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English in the DPRK It is winter vacation time here in Shanghai, and as most do with vacation time, I decided to take a trip. While most of my colleagues were venturing either back home or to a warm climate, I decided to go to a country not exactly known for its tourism: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), or as it is also known, North Korea. Mostly known for its reclusiveness, human rights atrocities and military provocations, travelling to North Korea may seem like a risky and difficult venture. However, it was actually very simple. There are numerous companies that offer group tours to the DPRK to accommodate the few thousand western tourists that want to visit the isolated country. Each trip is generally the same; while there are numerous Western companies that offer tours, once inside Korea, it is the government tour company that controls the tour. Everything was highly structured and we were only allowed to visit certain places; photos could only be taken at certain times and we were not allowed to move around on our own. Despite these restrictions, it was an enjoyable and eye-opening trip.

While most of the sites were interesting, of most interest to me was when we were able to see the daily life of Koreans. Granted, Pyongyang is the showcase capital, so the daily life we saw was only of the elites living the capital city; life in the rural areas is much different. One location that was excellent for this was the Great Study Hall. Essentially the main city library in Pyongyang, it was an impressive building with books, computers and study rooms, much like you would find in any library. At the Study Hall, there were also many classes for students that would like to learn new skills, including an English class. As part of the tour, we visited the English class and we were allowed to interact with the students briefly. Despite the frigid temperature inside the classroom and old textbooks, the students worked diligently and some chatted with us. Aside from the portraits of the leaders at the front of the room, it looked like a normal classroom, albeit one that was poorly maintained. The visit did get me thinking, however: How is English studied in the DPRK?

It is a fair question considering the largest speaking English nation, the United States, is North Korea’s arch enemy. The United States plays a large role in Korean propaganda; while major fighting in the Korean War ended long ago, the imperialist Americans are still viewed as a major threat. Despite this, and perhaps because of this, English is the most studied foreign language in the DPRK and has been so since 1980 when it overtook Russian. Academic information is scarce, but I came across two videos on YouTube that were very interesting. Have a look!

Song, J. J. (2002). The Juche Ideology: English in North Korea //English Today null//(1), 47 - 56 doi: 10.1017/S0266078402001050

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Assessment: International vs. Native Speaker Models and the Issue of IELTS

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an English test organized by the British Council that evaluates a person’s English proficiency for the purpose of working or studying in a country where English is the primary language of communication (www.ielts.org). The test is widely accepted throughout the world in over 135 countries and by a variety of professional and academic institutions (www.ielts.org). The test evaluates all four language skills with a highly professional and standardized system that allows institutions to properly assess someone’s English ability. In China, the IELTS test is commonly taken by Chinese students who are looking to study abroad. Depending on where they want to study, students must achieve a certain grade on the IELTS test in order to be accepted to an institution. The IELTS test grades students on a scale of 1 – 9 with 9 being deemed an “expert user” (ielts.org). Each institution has its own standard, but students often have to achieve a grade somewhere between 5 – 7 to be able to study overseas.

I have never had to take the IELTS test. Because I attended an English speaking university, I never needed to take the test despite studying abroad in Australia. For so many other students however, this is not an option. The IELTS test is a major hurdle that must be cleared before they can go overseas to study. Many spend countless hours and dollars preparing for the test and will take the test over and over again until they achieve the desired result. For some, successfully completing the IELTS exam is more difficult than being accepted to an overseas institution!

Teaching here in China, the IELTS test becomes almost part of daily life at the university where I work. It is an offshore program run by an Australian university, so many of the students are planning on studying overseas, which means they will need to pass the IELTS test. Even students in their first year of studies begin to prepare for the IELTS test knowing that they will have to take the test in a few years time. It causes an incredible amount of stress and anxiety for students who are eager to study abroad and gain a competitive edge over their fellow classmates. The IELTS test is so formidable that it has actually influenced our curriculum and the way we assess our students. On many of our grading rubrics, the highest marks are rewarded for having work that is the equivalent of a “native speaker” or “expert user”. Because of this, students in our program seldom receive high grades on many of their assignments. The grading rubric states that they must present work that is equivalent to a “native speaker”, and of course, many of them cannot.

I brought this issue up in a meeting with my colleagues. I was becoming frustrated at the problem that virtually all of the students were receiving marks in the range 50 – 65%. In the entire program which consists of hundreds of students, for some assignments, no student received a mark over 80%. It was staggering to me. Even more frustrating was that I felt it affected students’ motivation to put forth a strong effort. With no chance of receiving a high grade, many students clearly did not work as hard as they could have. I could hardly blame them; if I had no chance of receiving a decent grade, I’m not sure how motivated I would be to work on some of my assignments when I was a student. However, when I brought this issue up, the answer thrown back at me was that if we wanted our students to succeed on the IELTS test, we needed to maintain this type of standard.

Many authors have argued against the native speaker standard. They point to the development of English as an International Language and how more and more models of English should be accepted. Not only should other models be accepted, many authors point out that the native speaker standards are somewhat useless for students in Asia and other parts of the world. This of course begs the question: If these students seek to study abroad, don’t they need native speaker standards? In my opinion, the answer is still no. A student can still achieve success studying overseas using their own variety of English. I did! Granted, my Canadian English is a widely accepted ‘native’ variety, but I also saw many of my classmates from around the world succeed using their own variety of English.

Despite these strong arguments, we are still bowing to the might of the British Council. Phillipson expertly analyzes the origins of the British Council and shows how the organization was initially established to promote British culture and language throughout the world. While the organization has certainly evolved and changed over the years, it can certainly be argued that the British Council still seeks to promote and expand the use of the English language. Its motivations are likely not as conspiratorial or underhanded as Phillipson would have us believe, but it is still a large organization that is pursuing its own interests. The IELTS test is very expensive and because of its difficulty, students sometimes must take the test over and over again until they achieve their desired result. The more a student takes the test; the more money the British Council makes.

It is this factor that makes what is happening at my university so incredibly distressing. We are succumbing to the standards of an organization that has financial motivations. Despite strong arguments in favor of utilizing EIL standards, we continue to use the native speaker standards because those are the standards set out by the British Council. But what else can we do? It is true; our students do need to complete the IELTS test to study overseas. Would we be doing them a disservice if we adjusted our standards to allow for international models? I don’t think so, but until the international models become more accepted, we will likely continue to follow the native speaker models. That is the standard they need to pass the IELTS test, and in China, the IELTS test reigns supreme in ELT.

References Canagarajah, A. S. (2002). Globalization, methods, and practice in periphery classrooms. In D. Block & D. Cameron (Eds.), //Globalization and language teaching// (pp. 134 - 150). London, UK: Routledge.

McKay, S. L. (2003). Toward an appropriate EIL pedagogy: re-examining common ELT assumptions. //International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13//(1), 7 - 28.

Phan, L. H. (2008). //Teaching English as an international language: Identity, resistance and negotiation//. Great Britain: Cromwell Press Ltd..

Phillipson, R. (1992). //Linguistic imperialism//. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Timmis, I. (2002). Native-speaker norms and international English: A classroom view. //ELT Journal, 56//(3), 240 - 249.

Feel free to leave a comment! Until next time,

Michael

include component="comments" page="page:Michael's Blog" limit="10" Shared Classes (Team Teaching)

The thought of shared classes or team teaching is often dreaded by teachers. It can be a difficult situation that often requires extra work, extensive communication amongst teachers and an incredible amount of patience. At the university in Shanghai where I am teaching, we share classes with each other. Each class has six sessions per week and the six sessions are divided amongst three or four teachers. The marking is shared amongst the teachers and students are instructed (and encouraged) to consult with all of their class teachers if they need extra assistance. Each week, teachers are given an outline for the week that should guide us through the week’s lessons. Teachers follow the weekly lesson outlines and remain in constant consultation with their fellow teachers to make sure the class aims for the week are met.

This is my first experience sharing classes and it has certainly been an adjustment thus far. Accustomed to having my own classes all the time, I have certainly had to make some changes in my first few weeks. Some of my old habits that I developed as a solo teacher have been thrown out the window because they just cause confusion in a shared class environment. For example, as a solo teacher, I could make decisions as I went along, but sharing classes with other teachers makes this difficult because any decision I make will affect the other teachers. Almost everything done in the classroom must be well-thought out and fit in with the weekly schedule; if not, my colleague’s lessons could be affected. While I am still adjusting to shared classes, I began to wonder why we actually do share classes here in Shanghai? Is sharing classes a good idea? What does it offer students and teachers? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Is it better than the traditional one teacher one class system?


 * __Advantages__**

It must be said that there are certainly numerous advantages to sharing classes for students. One of the major advantages of sharing classes is that it gives students access to a variety of English accents and types of English. For this very reason, sharing classes is a popular method in many private language schools that focus on oral English. On staff here in Shanghai, we have teachers from Australia, New Zealand, China, India, Nigeria, Philippines, America, Canada, Ireland and Britain! It is an incredibly diverse teacher’s room, and sharing classes allows our students to spend a little bit of time with a combination of these nationalities. This allows for real world practice where students are exposed to numerous accents and diverse ways of speaking English. Also, it allows students to learn about a variety of cultures, and especially periphery and outer circle cultures that can at times be lost in ELT. Another major advantage for students is that they get to interact with numerous personalities and experience a variety of teaching methods and styles. Especially in the language classroom, learning can be greatly enhanced when there is a strong relationship between teacher and student. Some students and some teachers may get along better than others and having teachers share classes allows students a greater opportunity to find a teacher whose personality and teaching style they enjoy.

There are also some less-obvious advantages for students. Sharing classes slows the possibility of complacency among students. With the same teacher day in and day out, the classroom can become too comfortable and students can become complacent. A variety of teachers can help keep students “on their toes” so to speak and keep the classroom environment interesting. Another advantage is that if students need assistance outside of class, they have more teachers they can consult with. Especially during test time or near the due date of a large assignment, this is very valuable as students can seek out a variety of teachers that they already have an in-class relationship with. The advantages for teachers are slightly less significant, but there are certainly some. Scheduling becomes much easier when teachers share classes with one another because a teacher can be assigned to any class that fits with his/her schedule. Instead of being attached to one class, a teacher can have a much more flexible schedule that suits them. It can also reduce the amount of in-class teaching hours for teachers, while ensuring students have a full class load. At our institution, each class has 12 hours per week of instruction while each teacher teaches 19.5 hours per week. If teachers were given a full two classes, in-class teaching time would rise significantly to 24 hours. Sharing classes solves this problem. Another advantage is that if a teacher becomes very sick and requires an extended leave, the class can avoid a major disruption as the other teachers can simply take on the extra workload. Also, with more teachers to consult with, students can ask for extra help from a variety of teachers which reduces the burden on just one single teacher.


 * __Disadvantages__**

While the advantages are certainly worth noting, the many disadvantages to sharing classes also must be discussed. The biggest disadvantage I have found is that it is very tough to build a rapport with students in a shared class environment. Instead of seeing the same class on a daily basis, I only see some classes once a week, or at most, twice a week. This leaves me with over 150 students and getting to know all of them is proving very difficult. If I had my own classes, I would have around 60 students: a much more manageable number. As a result, it is difficult to find the strong and weak students and determine what specific areas a student needs help with. Classes have close to 30 students, and only seeing them once or twice a week in a 15 week semester does not leave much time to interact with each individual student.

Another disadvantage is the increased workload. While I mentioned that sharing classes allows for teachers to have fewer in-class hours, these hours are often lost anyway dealing with a variety of issues that arise. Constant consultation with the other teachers is needed in order to make sure the class stays on track and that lessons are not doubled up on or completely left out. While there is a lesson outline for a given week, as any teacher knows, things can change quickly and lesson outlines must be adjusted. Because of this, in a shared class environment, teachers constantly need to update each other about what was done and what was not done. This requires meetings and even filling out detailed classroom log books to ensure everyone is ‘on the same page’. This reality makes lesson planning in advance virtually impossible. A teacher may want to plan a lesson a few days in advance, but that is a risky proposition in a shared classroom environment where it is likely that your lesson plan will need to be adjusted because of what the other teacher did before you. My lesson plans need to be adjusted almost daily and it is very frustrating because I like to plan ahead.

Some less obvious disadvantages are also a problem with shared classes. While in traditional team-teaching contexts, the teachers are in the classroom at the same time and can track what is done and said by the other teacher, in shared classes the teachers are never in the classroom at the same time. This can lead to ‘he said she said’ instances where the students may receive information from one teacher that could contradict the information given by another. Certain things are open to interpretation and the teachers may have conflicting views; this can cause confusion for students and headaches for teachers. Especially in our teaching room where there a variety of nationalities and backgrounds, numerous interpretations and styles of English have caused many hassles for all involved.

__**Consensus**__

The advantages and disadvantages obviously differ for each context, but these are some of the significant ones I have encountered here in China. In my opinion, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. I must admit: I do not like sharing classes. Part of the reason I decided to write about it was to see if I could change my mind with a detailed analysis of it. Well, my mind has not changed. Sharing classes may well offer students a chance to speak and listen to a variety of accents, but good audio/video materials can account for this as well. Interacting with more personalities and different teaching styles may suit some students, but a vital skill of a teacher is to adjust to a given classroom. Likewise, sharing classes may keep students interested and keep the classroom fresh, but it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure students are engaged.

The disadvantages are simply too overwhelming to compensate for the small advantages. Extra work, frustration and confusion are common elements we deal with here in Shanghai, and the shared class system is largely to blame. Luckily, we have a very friendly work environment where the teachers get along with one another and socialize outside of work. With less patient and tolerant people, it could be a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, sharing classes is not going anywhere for the time being at the school here in Shanghai. I knew I would have to share classes when I took the job, so my transition will continue! Hopefully, I will learn to adjust.

Until next time,

Michael

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What’s in a name? It is the beginning of the semester here in China and we are slowly getting ready for a semester of classes. The usual mundane and routine tasks have been going on as all of the teachers make sure we are set and ready to go. I was given my class lists a few days ago and they had the usual information that any class list would have: number of students, room number, time of class, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, there was something that grabbed my attention: All of my students had an English name. Each student was listed with his/her usual Chinese name and an English name alongside it. When I say it grabbed my attention, I do not mean to give the impression that I was surprised. In fact, I was not surprised by this at all. This is my second position in China and it was the same at my previous school. In 2010 I taught in Korea, and all of my students there had an English name as well. But I suppose I question things more these days, and I began to wonder: Why is it so common for Asian students to have an English name?

At Monash, it was not uncommon to see many of my Asian classmates with an English name. Some had had their English name for a long time; others decided to choose one while in Australia to make it easier for their classmates and instructors to remember. For my students here in Shanghai, they are allowed to choose an English name if they have one that they prefer. Some choose an English name that closely resembles their Chinese name. Many, however, do not have a Chinese name that resembles an Anglo name so they simply choose a name at random or are assigned one by their teacher. This name, whatever it may be, will be their English name for the duration of their studies. When I started to reflect on this practice, it became more and more absurd to me. I imagined myself in my students’ position. How would I feel if I walked into my first day at university and my instructor told me I had a new name!!?? I am quite sure I wouldn’t like it. Opinions aside though, is there any benefit for Asian students to have an English name?

One argument I have heard is that it helps with students’ pronunciation. I have not heard or seen this in academic circles, but some of my fellow teachers in the past have argued that it is beneficial for students, especially young children, to have an English name because it gets them to focus on the English alphabet and work on their pronunciation. Another theory is that perhaps it is an extension of the ‘English only’ attitude that dominates ELT in many contexts. In many classrooms, students are told not to speak their L1 in order to maximize their English learning, and L1 names are apparently part of this. Removing L1 names further entrenches students in an English only environment. These ‘benefits’ are quite trivial, though, and there does not appear to be any benefit whatsoever for the student. While native English teachers may present these arguments, the truth is really quite obvious and simple. English names are not for the benefit of the students; they are to help foreign teachers like myself. With virtually no Chinese language ability, English names make it much easier for me to call on my students. They are easier for me to remember and certainly much easier for me to pronounce. Even though I benefit from English names, I must admit, it does seem unfair. I am in China; why do my students have to adjust to me? Shouldn’t I be the one changing and adapting?

Despite it being the beginning of the semester, I decided to conduct a mini experiment with some of my students. I wanted to know how my students felt about having an English name. So I decided to give them the option of using either their English name or their Chinese name. I volunteered to use whatever name they chose and I emphasized that it was entirely up to them. I was astonished at the responses my students gave me. Out of a class of over 30 students, only one student told me she didn’t like her English name. With this student, this came as no surprise to me; the few times I used her English name she often didn’t respond to it. Why should she? It wasn’t her real name. Imagine how difficult it would be if a teacher began calling you by a different name, and a name in a different language no less! Surprisingly though, that one student was the only student that chose her Chinese name. The rest of the class responded quite favorably towards their English names. Many said they liked having an English name. Some had put a lot of thought into their English names and they were quite fond of them. Others liked having an English name because they did not like having foreigners butcher the pronunciation of their Chinese names. I do my best to pronounce Chinese names correctly, but I am definitely guilty of this. Not only do I mispronounce the Chinese words terribly, but I also admit that I have a very hard time memorizing Chinese names. The English names are much easier to remember. I have no doubt that my students are aware of this as well and I am sure this factored in to their answers. Their favourable responses were, in some cases at least, merely an attempt to appease me. Still though, some students seemed genuinely enthused with their English names.

While my pseudo-experiment is hardly academic, I found the results surprising. Are some of them truly happy being called “Dave” or “Jessica”? Or is this all for my benefit? Either way, English names are not going anywhere. It is a practice that will likely continue. With foreign teachers such as myself, English names make our lives much easier. That is why it is so common. However, English names should not be forced upon students. It should not be common practice to merely assign an English name to each student just because it benefits the likes of me. If a student wants an English name, then obviously they can pick their own and instruct their teachers to use it. If not though, their Chinese name should be used in class; much like it is used everywhere else.

Until next time,

Michael

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