Hello Chaya and all curious and confused ones, I couldn't believe myself during those years,either! How did I manage to handle 50 hyper-active,restless,easily bored children aged 6 to 13 alone in class and after class dealt with their impatient,lazy but over ambitious parents!LOL
Actually I lasted nearly 3 years... The students I have been teaching here have the same problems you specified. The thing is they try very hard to make grammatically correct sentences according to what they have been taught...and expect me to understand them without doubt. Times when I don't understand them is because they translate them directly from Polish regardless of the fact that native speakers don't express themselves with those terms,words or idioms they tried to look up in the dictionary earlier... The core of my problems is that they don't know how to use vocabulary they learned as they don't think it's more important to acquire this langauge in a natural way... The huge problem to fix in this country is that they shouldn't focus on grammar analysis and making sentences on their own!!!:( There are very dramatic differences between English and Polish as Polish is a much more refine language,and the way they greet others face to face or in formal letters,faxes or e-mails are beyond foreigners' comprehension! As far as I am concerned,there's a huge gap of cultural differences and communication barriers if they hope to master a much easier language! Sorry to preach so much here,but as a multilingual learner,I would like to draw all your attention that to be fluent in a language,one has to be familiar with its culture,customs,traditions,behaviours,mentalities and taboos first. Otherwise all you try to learn can be in vain!!!:( Chaya,I'm not from anywhere in the States!LOL I'm origunally from Taipei,Taiwan. I'd lived all my life in Taipei and it wasn't until 3 years ago that my husband decided to move back to his homeland 25 years after his 'exile'.LOL I talk like an Aussie,mate!;) My English is a mixure of all what foreign teachers and friends of mine from all over the world had taught me since I was 16,then I used to travel around to quite a few places before our sons were born. Sorry to confuse or shock you!LOL Oh,Chaya and I met at another Google group Rocha introduced me to. I seldom log on to it which means it was pure luck Chaya came here out of my request! Chaya and I don't know each other personally at all!LOL The main difference,Chaya is that we aren't native speakers who struggle to use English. Do the groups you belong to on facebook have learners like us? Good night, Pln On Sep 24, 1:37 pm, Chaya Eitan <[email protected]> wrote: > Pauline: > > Wow - you dealt with kids?? I couldn't do that. I teach adults. Sure, I > have someone managing the place - my husband! Couldn't do without him! > > It isn't only using the correct grammar/sentence construction but it is also > knowing what to say (and what NOT to say) in a formal letter. > > You 'reckon??' What part of the U.S. are you from?? I hardly ever hear that > - and never use it! I'm originally from New Jersey. > > This is turning into (a verb I taught my students this morning!) a discussion > forum. I don't know if I can correct people's English or not. That is why I > joined it. If I want discussion, I can go to Facebook. > > All the best! > Chaya > > --- On Tue, 9/22/09, pln471 <[email protected]> wrote: > > From: pln471 <[email protected]> > Subject: [ESL Podcast] Re: What make you feel are alive? > To: "ESL Podcast Study Group" <[email protected]> > Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 1:33 PM > > Chaya, > > Wow,I used to teach and run my own children's language centre back > home 12 years ago! > > I had a very unusual and challenging time of my life dealing with > young children's parents and managing all details of a business > competing with the whole chain of rich and famous franchise schools > for 2 years...;) > > The earnings were great,I can't complain,but it consumed so much of my > energy and mind... > > I admire you for running your own school! > I hope you have someone trust-worthy to help you manage it because I > didn't then!;) > > I had had some disagreement with Warren last April about the same > issue of grammar teaching,honestly speaking!LOL > Ed knew about our debates because we exchanged e-mails and added Cc > for Ed to be updated for a whole week,I remember! > > There's a turning point for everyone who wants to upgrade his/her > writing skills: > That always comes to how good his/her foundation of grammar is...I > still have no doubt about it.:( > Warren was disguested by too many Asian students he tutored whose > English was too stiff,too rigid and too difficult to convert to > natural and fluent English...:( > I reckon that's why he insisted on no learning,teaching or correcting > of our writing at this discussion group. > > But I have to admit what you corrected for Eckman was so beautifully > done and clearly changed though there were just a few lines,but they > made such a huge difference for readers to fully understand his > point!!! > > Oh,I don't discuss or debate on politics or religions in class with my > Polish students at all. > They tend to be very private and reserved at first and those 2 topics > are conversation killers,I believe!LOL > > What we have talked about has been posted here mostly by me,Ed or > Claire, > and I wish more members like > Simone,Alberto,Oshiro,Jason,Charles,Pablo,Hani,Eckman,and etc will > take the initiatives to post more or soon!!! > > I'm so grateful for your participation,Chaya! > Thank you with all my heart again! > > XOXO, > Pauline > > On Sep 22, 12:54 pm, Chaya Eitan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Pln, > > > I am also not limited as to what I can teach, nor how to teach as I am > > teaching in my own school! But I have discovered that many of my students > > actually want to know about grammar! Most of my students are Russian > > speakers. Maybe that explains it? I try not to get into topics that can > > be 'debated on.' I can get pretty emotional about things! So, I tend to > > steer away from topics such as politics. But there are plenty of other > > things to talk about that are less divisive! > > > Chaya > > > --- On Mon, 9/21/09, pln471 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > From: pln471 <[email protected]> > > Subject: [ESL Podcast] Re: What make you feel are alive? > > To: "ESL Podcast Study Group" <[email protected]> > > Date: Monday, September 21, 2009, 2:03 PM > > > Thank you,Chaya! > > > Every day I learn something new here! > > > I feel most alive while being with earnest,ambitious and intelligent > > students in a traditional classroom!!! > > I suppose it's very similar to what you feel,but my approach to > > teaching is very different from yours! > > > I consider myself as an intercultural conversationist. > > I seldom use the verb 'teach' in Poland when I talk to other local > > people because that's not what I do at all. > > Teaching is more of Polish teachers' responsibilites,I as a 'native > > speaker teacher'(they use this term for all non-Polish teachers) focus > > more on their speaking and writing skills. > > > That means I get to discuss any topics I want if there's no textbook > > or time strain for me!;) > > > I make them feel motivated interacting with me. > > When they're very involved in what we discuss or debate on, > > they tend to forget they're using a foreign language... > > > And at that moment,I feel most alive because they forget themselves > > and all the limitations,interpretations,self-awareness,and etc!!! > > Most of all,at that point,they find dictionary useless(LOL) > > and I can tell they have achieved something higher from then > > on! > > > Good night, > > Pln > > > On Sep 21, 9:05 pm, Chaya Eitan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Thank you, Jason! This is a week of thinking and repentance leading up to > > > Yom Kippur which starts Sunday night and finishes Monday night. It is a > > > day of prayer and fasting. But it is thought of as a joyous day. > > > Everyone dresses in white. It is the day when G-d makes his final > > > decision about the world for the coming year. > > > > Chaya > > > > --- On Mon, 9/21/09, chenzheng2008 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > From: chenzheng2008 <[email protected]> > > > Subject: [ESL Podcast] Re: What make you feel are alive? > > > To: "eslpodcast" <[email protected]> > > > Date: Monday, September 21, 2009, 5:49 AM > > > > Hello Chaya, > > > Happy Jewish new year! > > > May the new year brings you lots of joy!:) > > > Jason C. > > > > 在2009-09-21 18:07:42，"Chaya Eitan" <[email protected]> 写道： > > > > Claire, what a wonderful description of 'being alive!' 'Passion' is just > > > the right word for that! > > > > Saturday and yesterday were the two day of Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New > > > Year. Since it is the birthday of the world, I want to wish all of you a > > > Good and Sweet and Successful New Year (5770)! > > > > Chaya > > > > --- On Mon, 9/21/09, claire <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > From: claire <[email protected]> > > > Subject: [ESL Podcast] Re: What make you feel are alive? > > > To: "ESL Podcast Study Group" <[email protected]> > > > Date: Monday, September 21, 2009, 12:54 AM > > > > Good Monday morning Ed Chaya Eckman Jason Reinaldo Mikhail Alberto > > > Oshiro Pln and all new faces yet to show up,;) > > > > I feel most alive when I indulge myself in something I love doing... > > > something people like to call it 'passion!' > > > > If I can combine travelling,writing and painting in one moment,I feel > > > most exhilarated and desperately wish time could stand still!LOL > > > > Last weekend,I felt I was very near that specific status of being > > > already... > > > > I also know what Alberto meant by saying 'when in hell',he feels very > > > alive as well because the pain you feel is very real and hit you > > > straight to the heart!:( > > > > Another time when I feel most alive is when I'm in love!LOL > > > All my senses seem to be waken up and everything and everyone around me > > > seems so adorable,hopeful and beautiful!!! > > > I learn to see the world with a brand new perspective!;) > > > > Great start of the week,everyone! > > > Claire > > > P.S.All new comers,please don't be shy to let us know you joined us > > > already! > > > If you speak up,we'll be able to exchange messages with you and > > > I promise you it's more fun than just passively reading our messages! > > > LOL > > > Just ask Oshiro Eckman and Jason.Am I right,you guys?!;) > > > > On Sep 21, 9:02 am, drbenzoni <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Hello Chaya, Eduardo, Jason, Dipodidae, Eckman and all, > > > > > I feel alive when I step out of my 'confort-zone'. When I leave apart > > > > the > > > > worries that tie me up and find the courage to check out something > > > > different. Anyway the state of being alive does not dipend for me on > > > > successful or unsuccessful results but on the capacity of moving toward > > > > something unknown. Very often the unsuccessfull results make me feel > > > > in a > > > > negative or depressing mood that knock me down and call my life into > > > > question, anyway I do feel alive even more. > > > > > Good week for all! > > > > > Alberto > > > > > 2009/9/21 Dipodidae <[email protected]> > > > > > > I'm alive when I'm in action. I don't like sitting on one place. I > > > > > noticed that alltime I move to nature. I'm run from cities and crowds. > > > > > I'm alive when I'm warmer than enviroment) You can check anytime;) > > > > > > For me to be alive consist in creation something usefull and > > > > > beatiful.- Hide quoted text - > > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > "中国制造",讲述中国60年往事- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ESL Podcast". To post to this group, send email to: [email protected] or just reply this message For invite your friends, visit: http://groups.google.com/group/eslpodcast/members_invite Know how help us, visit this FAQ at: http://groups.google.com/group/eslpodcast/web/frequently-asked-questions -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
