English, Fun & Living in HK, Japan and Taiwan

Planning compositions can often lead to frustrations in students, as one commenter noted: Loretta wrote on Forumosa’s Teaching Board (can’t find the exact reference)…

Taking the ideas and organizing them into a list that becomes the outline of the composition is waaay too hard. It’s far easier to just start writing and then make a list later to show teacher. They’re just going through the motions without really recognizing the importance of it.

They seem to think that planning is a waste of time. The process of getting their ideas together takes so long that they don’t have time to write the composition, so they think it’s better just to start writing. Given say 40 minutes they’ll spend 30 struggling to decide what to say, and when they start writing they stop looking at the plan anyway.

The usual result is garbage.

We’ve done a lot of exercises to help them think of things to say about unfamiliar topics, and they’re better at that now. But the structured presentation of those ideas is another story.

I used to teach a lot of writing classes. Some observations….

1. break the process of writing into different stages (as you have done)…
2. increase the amount of peer review that the writers have to do…
3. encourage your ‘writers’ to evaluate each other’s writing…
4. don’t despair at their writing… they have to write the crap first before they have any chance of writing something decent…
5. try freewriting as an alternative writing task… I always made my students do this, hah!
6. increase students’ actual READING, not just MODELS. A good writer is always a good reader. Most students don’t read enough of the language to get to the subtleties. They need to read a variety of English to understand the textures of English, not just their own ESP variety. That usually leads to a lopsided English ability.
7. don’t forget to see writing as a holistic part of the activity of learning English, not just for passing an exam…
8. set criteria if you can’t find any… and be prepared to score toughly. Fail a few papers, too. Don’t be generous with your marking. They won’t get any favors from the examiners…
9. GEPT writing guidelines are available in Chinese of course! in the exam pack available from GEPT organization for about $200. This includes a model exam. What level are they?
10. most Chinese think good writing means flowery words/sentences with little or no organization, copied phrases/idioms/etc., lots of “Frankly speaking,/etc…” crap, and homily kind of treatments of topics. Yuck! The only answer is a big RED PEN to most of this.
11. We are teaching a VALUE system when it comes to the general Academic writing that is expected in TOEFL/GEPT. Our values are clarity, organization and content. A good turn of phrase helps a great deal! But it won’t get you past an exam.
12. Don’t forget to mold their expectations of how much they can achieve. It took my class 60 hours to grasp the basics over a year. But they usually improved. You might be able to do this in 40 hours or so. But there aren’t any ‘short cuts’.
13. You can offer lots of tips however. BUT students who don’t want to do the writing (that means Homework, too) won’t really make sufficient improvement to pass.

What other tips do readers having for teaching writing? Have you had any notable successes or failures?

Kenneth

Year after year, the local newspapers raise the same questions as this raised by the China Post article published on April 18th, 2005…

According to a recent poll, a vast majority of students feel immense
pressure to learn English.

The survey, organized by the People First Party caucus in the Taipei
City Council, polled 1,180 fifth and sixth graders about their reasons
for learning English. Eighty-eighty percent responded that they felt
intense pressure to learn the language while 84 percent studied
English at cram schools outside of their regular schoolwork.

http://www.chinapost.com.tw/i_latestdetail.asp?id=27713

Actually, this plays very nicely, albeit somewhat late!, into the
discussion of students learning of English… and their exam
performance.

Are we placing too much emphasis on ‘traditional’ learning methods, at
the expense of creating a positive environment for children to learn
English?

For more discussion of this, please visit here and here where there’s been quite lively discussion of these issues.

Click this RSS Feed for more! Let me know what you think?
Kenneth

One of my favorite online journals has just released a new edition! So, I’m not going to say much but just let you go over there and read it!

Special Issue on Technology and Learning to Read

We are happy to announce that Volume 11 Number 3 of Language Learning & Technology is now available at http://llt.msu.edu. The contents are listed below.

Please visit the LLT Web site and be sure to enter your free subscription if you have not already done so. Also, we welcome your contributions for future issues. See our guidelines for submission at http://llt.msu.edu/contrib.html.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Chun and Irene Thompson, Editors
Marlise Horst, Special Issue Editor
Language Learning & Technology

—– Feature Articles —–

Computing the Vocabulary Demands of L2 Reading
Tom Cobb

Vocabulary Learning in an Automated Graded Reading Program
Hung-Tzu Huang & Hsien-Chin Liou

Reading Authentic EFL Text Using Visualization and Advance Organizers in a Multimedia Learning Environment
Huifen Lin & Tsuiping Chen

Reading Comprehension Exercises Online: The Effects of Feedback, Proficiency and Interaction
Philip Murphy

A Mobile-Device-Supported Peer-Assisted Learning System for Collaborative Early EFL Reading
Yu-Jun Lan, Yao-Ting Sung, & Kuo-En Chang

Commentary: The Promise of Digital Scholarhip in SLA Research and Language Pedagogy
Sally Sieloff Magnan

—– Columns —–
On the Net
LiTgloss
by Jean LeLoup & Robert Ponterio

Emerging Technologies
E-Texts, Mobile Browsing, and Rich Internet Applications
by Robert Godwin-Jones

—– Reviews —–
Edited by Sigrun Biesenbach-Lucas

eSpindle Vocabulary & Spelling Program Online
eSpindle Learning
Reviewed by Justin Olamson

Le Chandail de Hockey CD-ROM
3D courseware/ Les Editions 3D
Reviewed by Catherine Caws

When iPod goes collegiate

When Kenneth Rogerson walked into his newspaper journalism class on the first day of the school year, the professor could barely contain his excitement. After a quick introduction he broke the big news: “We got the grant,” he told his class. “You all get iPods.” (more)

This is part two of the series: You can read part 1 called “Education Agent or Direct Enrolment? Advice for your students.”

Quite often students are studying English because they want to study abroad. EFL Teachers then find themselves in the position of trying to answer questions about which schools to apply to, what is a good way to credits for English instruction, what to study, where, etc.. Although this article is written from the point of view of the student themselves, an EFL teacher could certainly find the information contained in it quite useful for those often difficult questions!

‘Advice on Choosing an Education Agency – A Guide for Taiwanese Students wanting to Study Abroad’- By Steve Sutherland

Steve Sutherland has been an education agent in Taiwan for four years (World Class Education - www.worldclassed.com.tw ) and manages a ‘Study Abroad’ industry forum called www.agentschat.com for Education Agents from around the world.

While most students have a positive experience when they undertake a course of study abroad, some come back disappointed and wish that they had chosen a better option. An education agent can help you to make the best decision but there are many things that you should be aware of before choosing an agent. This article sets out some of the things that you should consider.

Exactly what Services does the Agency offer?
The Agency will enroll you at the school but what additional services do they offer. Will they handle your visa application, make your travel arrangements or give you assistance in case of an emergency abroad?

How Reliable is the Agents Information?
My impression of most education agents that I have met is that they are concerned for the students that they consult and want what is best for them. However as in any business there is always a small minority that doesn’t operate as ethically as they should (this goes for schools as well).

While most agents will try to find the school that is best for you a few less professional agents will be motivated by commission and may talk you into an inferior school so that they can earn more commission. These agents take a ‘business is business’ approach and may exaggerate the truth to talk you into a specific course at a specific school.

Wherever possible you should do a little research of your own into the country, city, your course of study and the school. You may also consider trying to get the agents promises in writing if a dispute arises at a later date.

Talking to a few students that are already at the school or students who have recently completed their studies is one good way of finding out what a school is like.

Which agents are reputable?
Agents that belong to a national association such as TOSA that set standards for their members are more likely to be reliable. However there are also many good agencies that are not members of an association.

Sensible agents realize that it is their best interests that you, as their customer are happy as so much of their business comes from ‘word of mouth’ referrals. Happy students refer friends and acquaintances and the agencies business slowly grows. In general, you could expect that agencies that have been around for a longer period of time would offer a quality service while new agents you would be more cautious about.

If friends have had a good experience studying abroad you may consider asking them which agency handled their enrolment.

Paying Tuition Fees and other Expenses
After your agent has completed your enrollment and it comes time to paying for your course you may consider paying tuition fees and other expenses directly to the school instead of paying fees to your agents account for them to forward to the school.

In the unlikely case that the agency that you are using were to go bankrupt you could stand to lose your tuition fees if the agent had not yet forwarded them to the school.

Some agents also hold funds in their accounts for too long before transferring funds to schools and this can slow down the visa application process.

Schools have also been known to go bankrupt but in some cases Governments, other schools and schools associations have come to the rescue and compensated students in order to protect the reputation of their national education industry.

This decision should be based on the reputation of the agency and the school.

Consulting Fees
It should not be necessary to pay your agent additional consulting fees for a language school enrolment as the commission they earn is already reasonable. The exceptions would be short-term bookings and low cost destinations where the commission is small and a lot of the agents time is still involved.

University commission rates are lower and in some cases more work can be involved for the agent. An agencies consulting fees for a University application is usually justified.

High School bookings usually also justify additional consulting charges as the agent may be involved with the case over several years as the workload can be substantial (communication between the school and parents, translating school reports etc).

Some Questions to ask the Agent
Aside from asking the agent questions about the school, country and your intended course of study you should also question the agent on the following.

Exactly what services does the agency offer?
What is the average class size at the school?
How many Taiwanese students of your nationality are currently at the school?
How far is your accommodation from the school?
Where is the school located and what does it look like? Ask to see a good selection of pictures of the campus.
What Part-time work options are available and how do you apply for permission to work under your visa?
What the agent is able to do to help you if problems should arise while you are abroad?
What are the school or agency policies if you wish to change your accommodation?
What refund and cancellation policies do the school and agency have?
Are there any hidden charges that the school may charge for use of their resources or facilities such as book deposits?

In Conclusion
There are many things to consider when choosing an education agency to consult you on your ‘study abroad’ program. Most agents are professional and their students have positive experiences abroad. If you take a cautious approach to selecting your education agency and course of studies abroad you dramatically increase your chances of also having a positive experience.

Good luck planning your studies abroad!

Copyright – Steve Sutherland 2007

Stephen Krashen recently wrote this about children’s reading of comic books, typically a pastime derided by parents in Japan, China and Taiwan as bunking off homework, or as meaningless, or as devaluing or undermining traditional reading. Krashen takes a different view… some parents might find this just a tad too ‘dangerous’ for their views. Discretion advised. Certificate T(eacher) requ’d.

Children’s book writer Jack Gantos noted that Jean-Paul Satre “started off reading comic books as a child and that if it wasn’t for comic books, he never would have stuck with books.” (“Teachers are getting graphic,” May 3).

There are many cases like this. One is Desmond Tutu, who also gives comic the credit being a conduit to literacy. He describes his father as “very patriarchal,” but tells us that “One of the things I am most grateful to him for is that, contrary to educational principles, he allowed me to read comics. I think that is how I developed my love for English and for reading.” Comic books appear to be a motivator for reading for many youngsters today.

In a study published a few years ago, Joanne Ujiie and I compared heavy, light and non-comic book readers in middle school (ages 10-14). We found that those who read more comics liked reading more, read more in general, and read more books. Thanks to USA Today and writer Greg Toppo for publicizing the contribution of comic books to literacy.

Stephen Krashen

He is writing in response to an article:Teachers are getting graphic published in USA Today. “When the American Library Association invited acclaimed comic book artist Jeff Smith and three fellow artists to its annual meeting in 2002, the quartet huddled beforehand and agreed that this was their best —— and perhaps only — chance to pitch comics to an influential group of tastemakers.”

So, how do you experts in Teaching value comic books and their art? Is it useful to kids reading or a waste of time?

Quite often students are studying English because they want to study abroad. EFL Teachers then find themselves in the position of trying to answer questions about which schools to apply to, what is a good way to credits for English instruction, what to study, where, etc.. Although this article is written from the point of view of the student themselves, an EFL teacher could certainly find the information contained in it quite useful for those often difficult questions!

Education Agent or Direct Enrolment? A Guide for Taiwanese Students wanting to Study Abroad – By Steve Sutherland.

Steve Sutherland has been an education agent in Taiwan for four years (World Class Education – www.worldclassed.com.tw ) and manages a ‘Study Abroad’ industry forum called www.agentschat.com for Education Agents from around the world.

Booking a course of study abroad is a big decision involving a lot of time and expense so you really want to make sure that you are making the right decisions.

One of the first decisions that you will have to make is whether to use the consulting services of an education agent or whether to enroll directly with a school yourself.

This article sets out some things to consider.

Am I able to enroll with the school directly?
If you have a school in mind you can look on their website and contact them to find out how to enroll. Some students don’t feel confident enough with their language ability to do this so prefer to have the assistance of a local who can speak their language.

You need to know that the registrar at the school is willing to take the time to give you information and answer your questions?

While some schools are happy to accept direct enrolments some are likely to direct you to an agent in your country to handle your enrolment anyway.

Price. Won’t an education consultant cost more?
These days with the internet giving students direct access to information on thousands of schools around the world it may seem that it would make sense to go ‘direct’ to the supplier (the school) and cut out the middleman (the agent) to ensure the best price.

Some schools now have information in a variety of languages on their websites and employ foreign language speaking staff and so booking directly with them would seem to be a good idea for students that are prepared to do their own research.

However just like in the travel industry (airlines and hotels) it is unlikely that you will end up saving much money by booking directly with the supplier (the school) and you may end up creating unnecessary stress for yourself.

Agents have contracts to represent schools and receive a commission from a school for enrolling a student with them. Most schools appreciate that a large percentage of their enrolments come through agents and they won’t do anything to jeopardize their reputation with education agents. The commission is set aside for education agents only and if any school were to start giving discounts for direct enrolments they would quickly have a bad name among agents.

One problem for schools is students talking among one another. If some students find out that they have paid more than others then resentment of school management is stirred up, instead of the positive environment that schools need to create to keep students happy.

So generally it is in the interests of the school that direct enrollments are priced the same as agency enrolments.

Most schools prefer that agents don’t offer students unauthorized discounts (sharing their commission with the student) however some agencies do this (such as my agency), sometimes giving some of their commission back to students in the form of refunds, discounts, free gifts or scholarships. So booking through some agents could be cheaper then booking direct.

It is likely that you will end up paying a similar amount in tuition fees if you enroll through an agent or if you enroll with the school directly. If seasonal discounts and promotions are offered to students booking directly then they are usually offered to agents as well.

If you have a school in mind it doesn’t hurt to make enquiries and to compare the price of both options. If the program price is similar if booked through an agency or direct through the school you may as well use the agent for the convenience and service that they offer. If the agent is charging excessive consulting fees then you may consider trying to book directly yourself.

Information
The big advantage of using an education agent in your own country is that you can meet with them face to face. You can get a much better understanding of the school and your intended course of study by having a meeting with an expert. Agents have usually had meetings with school representatives, have a lot of school information on file and may even have visited the schools that they represent. An agents business is consulting and they should spend a fair amount of time to give you information not only on the school but every other aspect of planning your trip as well.

Agents have information on many institutions, courses of study and countries around the world. An agent could save you countless hours of research time on the internet by suggesting options suited to your requirements.

If you have a school in mind and contact them directly then the registrar will probably be happy to advise you over the phone and via email but the communication may not be as clear as with a ‘face to face’ meeting with an agent.

It is becoming more common for students to seek information from an agent and then try to enroll themselves directly into the institution that the agent recommended. Some agents now charge a deposit before they will start the consulting process. Schools will often still honor the agents commission if they find out that a direct enrolment has come to their school as a result of an agent consulting that student.

Visas and travel arrangements
Education agents will usually apply for your student visa for you. They will also usually assist with other aspects of planning your trip such as booking flights and giving you useful information on traveling and your destination.

Schools are not able to give you much assistance with your visa application (apart from providing some of the necessary documents) and travel arrangements. It’s much easier for the agent to handle these things in your home country before departure.

Getting a student visa for some countries is quite simple and it would be easy to do your own application. However visa applications for some countries can be quite a difficult process and you really need the assistance and expertise that an agent can offer.

In Conclusion
Overall I would suggest that for most students using an Education Agency is a better option then booking direct for the convenience that agencies offer students at usually little or no extra cost.

If you do decide to use the services of an Education Agent then please read my other article – ‘Advice on Choosing an Education Agency – A Guide for Taiwanese Students wanting to Study Abroad’

Good luck planning your ‘Study Abroad’ experience!

Copyright – Steve Sutherland 2007.

Disclaimer: This blog received no money or other benefitss for posting this article.

I recently blogged about the situation in Japan. One of my friend’s wrote this piece in a private email. I persuaded her to let me post it here… I thought it was an interesting piece of writing on the situation in Japan from Michael J. Mullgrew who has been there for quite some time and has enjoyed a more than spectator’s view of the changing dynamics of Japan’s political and economic situation. In an email to me, he wrote:

It has been predicted that about 30% of Japanese universities will go to the wall in the next few years – and I can see the women’s university where I am employed as being one of them. I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news about what is happening to the conservatives in government here, but they are kind of a cliche for what is happening all over the country – a lot of corruption, fraud and just generally people getting caught with too many fingers in the pie – of course none of this is new – but the bottom line is that the public are slightly less than delighted with the governance of the neo-conservatives/fascists.

What we’re looking at is less than academically active departments in ‘bottom feeder mode’ to encourage enough students to apply – and as there is an ever declining student population, I don’t see that as a situation which can be turned around. What it means is departments being reinvented (but no new hiring), and an attempt to do circus performance tricks to entice the population. Naturally, the lack of real external evaluation in higher ed means the whole thing gets more and more wobbly, and the unemployment rate of graduates continues to rise (though the real figures are unknown because many graduates take part-time jobs ‘freeters’ until they find regular employment – then after a couple of years they are once again looking for a job). Not exactly convincing for the general public who fork out a great deal of money to put their children through higher education, only to have them ‘resting at home’ semi-permanently.

Statistics show that the Liberal Arts colleges are now accepting students with an average English language ability of those in junior high school here (one notch up on false beginners) – it has always been this way in Japan, but somehow it is more depressing when we understand the management side of things. And I’m kind of convinced that working in an environment where the contribution of foreign teachers is appreciated, rather than allocated the ‘ra-ra’ chorus for the main act would be a better option – especially for those committed to careers in EFL.

It’s anyone’s guess where the future is going, if dynamic young people insist on proportional representation in their workplace (and in the wider society) then we may see a brighter future than the one I envisage controlled as it is, at the moment, by ‘the Old Guard.” Mandatory retirement at 55 for all those professors not actively publishing (in print or on the web) or participating in academic conferences (enough already!) – and the administration of general university affairs can be done most effectively by the central university office staff.

Kenneth

PS. This post was edited to add the author’s name.

I was reading Scott Sommers’ Blog about Taiwan, when I noticed he referred to this discussion about Teaching in Japan.

Friday, July 1st, 2005