My Teaching Efforts Based on My Personal Observations in China

Duo Jie
English instructor
Leshan Teachers College
Sichuan Province, China
E-mail: georgedorjie@hotmail.com

How is it that year after year, in many schools, students try to burn into memory the structure, vocabulary, and sound of another language, only to graduate unable to converse in that language? Lessons that emphasize fine points of grammar over conversation are recipes for failure, according to some educators, and so are classes that do not place language in a cultural context or make it relevant to students' lives. Students must be taught in an environment where they can take risks when learning a new language and speak it without worrying about making mistakes.

The Chinese education system fails to enable its students to enter into a dialogue with native speakers--they are too repressed, their self-esteem is crushed, their linguistic grasp is too poor, and they constantly commute from English to Chinese and vice versa, inviting comprehension glitches and losing time.

I began teaching English at Leshan Teachers College, in Sichuan Province, China, two years ago. The college was not prestigious--a lower-level school. Since my arrival, I have found that people often wonder why a self-respecting Chinese-American would come to live in a place like Leshan. In the wake of September 11, while some Americans were grappling with tangible issues, such as unemployment, I set my sights on being an English teacher in Sichuan Province. Perhaps it was a good place for me to have a fresh start. Quite honestly, there is no other job as exciting to me as teaching.

When I first got here, I was told that students were eager and respectful. What I admire most about the Sichuanese is their toughness and lack of pretension.

Considering Leshan's remoteness and lack of Westerners or Western-minded English speakers, I have been a foreign teacher, though I passed all orientation tests upon my arrival. My presence as a foreign identity among the faculty members makes me rather like a token; nobody expects too much out of me. But the controversial point is that schools all over China give foreign teachers impressive leeway. Local teachers may think it unfair that foreign teachers are able to teach in their own way, against the national curriculum policy. Nobody checks our syllabi or hassles us about course content, and we organize our classes exactly as we wish. Normally, a regular Leshan teacher is expected to teach the syllabus as outlined by the department chair. All lesson plans must be submitted at the beginning of every term for approval and revision. No teacher shall provide counsel beyond his or her own subject for any student at any time, and every teacher agrees to maintain a strictly professional relationship with all faculty members. Therefore, a foreign teacher's performance may not be included in the mainstream of the faculty.

English became a compulsory subject in China a few years ago. While it is taught from middle school onward, it sometimes begins at the primary level. More recently, kindergartens found the teaching of English as a tuition-generating activity as well. So is English difficult for the Chinese student? For many college students, especially freshmen, college is an exciting place, and such is the case for the English Salon goers as well. The Salon, also called English Corner, is a place where people go to practice their English skills. Students are ready to learn and are not deterred by the unfamiliarity of the English sounds. During my job orientation, I was warned about the shyness of the students, but it appears that those at the English Salon, or in a freshmen class, were more out-going.

At the English Salon students can use their English with other speakers from all over the college or the city. Students make friends, exchange tips and knowledge. Foreign and Chinese staff move around the groups providing assistance, answering questions, making useful suggestions, but not taking over the groups. The aim is to encourage students to develop an interactive (and hopefully proactive) learning environment in an informal setting, where they can improve their English speaking fluency and increase their confidence.

English teaching in China, perched on the edge of an unwanted bewilderment, calls for a reform in teaching methods. The lack of practice and/or English background makes students suffer from the unpleasant feeling of not progressing at all, regardless of the years they spent learning English. Recently, I have launched a learning activity called, "Take Your English to the Street!"

      "I learned English five years ago," the class echoes. My response is as follows:
      "Have you stepped out of class yet?
      "What are you talking about?" they ask. "I leave my English class all the time."
      "Well, what I mean is: have you left the safety of your English class? Do you step outside a teacher led environment where you can't just raise your hand and ask for help? Have you left behind your classmates and tried talking to people who only speak in English? (It is tempting to switch back to your first language when people who speak it surround you.)
Leave the nest. Cut the umbilical cord. Let the rubber hit the road. Did you know that there is a huge difference between the classroom and the "real world" of English? When you are on your own, things change. There is no teacher to ask if you forget something. So you cannot switch back to your first language to discuss the right answer. It is different when you step outside the classroom.

"I have talked with many students who have studied English for years, but when they had to use what they had learned, they panicked and forgot almost everything. Why? Easy. They never used their English in a real world situation. Classrooms have a dangerous tendency to create a sort of 'bubble.' In English class, you learn to say, 'Hello, how are you?' Basic stuff, right? What if the person answers, 'Are you sure you really want to know?' You were waiting for them to say something like: 'I'm fine thank you, and you?' The outside world rarely responds in a predictable way.

"Do you sometimes feel frustrated because you find yourself unable to express yourself clearly, and yet, when you hear native speakers, you feel that it is so simple and easy. You are missing the fun of idiomatic expressions. Slang. People speak faster than your teacher and classmates. What about accents? All these and more are waiting for you just outside your classroom. They are not waiting to destroy you, or embarrass you, but to make your English grow faster than you ever thought possible. So get out and take your English to the street!
Your success in English depends on it!"

What needs to be pointed out here right away is that many students expect their English to be corrected in meticulous and tedious detail instantly. This expectation basically comes from the type of educational system they are raised on: the teacher is always right, and the students are invariably wrong (to some degree or another). It is the Chinese way. Success is expected and failure criticized and promptly corrected. You are right or you are wrong, there is no middle ground. Not many students become accustomed to the Western system of gentle correction. They are accustomed to learning by rote, which means that they often follow models to the point of plagiarism. It is not uncommon to receive the exact same paper from two or three students.

All through school these students have been taught to imitate models, copy things, and accept what they are told without question. Ninety-percent of the time you can predict the precise reaction, including specific phrases that people will use. One of the most difficult things to do in class is to have a debate, because usually the students' opinions are exactly the same. You have to use a topic foreign to them, like Tom Sawyer, because in those cases they cannot run to what they have been told to think. That is why I encourage informality in my classes, because when nervous, one would speak even worse English. Students can count on foreign teachers' informality which, from the very beginning, had distinguished me from other teachers on campus.

To force unmotivated, potentially under-achieving students and high-achievers to perform in classes of at least 40 learners is counterproductive. Quite logically, the general level of achievement must be depressed. I think students should have a choice, as only well-motivated ones will do fine when their skills may count or if they can reach their full potential.

Virtually, courses are not selective. It is hard to believe that schools are still managed this way in the year 2004. However, let me add a more hopeful stroke of the brush: almost every class produces a dozen gifted learners. You usually notice them because they come to you, and you are normally surprised that someone from this particular class is more capable than the others in communicating with you.

Student attitude is an important issue. I believe if a student is unwilling to learn, i.e. sleep or talk in class, then they will not learn unless they have a fantastic teacher, which I am not. For me, it needs to be a partnership between teacher and student. Also, the class size is of great importance. Having numbers over 45 makes teaching much harder, especially student-centered teaching. Some students, however, simply seem to not want to learn, and if they do want to learn they are keeping these intentions well hidden from me. My priority is to present English in a way that lets students enjoy what they are doing and feel good about their progress. Linguistically speaking, speaking a new language is the learner's most rewarding challenge. Nevertheless, "cramming" is found on every corner of the campus.

The study of English is commonly presented in the following fashion: the teacher introduces new words regularly, say 20 words a week. A colleague of mine is determined "to remind the class they have to memorize 20 adjectives for this Friday." This is, in essence, the same method as teaching them Chinese calligraphy--it is quantitative rather than qualitative. It is spoon-feeding their memories, not activating their minds. Students keep forgetting their English vocabulary. Just why it has to be 20 adjectives, nouns or verbs I do not know. In some cases, teachers may choose 20 different words from any word categories. When the teacher introduces the words, he or she will read them aloud, translate, read aloud again, and then have the class chorus after her/him three times. This, the students willingly do. The teacher might say a couple of whole sentences using new words, and translate them, too. In a normal school, students also have to study intensive reading, extensive reading, and English literature. Pronunciation drills and speaking exercise are common too. The reading lessons are seldom done under a native English speaker. Why? "Our students do not understand you!" Yes, their teacher must usually translate sentence by sentence. This is a questionable logic. A logic that perpetuates the students' bias against English as a FOREIGN language! Even textbooks up to university level normally are bilingual.

My Specific Goals

Is spoken English beginning to settle in my students' ears? Yes, my classes have started to feel productive, which happened more slowly than I expected. I teach madly in an effort to make my classes less miserable--after all, language learning should be fun, but it did not happen all at once. I have a long standing commitment to respond to students' needs and to make continuous improvement in teaching. This teaching and training tool is designed to provide students and entry-level learners basic knowledge of spoken English in a real situation, namely, a language background, including student-centered activities, such as a debate or the English Salon, to make them speak English in a natural way.

Team spirit philosophy, commitment, values, know-how and methodology are all part of my training process as well. We have already had a lifetime of ear-training in our own language that tends to come in the way of our ability to hear in the target language. We learn the cognitive way. It takes years of discipline to become a pianist. Discipline guarantees the teaching and learning in class. It should never be a personal criticism. Usually a misbehaving class is a bored class. If things are going quickly, there is less time for the students to misbehave, and greater opportunity for them to learn while having fun.

What is the best way to learn a new language?

Be born to it. Native speakers learn their first languages easily and enthusiastically. Somehow, as if by magic, we learn our native language. Speaking comes before learning to write. We were speaking fluently before we ever attended school. The best way to do so is to speak from one's own consciousness--just like a baby learns. In fact, we learn to speak almost automatically. It is natural. In one sense, speaking is the "real" language; the way we learned our native language. Each lesson should tap students' intuitive ability to connect words and meanings "from the inside." We all learn our childhood language by associating new words and phrases with the world around us. Instead of translating, memorizing, and studying rules of grammar, you actually learn to think in the new language.

By the way, studying grammar in textbook format is not enough. Textbooks help you learn new information, but they are not natural. In real life, perfect tenses are not going to just appear under easy to identify titles, like in textbooks. They lurk about in written and spoken English and appear with little or no warning. To master a foreign language, an adult should know how to form a language speech center in the brain and speak automatically without fruitless attempts to translate from one's native language. An adult cannot acquire a foreign language without using their native language. He or she comprehends foreign words as translations of the corresponding words.

My technique uses elements of behavior modification to form the English language center in the brain area next to one's native language center. We are all born with the ability to rapidly and effortlessly acquire any language. Children preserve this ability up to age twelve. An adult speaks his native language automatically, without grammatical analysis, choosing words and describing his emotions from his subconscious, not from memory. But he tries to speak a foreign language differently. Therefore, the habit of automatic speech is highly recommended to smooth anything that might be in an adult's way. Let me explain the total- immersion system this way. Simultaneous repetition of special texts, recorded by a native speaker, develops automatic speech the natural way. The habit of understanding English by translating it into the native tongues is deactivated (does not work). While you are performing three actions at the same time--reading, listening, and repeating it simultaneously with the speaker--the result is supposed to be three times better. In the course of multiple repetitions of individual phrases with increased speaking and speed, the natural link between image and English expression is formed in the subconscious. When a person encounters a similar situation again, the English expression arises in the subconscious of his brain automatically. The image is primary. The words are secondary.

Here is an example. "Associative language" is the language of our dreams: we do not produce the words; nonetheless, our worries and sensations in our dreams are so bright, as in our real life. This is possibly because the image appears first, and it triggers the links to the respective words in our mind. That is why a foreign language should be learned using the same rule: first, create the image, and then pronounce the word or expression depicting the situation many times. Every person has his or her own individual control center for language in the cerebral cortex. When studying a foreign language, explanations in one's native language should be avoided; otherwise, an adult subconsciously gets a wrong message to place the bilingual explanation in the short-term memory, which can store information for a brief time.

But why can children learn languages rapidly and effortlessly? Children do not try to memorize an expression in a foreign language. They live it and retain it as an image or feeling. Children do not try to analyze grammar. They are not concerned about the question: what is the right way to say? Well, linguistic discovery sheds light on some easy lessons for adults to follow. We can use the adult's most highly developed type of memory--the memory of senses. Natural acquisition of internal grammar through multiple experiencing of words in a verbal and emotional context takes place in an adult as easily as in a child. In a word, the feeling of automatic repetition comes naturally after words have become your own blocks. You will not have to make any conscious effort to pronounce them. Instead, the words will flow freely, called forth by the images and feelings. It seems there is more to it than that. Acquiring or learning a foreign language presupposes not only the acquisition of the pronunciation, syntax (the way in which words are put together to form phrases and sentences), vocabulary and the cultural background of the language (surface objectives) but also the development of attitudes, aptitudes (natural ability or liking) and behavior which fosters the acquisition and learning of all languages (deep objectives, openness, empathy, the ability to listen and to observe, and to discern aurally, vocal flexibility...). People who are considered to be gifted language learners possess these deep abilities, and it is, therefore, essential to integrate such skills into the acquisition and learning of foreign languages.

Technique Point One:
The Pen is Mightier than the Spoken Word

Mark Twain once wrote to his friend: "I am sorry to write such a long letter 'cause I did not have the time to write a short one." Twain's humor cheered up my class; there was not a yawn for two hours. Writing is the last skill we study in our language learning, and writing in a foreign language is especially difficult. The purpose of all language is to communicate--that is, to move thoughts or information from one person to another.

There are always at least two people involved in any communication. To communicate, one person must put something "out" and another person must take something "in." This is called "input and "output."

So language consists of four "skills": two for output (speaking and writing); and two for input (listening and reading). What are the differences between spoken and written English? Are there advantages and disadvantages for each form of communication? When we learn our own language, we learn to speak first. It happens automatically. It is natural. But somebody must teach us to write. It is not natural. Writing is only a representation of speaking. However, for centuries, people have regarded writing as superior to speaking. It has a higher "status." This is, perhaps, because in the past almost everybody could speak but only a few people could write. But as we shall see, modern influences are changing the relative status of speaking and writing.

Technique Point Two:
Differences in structure and style

We usually write with correct grammar and in a structured way. We organize what we write into sentences and paragraphs. We usually do not use contractions in writing (though if we want to appear very friendly, then we do sometimes use contractions because this is more like speaking). We use more formal vocabulary in writing. For example, we might write, "The car exploded" but say, "The car blew up." We also do not usually use slang when writing. In writing, we must use punctuation, but we usually speak in a much less formal, less structured way. We usually do not use full sentences and proper grammar. The vocabulary that we use is more familiar and may include slang. We usually speak in a spontaneous way, without preparation, so we make up what we say as we go along. This means we often repeat ourselves and go off the subject. However, when we speak, other aspects are present that are not present in writing, such as facial expressions or tone of voice. This indicates that we can communicate on several levels, not just with words.

Technique Point Three:
Durability

One important difference between writing and speaking is that writing is usually more durable and permanent. When we speak, our words live for a few moments. When we write, our words may live for years or centuries. When we speak, we usually need to be in the same place and time as the other person. Despite this restriction, speaking does have the advantage that the speaker receives instant feedback from the listener. The speaker can probably see immediately if the listener is bored or does not understand something, and can modify what he or she is saying. When we write, another person in a different place reads our words at a different time. And the people reading our words can do so at their leisure, slowly or fast. They can re-read what we write, too. But the writer cannot receive immediate feedback and cannot easily change what has been written.

Technique Point Four:
How speaking and writing Influence Each Other?

As stated earlier, in the past, only a small number of people could write, but almost everybody could speak. Because their words were not widely recorded, there were many variations in the way they spoke, with different vocabulary and dialects in different regions. Today, almost everybody can speak and write. Because writing is recorded and more permanent, that has changed the way that people speak, so that many regional dialects and words have disappeared. It may seem that there are already too many differences that have to be learned, but without writing there would be far more differences, even between, for example, British and American English. So writing has had an important influence on speaking. But speaking can also influence writing. For example, most new words enter a language through speaking. Some of them do not live long. If you begin to see these words in writing, it usually means that they have become "real words" within the language and have a certain amount of permanence.

Technique Point Five:
Influence of New Technology

Modern inventions such as sound recording, telephone, radio, television, fax or email made or are making an important impact on writing and speaking. To some extent, the divisions between writing and speaking are becoming blurred. Emails are written in a much less formal way. With voice recording, it has for a long time been possible to speak to somebody who is not in the same place or time as you. With the telephone or radiotelephone, however, it has become possible for two people to carry on a conversation while not being in the same place. Today, the distinctions are increasingly vague, so we have, for example, a live television broadcast with a mixture of recordings, telephone calls, incoming faxes and emails and so on. One effect of this new technology and the modern universality of writing has been to raise the status of speaking. Politicians who cannot recognize their thoughts and speak well on television win few votes.

What I Teach My Students

The question is how to improve witting if it is the least familiar skill to learners. Even in a second language, writing is still a "process." When you begin to write something important for your school or work in your first language, you probably do not simply sit down and expect all of the ideas to flow. Instead, you go through a process; English writing can be made easier if you follow the same steps as you would follow when you write in your first language. This writing method may seem slow at first, but the benefits will soon be clear.

Writing is not just sitting down and filling a page with words. Good writers follow steps. These are prewriting, writing, revising, and presenting. Many professional writers never feel as if their work is really finished. They continue to go through the above processes over and over until they have reached their deadline. Student writers, on the other hand, are often thrilled when they finish an assignment. A second language writer may feel uncomfortable about starting a writing project. They may feel as if they do not know enough grammar or vocabulary. They stare at an empty page with nothing to write. In the first draft, a second language writer must remember not to think about their grammar errors. A writer, who is concerned about editing before they begin to write, may develop a block. Good writing in English requires both good grammar and good organization. Students in my class are to learn and practice grammatical structures in order to perfect their grammar and improve their style.

Rhetoric has two aspects: organization and style. English rhetoric is very different from the rhetoric of your native language. Good style in Chinese or Japanese is very different from good style in English. Therefore, in order to write well in English, you must learn not only the rules of English grammar but also the principles of English rhetoric. Learning the principles of rhetoric is just like learning the rules of grammar: first you must study them then you must practice them. More specifically, my training techniques are as follows:

It is essential to hook your reader from the first sentence: to grab the reader's attention, to introduce the rest of the essay. You should avoid long and convoluted sentences in your introductions. If a reader has to read your introductory sentence more than once, it will set an ominous tone for the rest of your essay. So, starting your point clearly and concisely is a much more effective rhetorical device for grabbing the reader's attention.

My editing effort is suggestive. With all the changes I propose, the students will have to use their own judgment and accept only those which they think are best. All the time I try to smooth transitions by connecting ideas with my specific comments on each paragraph of an essay, along with suggestion for further improvement. A multidimensional revelation of ideas is encouraged.

What I Teach My Students Point One:
Think in English

Have you ever noticed what language you think in? Becoming aware of this is the first key that is guaranteed to help you advance in your English. Think in English. This is perhaps one of the most difficult things for you to master, but one that will very quickly help you along the road to English success. What you will need 1. A small notebook or your agenda. 2. A pen or pencil. Not too difficult, right? Take your notebook and pen everywhere you go for one day. Notice what you are thinking about during the day and write it down. Be honest with yourself. Many times if you try to translate a phrase from Chinese to English, for example, you will find that you need to change the word order, or even add new ones.

What I Teach My Students Point Two:
Have a speaking partner

What I Teach My Students Point Three:
Read in English

Very often, reading can open up another window for us on our way toward success. I encourage students to read in English at the very beginning of their language learning. However, you must be very careful with what you choose to read, and here is why. If you choose material that is very advanced you run the risk of not understanding it. That seems obvious, right? Wanting to jump ahead, some people often choose articles that are much more advanced than their level of English. The result is that they very quickly feel like, "I cannot read in English," and they stop trying. So maximize your English reading experiences. Keep it simple. Choose material that is slightly below your present level of English and work your way up to more difficult texts. Children's books in English are great. Choose material that you are interested in. Read about your hobbies. If you are interested in the topic you read about, it will be easier for you to learn.

What I Teach My Students Point Four:
Writing in English

Writing helps you organize your thoughts and gives you the chance to express yourself fully in English. There is usually no pressure--it is just you and the empty page. Writing in English will also help you focus on grammar rules; I know you hate them, but when you write, you can begin to see how the rules work by using them. You will quickly begin to see and, more importantly, notice the different tenses and see how they are written. Writing, in some ways, is a better learning tool than speaking. Why? You see what you say. This gives you the chance to correct yourself more carefully. When you are speaking, you can sometimes hear your errors, but you may find it difficult to find the mistake. So again maximize your English writing experiences.

Keep it simple. Do not try to write a term paper or a book in English if you have never done it before. You will become frustrated and will give up. Email your friends, make grocery store lists, or write reminders to yourself, but do it in English. Keep a diary in English. Keep your entries short, but try to express your feelings: what happened today, what you want to do tomorrow. You are the only one who will see it, so do not worry about mistakes. Just write! Become pen pals with a native speaker. This may seem scary at first, but it is a great way to improve your English writing skills. Ask your pal to show you your mistakes, and help you make corrections.

What I Teach My Students Point Five:
Career-Focused Education

Career-focused education teaches my students the skills that their future employers demand in the middle of globalization. In today's job market, where hundreds of people can compete for a single position, landing the right job takes more than determination and good intentions. It will take know-how, leverage, and job hunting skills. Some people wait for things to happen. Some wish for things to happen. I hope my students make things happen.

Today, the variables that define job hunting are ever changing. In order to get ahead, we need to plan ahead. All of my attention is paid on student success.

Conclusion

My English classes have started to feel productive, which happened more slowly than I expected. In the meantime, my personal observations regarding English teaching in China have made their way toward more accuracy. A gradual reform to build and maintain an English first language background is in its infancy. Evidently, this will enable students to study English the easy way. More importantly, many native speakers from the English speaking world have joined us teaching. The immediate feedback is that now students feel their learning has become more rewarding and progressive. With the computerization of the teaching facilities, our students have a direct access to US college websites to practice their English in a demonstrative way. My fruitful efforts have won some social recognition. There is now a feeling of solidarity among the teachers here, and I have found this wonderfully supportive; I really feel like I'm learning. I am proud because I have made a difference, and the school has decided to employ me as a permanent educator.

References Materials for Teaching

The following is a list of reference materials for teaching that have inspired me; I am grateful to the authors and have benefited from their thinking and teaching ideas.

Academic Exchange Extra invites reader response to any writings in this issue--especially articles advancing the scholarly debate of issues raised.

------------------------------ Page Citation Reference:
Jie, Duo. (2005). AE-Extra. January. Available Online.
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Created: 27 January 2005. Updated: --. Accessed: ]