" English lesson (Drunk along with a lesson plan. I have always thought an EC should be for those who choose to practice their skills while learning to listen and respond more. Some of these ECs have 40 kids in them. What do you think?

5 years 48 weeks ago in  Teaching & Learning - China

 
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Emperor

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I never had to do one as part of my contract but I did one as a favor about six years ago, to a group of uni kids 'eager to practice their English and talk to a foreigner'. Yeah that description turned out to be crap, I should have known better. I'd been to a few before that and they were ok so I thought how bad could it be?

 

It was awful. I went there prepared with lots of discussion topics, everything from video games and pop culture to embarrassing anecdotes and relationship advice for me. After about 15 minutes I was convinced those kids spent their days licking the lead paint off walls.

 

An English corner is supposed to be a place where people practice their speaking and listening by having a discussion. Those kids though.. it was like they'd all had a lobotomy. I'd ask the group or an individual a question to try to get things moving and get blank stares. Nothing. Often not even an attempt at a reply or even a facial expression.I know they could understand and reply because I got enough feedback to know they were following but it was literally like talking to the family cat.

 

I ended up thinking f##k them all and made it into a sort of class, I just spent the rest of the 90 minutes talking about grammar.

 

If you do end up having to do corners, be prepared for anything. 

 

 

RandomGuy:

I know right. I once made the mistake to join a public English corner out of pure goodwill, I wasn't getting any money for it. I found the event in a wechat group it was in a park and there would be people from all backgrounds joining in every Sunday morning at the same spot for an hour. While some were great, had a lot to talk about, and two I even became friend with, most would only stare at the foreigner and ask the same dumb laowai questions. After one month I've had enough and stopped going. English corner means having a two ways conversation in English, if you only go to stare at the foreigner in awee then I suggest you go to the movies instead.

5 years 41 weeks ago
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ambivalentmace:

That might be the one I tried at Black Tiger Springs in Jinan on Sunday mornings at 10 am.

5 years 4 weeks ago
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5 years 48 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 5321

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I never had to do one as part of my contract but I did one as a favor about six years ago, to a group of uni kids 'eager to practice their English and talk to a foreigner'. Yeah that description turned out to be crap, I should have known better. I'd been to a few before that and they were ok so I thought how bad could it be?

 

It was awful. I went there prepared with lots of discussion topics, everything from video games and pop culture to embarrassing anecdotes and relationship advice for me. After about 15 minutes I was convinced those kids spent their days licking the lead paint off walls.

 

An English corner is supposed to be a place where people practice their speaking and listening by having a discussion. Those kids though.. it was like they'd all had a lobotomy. I'd ask the group or an individual a question to try to get things moving and get blank stares. Nothing. Often not even an attempt at a reply or even a facial expression.I know they could understand and reply because I got enough feedback to know they were following but it was literally like talking to the family cat.

 

I ended up thinking f##k them all and made it into a sort of class, I just spent the rest of the 90 minutes talking about grammar.

 

If you do end up having to do corners, be prepared for anything. 

 

 

RandomGuy:

I know right. I once made the mistake to join a public English corner out of pure goodwill, I wasn't getting any money for it. I found the event in a wechat group it was in a park and there would be people from all backgrounds joining in every Sunday morning at the same spot for an hour. While some were great, had a lot to talk about, and two I even became friend with, most would only stare at the foreigner and ask the same dumb laowai questions. After one month I've had enough and stopped going. English corner means having a two ways conversation in English, if you only go to stare at the foreigner in awee then I suggest you go to the movies instead.

5 years 41 weeks ago
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ambivalentmace:

That might be the one I tried at Black Tiger Springs in Jinan on Sunday mornings at 10 am.

5 years 4 weeks ago
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5 years 48 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1300

Shifu

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I'd like to know if there is anyone who has ever had a successful English corner?

RandomGuy:

Nah, unless you restrict it to people who speak sufficiently good English and are interested in having a two ways conversation. People who come to ask the same 'foreigner questions' should simply not be allowed because they are wasting everyone's time. People who can't string a basic sentence together and come to stare at the foreigner for an hour or two are real creeps and have no business being here. English corners should only be for people who can speak English but don't have the opportunity to meet foreigners in their daily life and need regular practice to maintain their level. People who can't hold a basic conversation belong in a classroom, not in a corner.

5 years 41 weeks ago
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icnif77:

I had ... They had to add 2 more ECs 'cause too many students showed up for the first round. 

 

The reason, why so many students came to the first week of EC wasn't quality of my teaching ... , butT ... I worked at the Private High School and I conducted English classes only with Grade 10, so after 'laowai-at-School-word' got around, everybody wanted to learn Englo ... i.e. 'see panda ...' in my Bijie, Guizhou ... angel

5 years 41 weeks ago
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5 years 41 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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EC is actually just a cover for them to ask the Critical Question:

 

Do you like Chinese food?   

 

    today I looked right at her and said No.   haha,,, friggin' numskulls

ambivalentmace:

I had one Chinese student ask my this week what I do for fun?

I said I buy small turtles and feed them until they are big, then cook them in a soup and use the turtle shell as a bowl to eat the soup and then give the shell to my best student.

 

I was really in a bad mood that day.

5 years 4 weeks ago
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diverdude1:

haha,  harsh ambi,,, harsh.   I think I'll use it.

5 years 4 weeks ago
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5 years 41 weeks ago
 
Posts: 45

General

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In the workplace I work at, "English Corner" is not only about Western holidays for example "Christmas", "Easter", "Thanksgiving" and so on but it can also be about assisting students for the future in their resume and cover letter written in English after they graduate from university. 

sorrel:

the whole point of an English Corner is to get the learners to SPEAK to each other in English, not do their homework for them.

You would end up doing all their work for them and they would learn nothing if you 'help' with CV's and cover letters - this is what their teachers should be doing, not you in your 'free time' (unless you are being paid)

Call it a lesson, and not an  English Corner if you are doing all the work.


Hence you introduce a topic, maybe give some vocabulary, and get them speaking / practicing.

 

 

3 years 35 weeks ago
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JohnsonZHANG6868:

sorrel, you made a good point. That's what the teachers should do at the workplace I work at. Will discuss about that during the meeting in the following semester

3 years 35 weeks ago
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3 years 35 weeks ago
 
Posts: 174

Governor

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Apparently, you are all wrong about what Chinese English Corners are supposed to be.

JohnsonZHANG6868:

Jean,

 

What do you mean? I'm trying to make a point that we should design something to help with speaking in English Corner. 

3 years 35 weeks ago
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JohnsonZHANG6868:

Jean

 

What's that supposed to mean? I am trying to make a point that English Corner is supposed to be designed to help students through difficulty in speaking. But the workplace I work at, they are designed to assist students understand the western culture of the holidays and something else the teachers prefer to talk about

3 years 35 weeks ago
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sorrel:

@Johnson
you don't say what age the students are.

'being shy' is no excuse for people who have supposedly been learning English for years.

 

you can share information about foreign customs and cultues by getting them to talk about what they know and understand of these.

you can not be expected to 'spoon-feed' them if they are adults (i.e. over 18 years old)
in an English Corner you are more the 'facilitator' of what happens, not the main speaker.

throw them in the deep end, or they will never learn to be self-motivated when it comes to speaking

3 years 35 weeks ago
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sorrel:

additional

 

there are plenty of word games that require speaking.

if you want to break the ice at the start, have a 5 minute word game, or give those present a topic - such as food - and say what they like, don't like and why.

even if it is only a couple of sentences, everyone has to be seen to talk in front of the group.

 

for example:
Fruit:

Q; What is your favourtie fruit and why
A: my favourite fruit is X because.........

 

this can be repeated on so many neutral topics, but the main purpose is to give people confidence in saying 1 sentence.

you can then build on that.

 

('no why' is never an acceptable answer)
 

3 years 35 weeks ago
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