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Post by Stil on Apr 20, 2006 19:17:59 GMT 7
stil, does this mean you're changing your name? Yeah. You think Beckham or Jordan is taken? maybe Schartzeneg Schwartze Conan.
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gengrant
SuperBarfly!
Hao, Bu Hao?
Posts: 1,818
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Post by gengrant on Apr 20, 2006 23:17:36 GMT 7
that name's being given to Joe...have you seen his guns?
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Post by Dr. Gonzo on Apr 21, 2006 8:46:53 GMT 7
I mostly gave up using students' "English" names in China, in or out of class, because most of them were crap [Lemon, Coalfish], and most of the students didn't even recognise their "names" if I called them out Others were different, as they took the whole intercultural business seriously. In fact, those who are still in touch ARE Jessica Liang and Evie Li, working in multinationals. The rest are off in offices and factories where memories of learning English are as remote and meaningful as mine of "learning" Latin, all those years ago.
Interstingly, in my current situation [ESL in Australia], very few students take English names. The Japanese and Persians never. Chinese will often have an English alernative to having their real names butchered/rendered incomprehensible by a local teacher, but prefer by far being addressed correctly. My German student, Maike, says I'm the only teacher who can say her name , and they call her Mickey. Pisses her off, but she's given up!!
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Post by Norbert Radd on Apr 21, 2006 9:21:19 GMT 7
The neme thing: I tell students to write their names and also the pinyin, and every time I'm asked if they want their English names. They don't ask if I also want their English names. Somehow the concept of nickname doesn't get taught. I found out that no would know their English nickname except me so I go with their given names.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Apr 21, 2006 11:19:23 GMT 7
When I studied Chinese in Australia I did not use a Chinese name, when I studied French, German and Japanese in Australia I did not use a name from any of those countries.
Here I do use a Chinese name for SOME people. My students and the teachers call me by my English given name, but I have a number of friends who use my Chinese name - mostly because they speak NO English at all. My business card has both on it - one side in English, the other in Chinese, so people I hand it to choose for themselves.
When people introduce themselves to me using their English names, I ask their Chinese names and use that. Invariably they will look surprised, ask me if I can speak Chinese, and include me more readily in their conversations.
This indicates to me that people use English names because they think WE can't cope with Chinese. Puts us definitely in a lower situation in communication.
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Post by acjade on Apr 21, 2006 11:58:06 GMT 7
At school learning French we used French names and when I studied Gaelic we used the Gaelic form of our names.
I use English names in the classroom as a pronunciation exercise and as a self-referral check on the rules of syllables and syllable stress.
Outside of the classroom I use Chinese names.
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woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on Apr 21, 2006 14:04:23 GMT 7
I do find English names easier to remember as Chinese find Chinese names easier to remember . I can usually remember Chinese family names. I give people the option, they can use my Chinese or English name. I like my Chinese better than my English name which is boring smacks of the 50's and dated English textbooks. I don't give a bugger.
I do find it a bit strange that Chinese do adopt English names, very accommodating.
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Decurso
Barfly
Things you own end up owning you
Posts: 581
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Post by Decurso on Apr 21, 2006 14:09:45 GMT 7
I got that "You know you've been in China too long" e-mail last September and it still cracks me up.My yes answers...
- The smell of stinky dofu doesn't faze you anymore. - You complain about that price difference of DVDs/VCDs/CDs bought in the stores and on the streets. - You are not surprised when your garbage lady answers her cell phone and keeps digging thru your trash! You no longer feel that females look like prostitutes wearing tight short shorts in the summer. - It doesn't shock you anymore when you can see female's underwear through their dress. - You have a jar full of "fen" (Chinese pennies) at home. (jiao actulually..nobody uses the fen here) - You can climb 6 flights of stairs without a rest stop. You feel at home when you hear mosquitos buzzing near your ear. - You forget how to program a VCR at home because that is obsolete technology in China. - You have ten different responses to the question, "Do you like China?" You stare at other foreigners. - You stare back (especially at knockout women). - You point out foreigners to your Chinese friends even though you're foreign yourself. - You no longer find it humourous that the bus never really stops to pick people up, it just sort of slows down. - You find yourself asking anyone and everyone if they can make the price cheaper. - You know words in Chinese for which you don't know the translation in English. - Your mashed potato has squid guts and fish heads in it...and you think it tastes fine. - You answer 'China' or some Chinese city when people ask where you're from. - You answer 'China' or some district name when people ask where you live. - You answer 'ni hao', giggle, and run away when someone says hello to you. - You pick your nose, burp, fart, and scratch so much even your Chinese friends get embarrassed. - You start thinking that stupid questions are reasonable. You think that having the runs for 2 weeks is normal. - You don't have any idea what something is, but you'll eat it anyway. - If you just ate it and liked it, you ask what it is so you can order it next time. - You know what it is and you eat it anyway. - You have strict mental rules as to when you reply to a hello (ie person must be within a 20 foot semi circle radius and not with a group of men). - You completely ignore most people who say hello to you. - You have a conversation while sidestepping feces, vomit, and mysterious green puddles on the sidewalk without blinking. - You see a woman with dyed hair and trying to figure out of she's Chinese or foreign by walking fast to catch up. - You've stopped wondering why it takes a 20 gallon flush to clear a 2 ounce pee. - You answer 'So is mine.' when people say their English is so poor. - You convince yourself that it doesn't matter how dirty the cooks' hands are, cooking will fix it. You are becoming proficient in 4 other languages: Mandarin, local dialect, Chinglish, and gibberish. - If there are only 4 screaming children running around the classroom, you consider it a good primary class. - If there are only 4 students sleeping, you consider it a good middle school class. If you're only mocked in public 4 times, you consider it a good day. You start saying 'play computer' 'I very like' and other assorted Chinglish. You get absolutely knackered at a 12 year old's birthday party while playing drinking games with children and munching on turtles. You've got a pre-paid ticket with a booked seat for a soft-seat train or plane, but you still run like mad to make sure you get a seat. You laugh and smile when someone calls you a fat pig. - You point over your back with your thumb when using the past tense You're beginning to like fruit salad and mayonnaise. You've learned that it's okay to be 3 days/weeks late for appointments because everyone else is. - You've stopped wondering why restaurants don't clean up the barf right outside their door. - You've stopped wondering why people will step over it to get into the restaurant. You just love it when new brethren arrive and give you their list of what they will and won't do and eat. - You have accumulated hundreds of notes and addresses but you can't read any of them. You have no qualms that someone who thinks you're stupid and gullable has total control over your life You know that the New Year's Eve countdown must begin before 11pm or you'll be doing it alone. - You start thinking instant coffee tastes pretty good. - You realize that all wild animals are to be caught and eaten and/or ground up for medicine. - You wear the same clothes all week because nobody cares. Local drinking games are your most effective language learning environment. Only five minutes of prep time for a unannounced class no longer fazes you. - You begin to question your own pronounciation Being served dog when you go out is no longer your greatest culinary fear. You no longer expect the truth. - You can use "face" as a weapon.
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woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on Apr 21, 2006 14:18:59 GMT 7
Decurso I do think it is a brilliant insight. Does anyone know who wrote it?
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gengrant
SuperBarfly!
Hao, Bu Hao?
Posts: 1,818
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Post by gengrant on Apr 21, 2006 18:54:13 GMT 7
just showed up in my inbox - no name attached. sorry...
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Post by Lotus Eater on Apr 22, 2006 6:28:59 GMT 7
Not sure how valid a theory it is, but I think the Chinese name thing is a language thing as well. When we don't know the language it really fazes us to hear the Chinese names - they sound complicated and too much. I think as proficiency grows it gets easier to hear and therefore a bit easier to remember and use.
Too many of those "been in China" to tick!!
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Post by uberzilla on Apr 27, 2006 21:49:51 GMT 7
Back on the experience thing. I have been looking into the certification thing and took two online tests for english skill. On both I scored perfect on the, admittiedly easy, technical skills portion. I have also been looking into other (real) resources. I am surprised at how much, of this stuff, I have retained. OK yah I guess I am only writing this because I now know that I could do a good job. ;D Wait err excuse me a second Ahh that's better. Sorry, that emoticon cracks me up, so I had to find some excuse to use it ;D Do FT get to change their names? Because, if so, I will be Chow Youber Zilla ;D
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Post by Lotus Eater on Apr 28, 2006 2:17:42 GMT 7
Yup - go into profile (see top of page - small print), click on modify and then change your name.
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Post by uberzilla on Apr 28, 2006 3:29:52 GMT 7
Yup - go into profile (see top of page - small print), click on modify and then change your name. Quick somebody help me find that sarcasm. It appears as though it slipped passed my target
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Post by Lotus Eater on Apr 28, 2006 8:30:12 GMT 7
Just helping you out uber. I thought you'd really like it for a while. Also please note the time I posted - and add a couple of bottles of red to that. Although it did take me a while to work out you were saying - jia you ( ¼ÓÓÍ£©. I'm getting too Chinese - if it isn't in the forms I know, I take a while to translate. (IS that what you meant??)
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Post by mermaid56 on May 11, 2006 22:33:58 GMT 7
My school (private college, well regarded in terms of English education, we have 74 foreign English teachers, good pay and great living conditions) is requiring a BA and 2 years experience teaching something, anything for new hires. Rumor has it that Beijing is trending that way for publicly funded unis and colleges especially in BEijing, Guangzhou and Shanghi....of course we are NOT in the sticks......
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Post by Lotus Eater on May 12, 2006 1:42:05 GMT 7
The university I'm at requires Masters degrees for its FTs (although there are only 3 FTs). Previous one would take Bachelors (in anything) and I think some teachers were also there without quals as well.
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Post by Dragonsaver on May 12, 2006 20:02:45 GMT 7
My school (private college, well regarded in terms of English education, we have 74 foreign English teachers, good pay and great living conditions) is requiring a BA and 2 years experience teaching something, anything for new hires. Rumor has it that Beijing is trending that way for publicly funded unis and colleges especially in BEijing, Guangzhou and Shanghi....of course we are NOT in the sticks...... How much are they paying? Are they hiring? I have a Masters and 1 yr in China + odd's n sods of other sorta teaching.
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woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on May 14, 2006 16:56:12 GMT 7
I think I have posted this before but at the language mills they are only really interested in delivery. My boss doesn't give a hoot about quals he wants to see you in the classroom engaging the students and keeping them happy. Now most of the students don't know how to learn and think they will learn by osmosis, but a good teacher will lead them and engage them so that they are interested and will learn but it has to be guided If experience is measured in time, people can learn over time but some dont. With any job, people just don't get better or learn and quite frankly m'kay them. I see teachers here that are so bloody boring don't do anything but show up with their white face and think this is enough. Experience is important if you learn from it otherwise you are just putting in the hours.
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Post by gretch on May 14, 2006 19:01:54 GMT 7
Experience is important if you learn from it otherwise you are just putting in the hours. Beautiful!!!!
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Post by Mr Nobody on May 14, 2006 22:00:20 GMT 7
woza always is. very to the point, and very accurate. Like a dart. or a sniper's bullet in this case.
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woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on May 18, 2006 12:42:12 GMT 7
Low self esteem can be a very postive motivating factor. Over confidence as the other extreme is really not healthy either. Last night my class bombed and I really had a good look at my lesson and thought about my students and I will do it differently next time. I thought about the whole thing, do the students like me am I popular What is important well I think if the students do learn something and they feel they are getting something out of your class, that should be my goal.
It really does make the job more interesting if you think about your mistakes and learn from them. That is not an empty platitude I really do believe this. I have now begun to understand that I must direct the students dialog more and not assume that they will know how to express in English.
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Post by gretch on May 18, 2006 14:15:07 GMT 7
It really does make the job more interesting if you think about your mistakes and learn from them. And makes one a better teacher in the long run...
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Newbs
SuperDuperBarfly!
If you don't have your parents permission to be on this site, naughty, naughty. But Krusty forgives
Posts: 2,085
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Post by Newbs on May 18, 2006 14:18:18 GMT 7
What N and Gretch said, and I especially liked this bit.
Keep up the good work, Woza.
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Post by Norbert Radd on May 18, 2006 15:39:23 GMT 7
Possibly if you can teach skills, e.g., how to introduce a friend, tell a story, etc. Students only see English as a barrier and something to be passed which results in zero learning.
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