|
Post by Lotus Eater on Sept 20, 2005 13:51:21 GMT 7
I know that I'm on my own here on this one, but I'll always be suspicious of the subconscious motives behind the giving of trinkets. I was taught French and German by native speakers at secondary school in the UK and neither of those teachers came skipping into the classroom waving their national flag or offered badges representing their respective state symbol. Is such flag waving dependant on the distance between your home and your classroom? Or is the handing out of free dictionaries dependent on the national average income of the students' parents? So what's next, KFC for the kids at Christmas? I don't give 'trinkets' to my students - to begin with there are too many of them. But I do use the postcards and books etc as resources. The students are interested in the foreign teacher and their previous lifestyle. It gives a good way of explaining where you are from, how life is for you there, opens up an easy way of communicating and allows a relaxed relationship to develop - always useful in an oral class! As we know, China has a tradition of giving gifts when invited to peoples places, so this is where my 'trinkets' have been useful - as a way of expressing gratitude for hospitality. The gift has to be appropriate - too expensive and the recipient is embarrassed - and you will never be invited back. Calandars, tie pins, packets of biscuits from home - these are useful and appropriate. When I commence at a new university I give the head of the FAO, the faculty and the President a gift - Bundaberg Rum liquour last time. This is official and formal. When I know I am being taken somewhere official I also take tie pins, books, brooches with me as again a way of expressing my gratitude a little formally. During these visits I am normally given gifts as well - jade bracelets and necklaces from a famous jade area, very flash chop, pen and ink sets, banquets, two day tour of a region etc. What I can give here is merely a token, but it says: a) that I am aware of the culture, b) that I am grateful for their hospitality. I think if you use the dictionaries as resources for your classes, rather than giving them out, they will be useful -students can consult as required and you will be able to re-use for the next year etc. Although don't forget weight!!!! Books are heavy and almost all of the students will at least have a Chinese-English English-Chinese dictionary. My French teacher in secondary school put on a Bastille Day lunch for us each year. Her preparations and our involvement in this certainly motivated us to learn more about Bastille Day, French food and more French as during the meal we spoke French. Her classroom was decorated with a French flag, plus pictures of well-known French landmarks and French countryside. Creative teachers are a joy!
|
|
Decurso
Barfly
Things you own end up owning you
Posts: 581
|
Post by Decurso on Sept 20, 2005 14:52:47 GMT 7
Slim,I can't speak for anyone else...but patriotism has nothing to with it.People here are very curious about where we come from and genuinely appreciate a small gift from your home country.They make great prizes in classroom games and activities too.
KFC?No...but when teaching food units I have regretted not having the facilities to have a class lunch with different international dishes.
|
|
Crippler
Barfly
Beware the conspiracy!
Posts: 345
|
Post by Crippler on Sept 20, 2005 18:19:37 GMT 7
This year the two students in each of my classes received a thesaurus from me. Will they use them???
|
|
|
Post by Lotus Eater on Sept 22, 2005 18:42:10 GMT 7
I generally assume that all students are poor (based on the fact that when I was a student I was poor! And that I kept my daughters on pretty tight allowances as well - I figure that if you are university students you will one day be at least comfortable - you should know what it is like to have to make choices - eat this week or buy alcohol, go to the library or buy the book?). Many students have a very different level of poverty here in China and my way around this? If I give help (coaching for external exams or stuff that is not part of my role for the university) that for people outside the university I would charge for, is to make the students pay - but in kind. Get those eyebrows down George!! NOT Like that! With one student the deal was, after the external exams were over, he would take me to the closest pool hall and we would have a couple of games. I wanted to know where the pool hall was, he could afford a couple of games (might have cost him a pack or 2 of cigarettes foregone - but he'll survive that!), he kept his pride - we were both happy. (PS He beat me!) So he feels Ok about coming back to ask for help, and our deal still goes. We are good friends now - and he still doesn't have a koala pin from me! The only time I've taught any Oz songs was when I was asked to lecture to 600+ middle school students in the open about my country - for 2 hours! By the 75 minute mark I was getting desperate, so pulled out my rendition of Waltzing Matilda and taught it to them. Filled in the rest of the time nicely, then they asked me to sing Jingle Bells and Yesterday Once More. If you have ever heard me sing .... These people were MAD!!!! It was on local TV somewhere and the school has a video of it. I find I generally have to fight the students to pay for eating together, and if there is more than one of them I frequently lose. Last time this happened I had a box of moon cakes - so they 'helped' me eat the mooncakes. They were keen to do that! Other things I do with the students is to invite classes over to my place for relaxation nights - I teach them card/board games - UNO, Scrabble, Monopoly, etc., let them watch DVDs (in English) or we listen to music and chat. They get to practice their English in a relaxed setting, eat plenty of nibblies and drink softdrinks that I put on, clean up after themselves and have some fun. They love it, and again, I haven't embarrassed them or me with inappropriate gifts. After the first time, they bring nibblies as well. They figure it feels like home and the once a month do is looked forward to. (haven't started this semester yet, but will do so soon). 20+ students all doing different things in my apartment takes some mental preparation! So scattering largess isn't in my repetoire. The only people I have seen who seem to spread gifts around are those trying to attract students for nefarious purposes - generally prosletysing. I think for some of them they feel that if they give the students gifts of value (including money) then there is an obligation on the students part to pay back with listening and attending "free speaking' groups.
|
|
Decurso
Barfly
Things you own end up owning you
Posts: 581
|
Post by Decurso on Sept 24, 2005 3:37:52 GMT 7
. Decurso, I do think with some FTs it is a form of patriotism. I've witnessed one Canadian arrive in China packed to the gills with Canadaphilia and even spent an entire lesson teaching his students the Canadian national anthem. He also gave everyone he met a national flag pin as a memento of the day that they met a Canadian – even to my wife much to my chagrin. OK....l can understand where some of your negative feelings are coming from.This guy sounds like a homesick wanker. The truth is all I've given away is Canadian money...and they love it.It's a much better classroom prize than a Jay sticker.I never even thought of bringing lapel pins and flags...but I've had so many resquests for them I'm having some brought over. The funny thing is...I don't even like Canada that much.Subject for another thread.Suffice it to say my trinkets are by request and popular demand.
|
|
|
Post by con's fly is open on Sept 24, 2005 20:25:03 GMT 7
Ah, good ol' Canada.
I'm sentimental if you know what I mean I love the country but I can't stand the scene
- Leonard Cohen
They can't get enough of the coins.
|
|
Decurso
Barfly
Things you own end up owning you
Posts: 581
|
Post by Decurso on Sept 24, 2005 21:49:34 GMT 7
Ah, good ol' Canada. I'm sentimental if you know what I mean I love the country but I can't stand the scene- Leonard Cohen Cohen said that?I don't listen to him much...but he's bang on.Not only is it a desolate wasteland...but our whole national identity is based on not being being America.Pretty sad when Molson beer adds whip people into a patriotic frenzy.And don't get me started on hatespeach laws... I'll always consider Canada home..but here's hoping I'll only ever see it again as a visitor.
|
|
|
Post by Mr Nobody on Sept 24, 2005 23:23:05 GMT 7
Lenny was probably talking about his soul.
|
|
|
Post by con's fly is open on Sept 25, 2005 13:56:56 GMT 7
He always went on about his soul, God bless him, but in this case, if you've been in Canada, he was bang on. I'm particularly bitter, since I hail from Calgary (a Gaelic word meaning "work 70 hour weeks to buy toys, and hate anyone who doesn't do likewise") where culture is despised.
I cut Canada some slack on the Unamerica identity: that's why Canada was formed, by those who fled the new Republic to the South. Still, I hate the negative identity. Canada is the True North, the Great White Way, Hoserland...
Canada just didn't seem to need me.
|
|
|
Post by Mr Nobody on Sept 25, 2005 18:53:05 GMT 7
I always thought of Canada as a nice place, a sort of cold wet northern Australian sort of place with seals instead of sheep and people that speak funny instead of with no accent like us.
|
|
|
Post by George61 on Sept 25, 2005 20:03:45 GMT 7
And it's full of bloody big mosquitos, too!!
|
|
|
Post by con's fly is open on Sept 25, 2005 21:25:58 GMT 7
Calgary isn't... unless you count lawyers.
|
|
Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
|
Post by Ruth on Sept 25, 2005 21:55:24 GMT 7
I guess Ontario has all the mosquitoes, then. And black flies. Especially in June and July.
Canada's home cause that's where I was born and where most of my family lives. But I left it. Will I go back to live? God knows, I sure don't.
|
|
Crippler
Barfly
Beware the conspiracy!
Posts: 345
|
Post by Crippler on Sept 25, 2005 22:13:06 GMT 7
I guess Ontario has all the mosquitoes, then. And black flies. Especially in June and July. Canada's home cause that's where I was born and where most of my family lives. But I left it. Will I go back to live? God knows, I sure don't. Not if I get my way!!!
|
|
Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
|
Post by Ruth on Sept 27, 2005 12:00:11 GMT 7
Well, I guess that settles it then.
|
|
|
Post by Dragonsaver on Sept 27, 2005 12:08:36 GMT 7
|
|
Ruth
SuperDuperMegaBarfly
God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
Posts: 3,915
|
Post by Ruth on Sept 27, 2005 12:17:01 GMT 7
He's bigger than I am and he cries louder.
Shhh!! We let them THINK they get their own way.
|
|
|
Post by con's fly is open on Sept 27, 2005 20:18:32 GMT 7
He's bigger than I am and he cries louder.
|
|