Our comments and photos have come from various members of our team. Here is an essay written by a Chinese teacher on Thursday following three weeks of the program.
The USA teachers taught me how to teach English
Jenny ( Li Xiaoju from Nan Shui Middle school)
Being one of the middle school teachers I’m very lucky to take part in the three- week Summer Camp which is organized by Zhuhai City Education Department and we are trained by American teachers. On the first day in the Summer Camp, I was amazing to find that there were many American teachers who came to train us. There were eight altogether! And it was said that there were five more who were coming the next week. I thought I could hear different accents and I could have more opportunity to practice spoken English with the American teachers. I felt both excited and a little anxious because I was worried that I was very poor in listening and speaking so I couldn’t understand them when they speak English.
I’ve kept on learning English and kept on seeking good ways to teach my students English since I became an English teacher many years ago. I have read many books on English teaching and I have listened to many lectures, too. When I came back to teach my students, I was still not sure whether I gave the Students good lessons or bad lessons.
The American teachers eagerly look forward to teaching us. They started their work right away as soon as they arrived in Zhuhai. They demonstrated many lessons on how to teach students English and they asked us to do the practice teaching. They not only wrote a book for us but they also taught us how to make lessons plan in class. They made every teaching step very clearly and gave a minute description. Every one of us got a tutor teacher. The tutors gave us very precious advice after they listened to our lessons and we improved our lessons the next time when we teach. The American teachers are very different from Chinese professors. When Chinese professors teach us how to teach English, they only speak a lot of on the theoretical plane.
Now I know how to teach English and I know how to help my students to learn English with the help of America teachers. As a teacher, I know a good English lesson should be composed of at least five important parts. They are Warm up, Presentation, Practice1, Practice2 and Practice3. Warming up means that teachers introduce the topic in a creative or engaging way. Presentation means which forms will be used to accomplish the language function. The three practices are not the simple repeated but they are joined in logic. Practice1 is teacher-guided activity; Practice2 is less teacher- guided activity; Practice3 is independent practice activity. Language is used for communication. Communicative functions mean to use the language appropriate to a given social context, as well as linguistic forms, means and functions. So when we practice English in class, we must try to put the language into social context.
The ways that the American teachers showed me to teach English will change my teaching concept in my life. Though I’m not to able to teach English like the American teachers do, I will try my best to do as they have taught me to do. That’s the most important thing I learned from the American teachers.
Another very important thing I learned from the American teachers is that: Doing is Learning, while we are practicing, we are learning; while we are doing activities, we are learning English.
The third one I learned from the American teachers is that: Students are the main bodies of the class not teachers. A good English class isn’t judged by how teachers act, but how Students act.
I want to say some other fine qualities I learned from the America teachers. They treat everyone equally, no mater whom you are. They always praise everyone, but not criticize anyone. They make us confident. So I think I will more patient and more respected to my students from now on.
The America teachers often ask us to do activity with our students. When I do activity together with my students I feel my students and I are equal and I could realize the degree of difficulty of the activity and understand my students more and make friends with my students.
The America teachers never show they are tired. I’m sure their bodies must be really tired after the long flight from America to China, but they never say they’re tired, they sing a song and move about instead of having a rest. They never waste food. They eat up all the food on their plate but I sometimes throw away food. They spend their precious time staying with us so that we can improve our spoken English. I learned a lot from them and I appreciate them.
