It does matter if you’re black or white

The blatant discrimination in TEFL job ads

27th May 2010

Although I'm absolutely no Michael Jackson fan, I do agree with a line from one of his songs stating that "It don't (sic) matter if you're black or white", especially when it comes to recruiting well-qualified and adequate teachers. I wholeheartedly agree that black can be beautiful, even if the statement came from one of the whitest black guys that ever walked the Earth. This blog article will go a bit deeper into the whole gamut of discriminations EFL teachers are up against when applying for a job in a far away land.

Black vs. white

Although it is rarely mentioned in job ads, most if not all Asian recruiters on the lookout for teachers are after whities. And let's make no mistake about it: the prize specimens are Caucasian white, not some locals having overindulged in skin-whitening products.

Does that mean blacks (or other shades) have absolutely no chance whatsoever of finding a job? Not really. There are plenty of opportunities, but these candidates will just have to look longer and harder before finding a decent position. As there is a chronic English teacher shortage in Asia, things will look up sooner or later as schools get desperate to put teachers in the classrooms.

Why this preference for white-skinned, blonde-haired and blue-eyed teachers in Asia? I guess most parents mistakenly believe that these are the best teachers. School administrators just go along with their misguided clients as ‘the customer is always right' (even if they're not).

What to do about it? Not much we can do really, except grin and bear it, and prove them wrong by putting on an excellent performance in the classroom which cannot be ignored.

Requirements: White Native speakers prefered (sic).
Remark: Shame on this (Chinese) recruiter.

Western vs. Asian

Not only black teachers can encounter bigoted parents and school administrators. Foreign born Asians such as ABCs (American born Chinese) or ABTs (American born Thais) will often have a difficult time persuading schools to hire them. Sometimes these teachers - who carry foreign passports - don't even speak their parents' or grand-parents' tongue anymore. Again, ruling these job seekers out - even if they're qualified - is a parochial approach that doesn't have a place in our globalised world.

Requirements: Western English teacher.
Remark: Just another way of saying that applicants should be white and big-nosed if they want to work for this employer.

British vs. American

Some job ads specifically target British or American teachers. If there's a good reason, well okay. Problem is that there hardly ever is any good reason. Students often think that because they are going to a particular country they need a teacher coming from there.

If it's for cultural reasons, I might be inclined to agree, but if it's just to better their English skills when going to the USA, a Canadian teacher could do just as good a job as an American one. If it's for immigration or political purposes, there's not much one can do (Saudi Arabia for example only wants Brits, Mexico is keen on EU passports while Taiwan and Korea are in love with US and Canadian teachers).

Fair enough if you want a Brit in order to learn the Queen's English or Received Pronunciation, but really, who would want this in an evermore globalised world where global or international English will rule the roost instead of a local variant? By the way, not all Brits speak like the Queen, innit?

Requirements: British teachers wanted.
Remark: Tough luck for Ozzies, Kiwis, Irish, South Africans and both native and non-native speakers from other countries. Remote possibility that this requirement is well-founded. However, I bet it isn't.

Native vs. non-native speaker

‘English teachers should be native speakers'. I don't know where this old chestnut came from, but were this true more than 90 per cent of all English teachers worldwide should be retired straight away. Teaching English in most countries around the globe is done by local English teachers. Swedish teachers teach English in Sweden, Brazilian teachers teach English in Brazil, and so on. By the way, English teachers teach French in England, so actually teaching another language in most countries around the globe is done by local teachers.

Hardly ever do western countries employ imported native speakers to teach English. Given the overall level of English and fluency of their students, I'd say these local teachers are doing a pretty decent job. As a travel addict, I can say that many Europeans are very good at English; Latin America has a long way to go, but it's getting there; in Africa and the Middle East skills are basic but speakers make admirable efforts.

In Asia, however, especially Thailand and China, students seem to be studying the language of Shakespeare for more than a decade and still manage not to be able to utter basic phrases, hence the idea that the best teachers must be native speakers. School administrators and parents alike seem unable or unwilling to grasp that it is rather the ability of the local teachers and the motivation of students which are sorely lacking. They also seem to forget that no matter how good foreign teachers supposedly are, they won't be able to achieve much if you pool 50 to 70 uninterested students in a single classroom.

‘So who would you employ? Native or non-native speaker?', another blog on this website asked recently. I admit that well-qualified and enthusiastic native speakers would top my list. Second place, however, would go to the dedicated non-native speakers with near-native English proficiency. At the bottom of the list you'd find the unqualified, inexperienced and often job-hopping ‘teachers' that roam the world and whose prime objective is not to help students get better at English, but rather to pay off their student loans, booze and mate as much as humanly possible and ruin the reputation of every foreign teacher in the process.

How to assess a teacher's skills and qualities? Apart from having a butcher's at their CV and cover letter, a face-to-face or phone interview possibly combined with a demo lesson is an excellent way to do this. For non-native applicants, an interview by both the local recruiter and a native speaker (as the former is often not even able to recognize if someone is a native or non-native speaker) should uncover the suitable candidates. Also, either a customized or standardised test such as TOEFL or IELTS might be used to separate the weed from the chaff.

From a personal point of view, let me just add that among the best teachers I've ever hired, quite a few were non-native speakers.

Requirements: teachers from native English speaking country USA, Canada, British (sic).
Remark: All other nationalities are screwed if this policy is enforced. The only result will be that recruiters severely limit the applicants' pool and may miss out on excellent candidates from other countries (both native and non-native speaking). It is mainly because of this myopic world view that there is a chronic teacher shortage in several (Asian) countries and that often fly-by-night and unqualified teachers can acquire a job they really shouldn't be entrusted with.

Old vs. young

When is a person too old to be an effective teacher? I don't think there is a universal age limit, be it official or unofficial. Some countries limit the age of teachers to 60, others don't have any regulations at all.

In my opinion, real age is less important than the age you feel like. Some 50-year olds may still look, feel and act like spring chickens while other 30-year olds may already be burnt-out and jaded, and look as if they're carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders. Only face-to-face job interviews can really determine how old a person is. I'd probably prefer a dynamic 50-year old to a sullen 30-year old.

So is there an age when we're too old to be effective teachers? I'm sure there is. Problem is that it differs for each individual. Some could go on into their seventies (not unheard of as you may think), while others had better throw in the towel when approaching the official retirement age. Is it warranted to ask someone's age in a job ad? I suppose so. After all, you may not want a 73-year old to teach your kindergarten class or a 21-year old to teach the business executives seminar.

Requirements: Young English teacher, native English speaker, no degree required.
Remark: This employer clearly hasn't got a clue about effective recruiting. Inexperienced, unqualified, young native speakers are preferred over qualified and possibly more mature professional teachers. No wonder so many schools bitterly complain about the quality of the teachers they hire. However, instead of generalising and painting every foreign teacher black they should rather take most of the blame themselves if they follow the above recruitment policy.

Male vs. female

Are men or women better teachers? This is a tricky but also impossible question. There are excellent female teachers, but there are some damned good male ones as well. Some claim women are often better at teaching (very) young learners. This doesn't mean, however, that all men suck at this job. By the way, recruiters limiting a teacher search to women will get them a lot less applications to choose from, thus possibly missing out on the chance to sign up the illusive perfect male teacher.

Requirements: Under 45 years old - female (sic) are required.
Remark: Excellent chances of getting this job if you're a youngish female. Old hags (45+) and blokes haven't got a chance in hell. Schools should realise that some men can be great young learners' teachers as well and that not all females adore children.

Requirements vs. remuneration

The funny things when looking at job boards is, job requirements are usually very rigorous but salary is often a complete joke. Many salaries offered may seem high when compared to local salaries, but to lure a good English teacher to a faraway land, they should be more than peanuts. No wonder only 2nd or even 3rd tier monkeys apply for many of these positions.

By the way, very few applicants are interested to know that local Somchai's or Zhou Li's can survive on respectively 15,000 baht of 3,000 yuan a month. A foreign teacher may need some more creature comforts and might want to build up a nest egg for rainy days or a trip to their home country.

Better job ads
So what kind of teachers should schools be looking for and how can they improve their job ads? As far as I'm concerned, EFL job requirements should look more like this (adaptable to the local situation of course):

Requirements:
• Well-qualified: tertiary degree and teaching certificate
• Excellent English skills
• Dedicated and creative individuals
• Experience preferred

I've seen some ads recently asking for a neutral accent. I can only applaud this as teachers with heavy regional accents can be hard to understand, especially for beginners and elementary learners (not to mention friends and colleagues). However, this is often linked to the native speaker requirement, which it really shouldn't. If a speaker has a neutral English accent, can be clearly understood and if it's hard to determine where he's from when speaking, it shouldn't matter whether he's American, German, South African or Iranian. I'd hire a well-spoken and dedicated Hungarian or Zimbabwean instead of a native-speaking lager lout or redneck with bloodshot eyes any day.

Finally, schools and recruiters should start looking for the best qualified and most suitable candidates without limiting their scope using nationality, age, gender or skin colour. Only then can we truly improve education in a globalised world. Even if local attitudes seem to be rather narrow-minded, putting decent teachers - no matter what colour or origin - in front of an audience is often the best way to overcome the students' and parents' fears and make them understand that excellent teaching skills are not linked to appearance or colour of your passport. Foreign English teachers should be seen as educators and not exotic entertainers or foreign wizards with an innate teaching ability. Good luck to all of you currently on a job hunt.

PS: All job requirements in this article were taken from actual job postings.

Tired of reading? Why not browse some Asia photos here:www.flickr.com/photos/philiproeland.

Learner autonomy

Encouraging learners to be more responsible for their own progress

14th March 2010

When students learn a language, they often expect the teacher to spoon-feed them bits and chunks of language and grammar until they are ready to use these and communicate. More often than not, students never open their books in between lessons in order to review, practice or expand the language they've learned. No wonder that becoming fluent takes a very long time for most learners, if it ever happens at all.

I think it's very important that teachers not only teach their pupils the language prescribed in the curriculum, but also guide them to become autonomous learners so they don't need the teacher's help at every single step. It's important to be able to ‘do it yourself'. Instead of having sashimi rammed down their throats, they should be taught how to catch tuna themselves, or any other fish as tuna are about to become an endangered species. Anyway, I think you get the idea: students should be taught to take charge - at least partly - of their own learning. In order to achieve this, I think teachers should introduce, teach, promote and, if possible, follow up on learner autonomy.

There are various ways to speed up the learning of a language. First of all, students should try to develop the habit of using the language they've learnt in the classroom outside the classroom. This might prove more difficult than it seems, as in many countries opportunities to speak and practice English are rather limited. Also, cultural differences may impede striking up a conversation with a foreigner or complete stranger. Luckily, there are plenty of opportunities online to get in touch with English-speaking netizens, even anonymously (it's never a good idea to give out all your personal information online anyway).

Other possibilities of becoming more autonomous and starting to use and learn English outside of the classroom include keeping a journal, writing a diary or online blog, reading for pleasure, listening to radio programmes, watching the news, finding and emailing foreign friends, using instant messaging or Skype to chat online, joining a social networking website and so on. Students can do this from home or possibly from school if the latter has a self-access learning centre (SAC) or library with resources such as Internet access, graded readers, newspapers and magazines etc.

It has also become fairly popular to learn a language on the Internet by signing up to a website which integrates language learning and building a social network. The popular site Livemocha.com for example, lets you learn a language while suggesting appropriate study partners at the same time. If a Japanese student signs up to study English, the site will suggest possible English-speaking students who are studying Japanese. The site also relies on the sharing principle: users can rate and correct each others exercises and become part-time teachers themselves. Basic access to the site is completely free, but premium content usually comes at a price. Anyway, it's a good way for students to learn extra in their free time and possibly meet some international friends.

I think the benefits of learner autonomy are quite clear. It's obvious that it will improve and accelerate students' progress and use of the language in a more realistic environment. However, not every student may see it that way. Some won't know where to start or what is expected of them if it isn't explained. In order to be successful, this approach should be clearly introduced by the teacher. Teachers should give explanations and examples of what is possible, tickle students' curiosity and not make it mandatory. Instead of telling students to ‘use the Internet', we should be more precise. For example, ‘if you want, read one article of your own choice onwww.readbangkokpost.com by next lesson' or ‘check outwww.livemocha.com and sign up if you like it'. If you want students to watch or listen to the news in English, give them the exact address of the website they can use to do this.

In the classroom as well, students can be given some opportunities to take charge of their own learning. Teachers should regularly ask students for their opinions and suggestions on what to learn, e.g. a conversation topic they'd like to discuss in the next lesson, a project to do in group, a song to listen to etc. This will not only ensure more participation of the students during the lesson, but also give them more exposure to language they're actually interested in. Finally, it should be clear that in general only motivated students will embrace learner autonomy. If you want to know more about motivating students, check out my previous columns.

Death by worksheet

How worksheets can spice up any lesson

31st January 2010

As we all know course books can get a bit tedious sometimes, so many teachers resort to the occasional worksheet to liven up their lessons and give students the opportunity to do something different. Students appreciate this approach as it means a break from possibly uninteresting course work. Basically, worksheets can spice up bland lessons and complement dull and out-of-date course books as well as reinforce language skills. What teachers should avoid, however, is using so many worksheets that even the students get fed up with them.

Most schools around the world (should) provide course books for their students and teaching resources for their teachers. This should be the starting point for any teacher to plan their lessons as most ESL books have a well designed curriculum that teaches students little by little the necessary skills needed to communicate in the language of Shakespeare. It is a fact, however, that no book is perfect, so teachers need to skip, adapt and complement. This is where worksheets can come in handy.

If you're teaching a class without a proper course book, things are slightly different. If it's a conversation class, using worksheets only can be ideal as you'll have a highly adaptable course that can take into account students' interests in which you can insert relevant and topical subject at the last minute. You could even let your students decide what they'd like to discuss the next class, a course of action that usually not only leads to more lively lessons, but to better motivated students as well.

However, if you teach a regular class that is supposed to build students' basic skills, using an avalanche of possibly unrelated worksheets without a clear purpose is not such a good idea. Your lessons could easily degrade into a ‘rag bag' approach in which you feature as the magician pulling rabbit after rabbit out of your hat. Although most of us enjoy magic shows, many students could quickly get bored of predicting what kind of rabbit to expect next. It should also be clear that it is very difficult to follow or teach a structured curriculum using this ‘technique'.

My favourite kinds of worksheets are conversation worksheets, pair and group work, creative writing worksheets, vocabulary worksheets, and ESL board games. The right mix of these makes communication possible, keeps students' attention going and puts some fun into learning.

I think most word searches are virtually useless unless they are picture word searches with no vocabulary given. If students themselves need to come up with the words that go with the pictures and then find them in the grid, word searches can be great for reinforcing vocabulary. With the ‘traditional' approach, however, I could do word searches in Swahili or Finnish without ever knowing what the words I'm looking for mean. Another kind of worksheets I don't really like are reading comprehension worksheets, not only because most course books already have plenty of these, but because they don't really improve students' fluency and are usually incredibly boring.

When it comes to making or downloading useful worksheets, it should be clear that content is infinitely more important than the layout and colour of a worksheet. Don't forget however, that students will usually prefer worksheets - and do them with a lot more enthusiasm - that have an eye-catching layout to ones that are plain text. Bearing this in mind, I think teachers should try to find a middle way, making or downloading worksheets that are both educational and visually pleasing. If you don't want to make worksheets yourself, there are dozens of useful photocopiable resource packs on the market. Alternatively, you can browse the Internet and get your supplements there.

Most of my worksheets are available for download onESLprintables.com However, in order to download, you'll have to register (free) and upload your own original worksheets yourself first. Every time another member downloads your worksheets you get one point that you can use to download other members' worksheets.
Some of my worksheets are also freely available here. Only free (and painless) registration is required before you can start downloading. Enjoy.

Time flies

What events changed the world in the last decade?

3rd January 2010

Another year has come and gone. 2009 flew past for me, that's for sure. Contrary to last year, I'm not going to dwell extensively on what happened in 2009. Although the world might still be in dire straits both economically and ecologically, it hasn't stopped turning or been invaded by aliens, fortunately.

As for events that changed the world during the last decade, I'll have a quick go. I guess 9/11 and the war on terror figure in the top 10, not to mention the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Come to think of it, global terrorism (remember London, Paris and Mumbai?) dominates the list to such an extent it's frightening.

Nature unleashed its forces en masse as well. The 2004 tsunami that hit South and Southeast Asia, cyclone Nargis (2008) which battered Myanmar and hurricane Katrina (2005) that destroyed New Orleans are some of the most devastating natural disasters of the last decades. No to mention all the floods, typhoons and mudslides which brought misery and suffering to millions worldwide.

Will terror and forces of nature bring our planet to its demise before climate change can do so? Who knows? Let's hope the leaders of our planet, together with the masses can find a way out of this quagmire before it's too late. Maybe we all should have a look at ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still', a sci-fi movie with Keany Reeves. By the way, stopping climate change isn't the only task that lies ahead. Reviving the global economy and keeping Earth safe at the same time is a gargantuan challenge indeed, but other dangers lurk around the corner.

Religious fanaticism in all its possible forms needs to be urgently addressed worldwide as well. Although I am willing to accept if not understand that many need some kind of god in their lives to be able to cope with the fears and uncertainties of their daily existence and its ‘aftermath', I cannot tolerate religious nutters shoving their faith in other people's throats, no matter what kind of religion they practise.

If it was up to me - and if I wasn't against most forms of censorship - I'd probably ban all kinds of religion outright given the many massacres and tragedies they have caused over the centuries. Call me an infidel or antichrist, but to me gods are just as real as aliens, ‘god particles' (which the Large Hadron Collider might still discover), and winning Euromillions lottery tickets. I mean, if there really was a god, don't you think he'd enjoy a stiff drink once in a while and let Mrs God, dressed in a summer skirt, drive him to a ball game instead of wasting his time in a temple/church/mosque/whatever preaching that putting on a party hat is sinful and pigs are inedible?

Anyway, let's not dwell on what may irk the devout readers and see what the last decade brought us. The ‘noughties' gave us Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging and similar nonsense. I haven't adopted these technologies (yet?) as they seem the Ultimate waste of time. It's nice to have email and photo-sharing sites to keep in contact with the rest of the world, but being available 24/7 just seems too Big Brotherish to me.

What will the next decade (tweens, twenteens, tennies or one-ders?) have in store? More technological gadgets I'm sure. If not particularly useful they might boost the economy yet make younger students completely brain-dead. Will Google be the successor to Microsoft as the Evil Monopoly? Many predict that computing will be done entirely in the ‘cloud' soon, so let's hope this cyber-heaven won't be ruled by one company.

Let's hope fashion sense and mindsets in some countries change so suicide vests can stop selling like hot cakes. Let's also hope the world can give up its obsession with plastic bags (Thailand in particular) and reduce pollution in general - air, water, noise, light, airwaves etc. - which is making our planet uninhabitable.

Finally there's some good news. Remember teacher Brian who went missing (column October 2006)? Well, he hasn't been murdered and dumped in a klong after all. He's alive and kicking and wishes you all the best. And so do I. Ganbei!

Have a look at my photos on Flickr

I've also put together a games pack for you to use in the classroom. You can download the pack here or go to this site.

My great escape

How are things working out in China?

1st December 2009

1. Where did you move to and when?

I moved to from Thailand to China in August 2009.

2. How long did you work in Thailand?

Five years, from 2004 to 2009. I did take a six-month break in 2008 though.

3. What was your main reason for moving?

Difficult to pinpoint really. I guess I was fed up with the place and needed a new challenge. Although paperwork was done for me, jumping immigration rules still remained a hassle. Although my fellow teachers and I really tried hard to make lessons effective and interesting, not many students tried hard or became proficient in English. At times, the lack of qualified, enthusiastic teachers or applicants was somewhat demotivating as well. Often teachers in Thailand are merely foreign entertainers or even zookeepers.

4. What are the advantages of working where you are now compared to Thailand?

As I am in a similar position (head teacher in a private language school) as I was in Thailand, there aren't many differences for me personally. Teachers in China usually work fairly regular hours. There aren't many that work seven days a week or teach 50 periods each week (and then drop dead). Standard 40-hour weeks with 20 to 25 teaching hours seem the norm. Salaries are relatively high in big cities - slightly higher than Thailand - but can be rather low in rural areas (like in the LOS). Most teaching position offer free accommodation or a housing allowance. Most expats fall in the category ‘Normal', although some could be labelled ‘Hippie-ish' or ‘Slightly odd'. There are definitely much fewer dubious characters and washouts than in Thailand.

5. What do you miss about life in Thailand?

No that much. The food, maybe. Not really the food itself, but the omnipresence and availability of it. Chinese food is great, but there aren't nearly as many food courts and street stalls as in the Land of Smiles.
The toilets, for sure. Although China has come a long way and is in many respects more western than Thailand, they don't seem to be able to get those right. Smelly public squat toilets still prevail in the Middle Kingdom.
Some rays of warm sunshine in winter probably completes the list.

Things I don't miss include the stifling heat, the narrow pavements, the air and noise pollution, the ‘kreng jai' and ‘mai pen rai' attitudes, the airheads in the classroom and the dual pricing. It gets a bit chilly in winter here, but walking remains a joy. Wide pavements are everywhere and oven-like temperatures are rare. There is some air pollution of course, but where I live it's definitely not as bad as Bangkok. The Chinese I've met so far are quite open and speak their mind; many also seem to enjoy learning English more and try harder than Thais. Travelling and prices for tourist attractions are much higher than in Thailand, but at least everyone pays the same price.

6. Would you advise a new teacher to seek work in Thailand or where you are now?

Either country would do for newbies. As the average level of English in both Thailand and China is still pretty low, new teachers needn't worry about explaining the use of the third conditional or the present perfect continuous. They'll mainly teach conversation lessons. By the way, local Chinese teachers seem to be fairly skilled at grammar, like their Thai colleagues.
Classroom sizes are similar to Thailand: small classes in private language centres and international schools and super-sized classes in government schools (30 to 60+ students).

Whereas Thailand is a slightly easier country to live and get around in (especially when you're fresh off the boat), China is a bit more challenging because of the language barrier. Chinese restaurants (except those in the high-end bracket) often have menus in Chinese only and staff are rarely fluent in English. Getting settled in, renting a flat and arranging visas needs to be done with the help of a local.

7. Any plans to return to Thailand one day?

I don't have any plans or intention to return to Thailand in the near future, but my motto remains "Never say never".

8. Anything else you'd like to add?

Never take anything for granted. Never stop learning. Don't wait to travel the world until you're retired (What if you drop dead at 60?). Practice makes perfect. Don't let your teaching techniques become rusty. Keep an open mind. Think Darwin and evolve. Adapt yourself to local customs. Don't whinge or complain excessively. Listen and learn from negative feedback and constructive criticism. I'm sorry, is this the section where you start waxing philosophically...?

Bear Hugs

Observations from Chengdu

2nd November 2009

One of the major attractions of Chengdu is the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, a pleasant zoo in the northern suburbs of the city. I don't know if the word zoo is appropriate, since the only animals on display are giant pandas and red pandas. Although this panda zoo is a so-called must-see sight, I guess you could skip it if you've already had the pleasure of seeing live pandas. Then again, you probably won't have seen that many at once (there are 60+ there).

As if seeing and admiring these gently beasts from afar isn't enough, i.e. from just outside their enclosures, animal lovers are now also given the opportunity to cuddle a real panda. Don't get overly excited yet, as holding these black-and-white icons doesn't come cheap. A photo op with a giant panda cub - undoubtedly the cutest - will set you back a cool 1,000 yuan (about 150 US dollars), a sub-adult costs only half, while the raccoonish red panda fetches no more than 100 yuan. Call it a rip-off or a once-in-a-lifetime experience, pandas seem to get cuddled whatever the cost.

Anyway, I'm not criticizing the price of the experience. I was just wondering if all these ‘animal lovers' who seem to be willing to shell out big bucks for this realize that what they are cuddling are wild animals and not some teddy bear or other soft toy. Why can't they hug a tree or a kitten instead? By the way, cuddly pandas can pack a mean bite and even maul idiots intruding in their pens, as several huggers found out over the last few years.

The Panda Base has dedicated a lot of efforts and money on getting these undersexed mammals to procreate, not a small feat when Mr and Mrs Panda seem to have perpetual headaches. Giant pandas are endangered and face a high risk of becoming extinct in the wild in the near future. Depending on sources, only 1,000 - 2,500 remain in the wild, so a breeding programme might make sense.

On the other hand, reintroducing pandas bred in captivity back into the wild has been so far problematic at best and a failure at worst. There seem to be too few pandas left to sustain the population in the wild. Even if they suddenly started humping as if possessed, they'd be doing it with siblings, parents and cousins and produce inferior offspring.

Maybe the Chinese should focus solely on maximising the income from hugging instead of trying to reverse the impossible and aim for a large captive population. Apparently, there are plenty of suckers willing to pay, as this post on a message boards showed: "I would love nothing more than to hold and take a picture with a panda and I'm willing to pay whatever the cost." To make matters worse, this was posted by someone in vet school. My message to him/her: unless these pandas are in need of medical attention, please keep your germy paws off my bears.

Apart from the panda-experience, Chengdu has some other aces up its sleeve. I won't bother you by listing all the tourist attractions but limit myself to what you may not find in a run-of-the-mill guidebook (just have a look at my photostream on Flickr or do a Google search if you want to know more about all interesting attractions). If you ever visit this megalopolis, beware of King Car. Indeed, motorists are blissfully unaware of perambulating pedestrians and wouldn't think twice if running one over would get them quicker to their destination. Their honking is annoying as well but at least not life-threatening. Other safety concerns in Sichuan include drinking the incredibly foul local firewater known as ‘baijiu', which may turn you blind.

Contrary to Thailand, nobody seems sexually confused, so there is no need to continuously wonder if tall or well-endowed stunners are really women. Quite a relief, I'd say. Also, the Chinese have grasped the necessity of reducing pollution, so shops and supermarkets have stopped handing out plastic bags. Although they remain available for a small fee, most - if not all - shoppers carry their own cloth or plastic bags, or just carry stuff in their hands.

Fares on city buses can be paid by a refillable magnetic bus card, which is not only convenient but also lets you transfer to other buses for free within a two-hour window. On top of this, bus card holders get a 50% discount on the already low fares. The underground which is due to open in 2010 will be the icing on the transport cake. By the way, visionary transport policies are an absolute necessity in a city (or country) where more and more families have started earning enough to afford a car. Where five years ago Chengdu traffic was moderately light, some parts of the city now suffer day-long congestion.

China hasn't escaped globalisation. Multinational chains or franchises can be found in every big city and most foreign products are readily available. Restaurants like McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway and the like have become popular but thankfully make up only a small portion of the thousands of restaurants. There is even a Hooters in Chengdu and the ultimate Chinese beer, Tsingtao, sports NBA advertising! German and French cars as well as Japanese electronics are in vogue as well, though most of those are made or assembled in China. Shopping can be done at Carrefour or Wal-Mart.

Chengdu is situated in the Sichuan Basin and thus enjoys a fairly mild subtropical climate with hot summers and fairly mild winters (it rarely snows or freezes). The city is often enveloped in fog (or is it smog?), except on sunny days. There are definitely four seasons in Sichuan though, which manifests itself in the abundance of seasonal fruits and vegetables and trees turning all colourful and shedding their leaves in autumn. I hadn't eaten peaches or leeks for a very long time.

Finally, if you want to experience the real or old China, big cities are not the place to go. I'm under the impression that most metropolises have been almost completely torn down and rebuilt over the last ten years. Some cities still have old quarters with original buildings, but those are usually run-down and dilapidated blocks of flats or warehouses. To see the original China (if there ever was one), you'd be better off visiting one of the many Ancient Towns around the country. Beware of the tourist hordes though if you go on a weekend or national holiday, as more available income has made China the country with the fastest growing tourist population.

Great Expectations

When parents of students are simply too demanding

2nd October 2009

When it comes to learning English (or any other foreign language) there are no secret recipes, nor guarantees on how quick a student will improve or become proficient. Studying a language involves a lot of hard work including practice, repetition and revision. Students - or parents of students - who think that their or their offspring's English skills will skyrocket in a short period of time are nurturing unrealistic expectations. Getting better at English is not something which happens overnight, but depends on a lot of variables.

Apart from the hard work I already mentioned, students should ideally have a purpose for studying English. Trying to teach English to a student who has absolutely no desire to learn it and thinks that being in the classroom is a complete waste of time is tantamount to mission impossible. Without purpose, motivation or willingness to learn, students will hardly ever get anywhere.

What I've written so far isn't new or earth-shattering; it's just that I wanted to revisit this topic because I feel that sometime parents are pushing their children too hard when it comes to education. Although I wholeheartedly agree that getting a decent education is one of the most important things in one's young life, we shouldn't forget that there is a time to study and a time to play. Having fun and being allowed to horse around and just be kids shouldn't be denied to anyone.

The demands and expectations that some parents burden their children with are alas often too great. At the moment I'm teaching a kid who hasn't even turned six, yet his life revolves solely around learning. Although little ‘Jimmy' lives in China, his spoken English approaches that of a native because he lived for several years in Canada. In kindergarten he already started learning basic phonics, so he is able to read many 3-letter words. He's quite good at writing the alphabet as well.

One should think that his parents ought to be as pleased as punch about his accomplishments so far, yet nothing seems further from the truth. Instead of rewarding him and allowing him some time to play after a long school day in first grade, he is dragged three times a week to tutoring classes in order to improve his English. This in itself would be acceptable if he was just given the opportunity to practice and enhance his English skills in a relaxing environment. It would also be easier for the teacher that he wasn't overly tired when attending classes, especially not to the point of physically falling asleep.

Instead, his parents came up with a wish list of nearly impossible demands, including intensive vocabulary building, reading and writing. They mentioned that they expected the boy to be able to write essays after one year of study (that's just before he'll turn seven). Well, to be honest, not real essays, but just sentences and stories about his life and surroundings. But still, these are not exactly the favourite leisure activities of a young boy. Detailed lessons plans from the teacher on how to achieve this were part of the demand package, plus a phone call from a sibling criticizing the materials used for being too easy (remember that the boy can't even read most words). Mission impossible if there ever was one.

It is often said that parents are the best teachers. I agree, but only when it comes to certain life skills, such as teaching children how to speak their mother tongue when they're young, teaching them table and other manners, how to ride a bicycle and fly a kite. When it comes to teaching kids a foreign language or mathematics, parents are often the worst teachers imaginable. Not only are they too demanding, they also don't seem to realize what they are putting their children through. Not to mention their criticism of experienced and qualified teachers who have been doing this for years.

I think it is a wonderful idea to give someone a head start in life. Tutoring centres can play an important role in this process, especially if children aren't getting the necessary education they deserve in school. However, parents and students' expectations alike should remain realistic when they sign up for classes. As said, the student's hard work, motivation and cooperation are every bit as important as the instructor's experience, attitude and teaching skills. Miracles don't happen in this world and as I've said before, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.

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