woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on Apr 15, 2006 18:54:10 GMT 7
GG you are right, I even speak with a Chinese accent.
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Post by Stil on Apr 15, 2006 19:29:33 GMT 7
Reputation can be very important and sometimes you won't notice it. The school may treat you the same to your face regardless but a good reputation can help you tremendously.
Let's say a bigwig inquires to the local high school about a private tutor for his little baobei. This could mean face and guanxi for the school and a hefty addition to your monthly take home. They will pick the best and most reliable of their teachers for this. They will also want to keep you the next year but again not act like it for bargaining purposes.
People will talk about the foreign teachers. They will know your salary, perks, what groceries you buy, what time you get home at night as well as your competency as a teacher.
Don't forget also that the students generally have far more input about the teachers at a school that in the west and at private schools especially if the students want you to stay so will the leaders. The students may want you to behave like a dancing monkey but when they fill in their evalutions they talk specifically about what they are learning from you.
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Post by con's fly is open on Apr 17, 2006 22:26:58 GMT 7
Yeah, I'm with Stil. There will be a word in the street about your teaching, ad a general consensus that you rock has to benefit you somehow, if only for the way ordinary folks, students and fellow teachers treat you.
And if being a great teacher doesn't help your lot one bit, at lest you've got improvement momentum. Dedicated teaching leads to better teaching. And odds are that the next gig, selected by you with the wisdom of experience, will notice.
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gengrant
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Hao, Bu Hao?
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Post by gengrant on Apr 17, 2006 23:17:31 GMT 7
Do you like Chinese food? Can you use chopsticks? sorry...the native in me coming out!
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woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on Apr 18, 2006 12:50:41 GMT 7
GG if you are at a Chinese restaurant with some natives or whatever and they ask the chopstick thing have a bowl of peanuts each, time it and go for 60 seconds and see who can pick up the most peanuts.
Just reading this, I have been in China for a long time
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gengrant
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Post by gengrant on Apr 18, 2006 19:08:06 GMT 7
found this in my email-box the other day:
You know you've been in China too long, if...
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Post by acjade on Apr 18, 2006 20:35:55 GMT 7
You've got a great sense of humour.
Lives up to what's under the kilt.
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Post by joe on Apr 18, 2006 21:38:19 GMT 7
found this in my email-box the other day: You know you've been in China too long, if...Oh. My. God.
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woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
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Post by woza17 on Apr 19, 2006 10:28:36 GMT 7
Joe I have a student named eleven. Got to print that out and highlight the ones I do
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Post by acjade on Apr 19, 2006 10:51:52 GMT 7
Joe I have a student named eleven. Got to print that out and highlight the ones I do I have a Six and a Zero and a dozen Apples.
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Post by joe on Apr 19, 2006 11:17:54 GMT 7
I have a colleague called 11, and used to have students, more than one, called 7.
Is it a Star Trek thing?
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Ruth
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God's provisions are strategically placed along the path of your obedience.
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Post by Ruth on Apr 19, 2006 13:42:39 GMT 7
I have a student who used to be Julia. She changed her name to Julier. Not sure why and I can't convince her to change back. No 7's or 11's though.
Printing the list and highlighting the ones we do is a great idea, Woza. How many does it take before we know we've 'been here too long'?
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Post by cheekygal on Apr 19, 2006 14:09:02 GMT 7
I wrote this on forums before: I had a student named TONSIL. And apparently it was an AMERICAN teacher who gave him such name.
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Newbs
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If you don't have your parents permission to be on this site, naughty, naughty. But Krusty forgives
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Post by Newbs on Apr 19, 2006 14:44:46 GMT 7
Joe, not Star Trek. "Seven" and "Eleven" are English words and so, in a manner of speaking, they are cool.
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Post by joe on Apr 19, 2006 15:40:41 GMT 7
Yeah, but I have a student called "beer".
It's okay, except he so looks like a stoner that I want to call him "Weed."
even if it does bring up memeories of Bill and Ben
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Post by acjade on Apr 19, 2006 15:50:32 GMT 7
Many of us have students who have been given names by 'Travellers' as the kid calls them.
In the past ten months I have taught Vitamin, Excellence, ET, Sucks and Diddle. Vulva was given a new name the first day she had my class.
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gengrant
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Post by gengrant on Apr 19, 2006 19:14:47 GMT 7
Yeah, I worked with a guy who thought it was funny to give all of his students names based on brands of beer... Michelob, Heinekin, Pabst, etc... boss finally caught on after talking to Budweiser in the hallway... had to give them new names... so he decided on Video game names: Zelda, Pacman, Joust, Madden...
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Post by con's fly is open on Apr 19, 2006 20:18:49 GMT 7
It's the getting-drunk-around-kids one that blows my mind. I met a chick called Strawberry. Sadly, not in the running for her. Met a few Willows, a Snow White, a Seven (cool kid), a Double-Oh Seven (creepy school owner ), a Deer (dumb but really hot)... I've just met an Aaron- a woman. My best friend's name is Aaron; I'd best learn this gal's Chinese name quickly.
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Post by Stil on Apr 19, 2006 21:29:37 GMT 7
I have a student who used to be Julia. She changed her name to Julier. Not sure why and I can't convince her to change back. This might be because she thinks it sounds more American. Crazy English promotes pronuncing all final 'a' sounds as 'er'. So China sounds like Chiner. They say that this is American pronunciation. They also teach 'wadder' instead of 'water', 'bedder' instead of 'better' etc. Remember if someone points at a waitress and says ' You like bed her? they might mean 'Do you like it better' meaning the food. The best answer is yes though, just in case. ;D
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Post by Lotus Eater on Apr 20, 2006 0:22:57 GMT 7
This is one of the reasons I use my students Chinese names. Apart from that no other teacher uses their English names, so if I want to talk about a student using their English name is too difficult for them to identify the student in question. The marking sheets etc are also in Chinese so it is easier at the end of semester to fill in the forms. Also helps me with my Chinese, and I figure I am in their country so it is more respectful for me to use their names. They also change their English names at the drop of a soccer god or movie star.
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gengrant
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Hao, Bu Hao?
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Post by gengrant on Apr 20, 2006 1:27:02 GMT 7
I really had to stop myself when a girl walked up to me and introduced herself as "Swallows." Not Swallow, as in a single bird...but the plural (with an 'S')... I just pictured her putting her name on a t-shirt and wearing it in USAnia...
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Post by Dragonsaver on Apr 20, 2006 12:51:57 GMT 7
I have a girl student who's name is Satan. I pronounce it with a soft a so it sounds like satin. She knows what it means because she puts a black cross at the end of her name. I ignore it because it is just attention seeking and I don't want to give her that kind of attention.
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Post by acjade on Apr 20, 2006 13:10:26 GMT 7
This is one of the reasons I use my students Chinese names. Apart from that no other teacher uses their English names, so if I want to talk about a student using their English name is too difficult for them to identify the student in question. The marking sheets etc are also in Chinese so it is easier at the end of semester to fill in the forms. Also helps me with my Chinese, and I figure I am in their country so it is more respectful for me to use their names. They also change their English names at the drop of a soccer god or movie star. With all respect LE I must strongly disagree on this point. Our students are students of the ENGLISH language. An English name in an English classroom is essential. A basic. Like knowing the alphabet. Outside the classroom which includes the ten minute breaks, I address students by their Chinese names. If my students can't remember their classmates English names I haven't been doing enough team building games.
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Post by Stil on Apr 20, 2006 16:07:11 GMT 7
This is one of the reasons I use my students Chinese names. Apart from that no other teacher uses their English names, so if I want to talk about a student using their English name is too difficult for them to identify the student in question. The marking sheets etc are also in Chinese so it is easier at the end of semester to fill in the forms. Also helps me with my Chinese, and I figure I am in their country so it is more respectful for me to use their names. They also change their English names at the drop of a soccer god or movie star. I agree and do the same.
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gengrant
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Post by gengrant on Apr 20, 2006 18:34:15 GMT 7
They also change their English names at the drop of a soccer god or movie star. I agree and do the same. stil, does this mean you're changing your name?
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