English Corner Survival Guide, sort of....

[Wolf]

I'm just wondering how everyone survives English Corners. At my school I refuse to go, because 100 Chinese students + me = they ask me the same few questions I've answered for them already for two hours. Um . . . that does no one any good.

But for those of you who do have to go through it, do you have any strategems/tips/advice for participating in one? Both educational and survival strategies are welcome.

[Chinasyndrome]

I stopped doing EC 4 months after I got here and have point blank refused to do it ever since, but one strategy I used back in those days was to make a handout AND a notice board with answers in simple English to the most obvious, stupid, repeated and inane questions. If anyone asked me one of them I'd point them to the handouts and/or the board. Worked like a charm and after a few ECs no one ever asked them again.

Next tactic is to put them into groups - first by similar level and then by similar interest. I'd ask them to talk about their interest and ask each other questions. I'd then briefly travel around the groups, listening and spurring on discussion. Some groups like to sit and twiddle their thumbs, just waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting guilao, so I'd tell them that I don't spend time with groups that aren't discussing the topic in English. They had to earn it. The groups that had the liveliest discussions were the ones I spent most time with, and the ones who were 'not serious' could sit and stare at each other. They learned damned fast!

The original (China version) idea for the Department of Stupid Questions came about through EC. I told everyone that they could have a handout or read the board but if they asked me ANY of those questions they'd have to join another group with the above name. No one ever did, which was the point of the rule.

If you use the tactics the right way you'll find you're actually spending most of your time walking around the different groups and throwing in the occasional curly question to keep the chat alive. Students who are regular and do well can join the Debating group and after a few EC practices they do a full English debate in front of the others. After the first time everyone wants to be in the group, but they have to earn it.

All of these worked very well for me, take minimal FT effort, and after a while are so self-regulating that your presence is only for your good looks.

[Steiner]

We've handled it differently here. Our school didn't have an English Corner, so we actually started one. But it's really an English club, not a corner with 100 kids. We made the kids' other teachers choose just four of the best from each class, so we have clubs of 12 kids. Then we just do regular fun activities--stuff you learn about in TESOL training but can't do with a class of 65. It's quite nice.

Because we were starting it of our own free will and not being coerced into it, we were able to lay down the rules. The teachers complained that it was too hard to just choose four from each class, but that's just the way it is, so there were no problems.

Students not in the clubs are welcome to come to our home at certain times and talk with us. They ask us when they can come and we tell them a time, so it's when we feel like talking to them and it's only as many as we want to talk with at a time.

Yes, I do realize that none of this answers your question. But it's all I've got to give right now. CS' suggestions sound good.

[roaming kiwi]

The hubby and I mosey on down to the south campus every Wednesday (a nice barmy 20 minute bike-ride) and chat with the natives.

We generally get cornered (you know the one - "English teacher cornered", not "English Corner"), but we don't seem to get the same volume of repeated questions hitting us anymore.

Maybe because it's getting colder? Maybe because the original group was about 50 and is now a cosy 20-ish? Maybe because we fire curly questions?

With regard to the curly questions - it's more like: flick the blonde hair a bit, batter ones eyelashes and say coily (sp?) coyly ;D"so, what's up with Taiwan? I don't know ANYTHING about it, so please tell me....." That gets the politics students going for it. ;D

I must say 'tho, that I don't mind the inane questions (that may come from doing mindless data entry jobs in my previous-previous life). I just bat the questions back really quickly with one word answers. Most of the kids we have are from the farms and won't have spoken to a foreigner, so I let them pluck up the courage to ask "Do you like Chinese food"....

I must admit that CS post has given me food for thought. Pardon the pun. Bon apetit!

I must add that we don't have to do the English Corner thing. We have inadvertantly found that we have struck up friendships within an isolated satelite campus. Plus it's nice to have a bit of god and goddess worship - having students jumping up and down like excited puppies on the verge of pissing themselves with joy on our arrival. That's why you think they're pissing themselves?

[Roger]

CS and Steiner (and indeed anybody who replied to the topic): thank you for your detailed accounts, which have boostedmy self-esteem and my courage to face my next EC (hopefully not this year).

[roaming kiwi]

Well (I've got to start everything with "well" because most of my Chinese colleagues start their sentences with "well", which means that it's obviously the Queen's English, or something from VOA or...well, I don't know...)

Well, last night was the last night for English Corner 2003 at the South campus of Baoding Teachers College.

As usual the kiddies (um, young adults) waited stoicly (sp? - I know you like 'em CS ) in the cold for us late-as-usual kiwis. We like making an entrance - you know, the god/goddess thing.

This time there was not the usual three, but a big gaggle of them - 8 or so - waiting for us.

Immediately clutched by various concerned arms, "are you cold?" We were bundled towards the usual corner classroom. But, there was a bit of bother. Which classroom in which corner? The Science lab or the lecture room.

The lecture room won out. The science lab had had its turn the week before. Ahhh, the Chinese decision making process at its finest...

Well, we had plans for our munchkins. Last weeks Eng Corner was a success -we had all of them talking to each other - the 3 2 1 minute game worked wonders (want to know about it PM me, or if I'm not feeling so lazy and hungry (it's lunchtime) I'll write it up somewhere).

So, well, ummm, this week as mentioned, we had plans. We turned the lecture dias thingee into a bar and poured them coke, lemonade, fanta - you know, all the good stuff - and taught them the important phrases of bar room English like "Cheers, big ears - same goes big nose"...

Ahh it was a grand ole time - hyperactive early 20-somethings.

Mr Roaming Kiwi branched off with his troop and I cornered mine (not the other way - tonight was on our terms). Again I got that question from student A "where have you ever been in China" (what's with the "ever" guys?!). I had student B primed and asked her - where have I been in China? - without hesitation she answered student A and rattled off my short list of visited Chinese towns.

Again, the conversation spiralled into the bad pollution and poor energy supply choices. Again I asked them what they were going to do about it... But the triumph was that their conversation was sounding fluent and other students were listening and not diving in with random questions about my eating habits.

We've only been here 4 months and we work with the non-English majors. It's been great to see the kids blossom in confidence and maturity. I've had many opportunities to fend off "how can I get hold of you?" with either "by the neck", or "by email".
I view some of these students as future friends as they grow and mature into functioning adults. So I treat them with the respect they deserve.

Maybe it's different for me as these are teacher trainees. Dunno, but I do know for certain that the biggest culture shock of coming to China was meeting other westerners and seeing how they do things in this environment.

But I wander...

Well, it was time to go, the students cried with sadness, they all followed us to the taxi (all 20 of them -the numbers had fluctuated throughout the night and these were the hardcore bunch). Geez, you'd think we didn't have 2 weeks of teaching left and wouldn't be seeing them for the next semester!

taxi: exit stage left.