Sunday 20 December 2009
teething problems
As I have said its very easy to teach on-line...that is unless you develop a technical hitch of course.Yesterday we had sound problems and today they were no better.I could hear my students but they could not hear me.The frustration is very strong!!I did all audio and sound checks ,my mic was fine according to the computer but two students in a row could not hear me and so we had to cancel the lessons...got students tomorrow so will fiddle about with wires and connections in the hope that I can get it sorted out.Wish me luck!
correct English?
This is a question that I am getting asked more and more often recently...is that correct ?
When I was 11 my I started at a convent boarding school thinking it would be like the tales from Enid Blytons Mallory Towers .She is a well known writer of children's stories.More information can be found herewww.enidblytonsociety.co.uk. At my new school I was all excited at the idea of midnight feasts and jolly japes....sadly the nuns at my Irish convent school had very different ideas to mine.Their main priority for me was elocution lessons as they wanted to 'knock that dub accent out of me'(dub=strong south Dublin accent.) and so that they could teach me how to speak correctly as they saw it.
So there I was ,age 11 ,in the middle of a bog in the middle of no where speaking perfectly modulated 'queens English'.....has it done me any good?Is it that important?The answer is that yes it has done me some good and yes it has some importance for some people.Its important to me now because I teach English to non native speakers .Its important to my students as they see it as a key to unlocking a better and possibly a more affluent future.Its all tied up to money.For me and for them.
But its quite amazing really that a country such as England and its language has had such a long standing impact on those from other places.Its a particular way of speaking and not just the language that students wish to learn.A larger amount of students prefer to have a British English speaker rather than a American English speaker as a teacher.In India you have people speaking with the most middle class tones (in perfect English ,grammatically correct ) but still living in huts or very poor conditions and they aspire to something wonderful in their future lives and 'English' is the key!
When I was 11 my I started at a convent boarding school thinking it would be like the tales from Enid Blytons Mallory Towers .She is a well known writer of children's stories.More information can be found herewww.enidblytonsociety.co.uk. At my new school I was all excited at the idea of midnight feasts and jolly japes....sadly the nuns at my Irish convent school had very different ideas to mine.Their main priority for me was elocution lessons as they wanted to 'knock that dub accent out of me'(dub=strong south Dublin accent.) and so that they could teach me how to speak correctly as they saw it.
So there I was ,age 11 ,in the middle of a bog in the middle of no where speaking perfectly modulated 'queens English'.....has it done me any good?Is it that important?The answer is that yes it has done me some good and yes it has some importance for some people.Its important to me now because I teach English to non native speakers .Its important to my students as they see it as a key to unlocking a better and possibly a more affluent future.Its all tied up to money.For me and for them.
But its quite amazing really that a country such as England and its language has had such a long standing impact on those from other places.Its a particular way of speaking and not just the language that students wish to learn.A larger amount of students prefer to have a British English speaker rather than a American English speaker as a teacher.In India you have people speaking with the most middle class tones (in perfect English ,grammatically correct ) but still living in huts or very poor conditions and they aspire to something wonderful in their future lives and 'English' is the key!
Monday 14 December 2009
teaching Russian students
Two weeks ago I took on a job teaching students based in Russia.It is mostly in the form of conversational English to mature students who work for international companies based in Moscow.They are very well educated generally and have an advanced level of English.The main point of our contact is to improve pronunciation and increase confidence with the spoken form of the language.I am learning a lot from them also..
According to my students life is difficult in Moscow at the moment with the current global financial melt down taking place.Moscow sees lots of immigrants from former Soviet Republic States who are all looking for work and homelessness is raising its head in the city.We discuss a wide variety of topics from the environmental crisis to pastimes and aspirations.Some students request homework and I am happy to oblige.I normally send an email with a topic for them to prepare or write about.So far its going well.
I am moving to Portugal in a month and will be in need of a decent broadband service so fingers crossed it works out for me or there will be trouble ahead as this work is to support the family!
Monday 7 December 2009
teaching with skype
Well I have been teaching using Skype for a little while now and its going well.I have been paid which is a big relief to me as you can never be completely sure about who is employing you when its via the net even if you do checks..anyone can build a convincing website after all.
So I have been mainly teaching people living in Moscow.Most of my students work for big international companies and have a lot of colleagues who are native English speakers and so there is a pressure on them to have 'good' English.The students that I have in Russia are all very highly educated with a wide variety of experiences.I am learning so much about current Russian culture which is an eye opener and at times surprising to me.But the professions range from former space station workers to web designers...nearly all are involved in work that involves modern computer technology.
The bulk of my lessons with these students are conversational based as most of them have a fair knowledge of English.I can understand them ,mostly ,and they mainly need help with grammar or perhaps an increase in Lexis.So we discuss world issues ,regional stuff pertinent to their lives or general chat about films or books.Its an enjoyable way to teach and feels quite equal.They are paying for me to provide this service and are on the whole very articulate in terms of their needs where the English language is concerned.I have had to invest in a decent notebook so that I can keep track of who I have spoke with and what we spoke about as I can have 6 students a day ...
So I have been mainly teaching people living in Moscow.Most of my students work for big international companies and have a lot of colleagues who are native English speakers and so there is a pressure on them to have 'good' English.The students that I have in Russia are all very highly educated with a wide variety of experiences.I am learning so much about current Russian culture which is an eye opener and at times surprising to me.But the professions range from former space station workers to web designers...nearly all are involved in work that involves modern computer technology.
The bulk of my lessons with these students are conversational based as most of them have a fair knowledge of English.I can understand them ,mostly ,and they mainly need help with grammar or perhaps an increase in Lexis.So we discuss world issues ,regional stuff pertinent to their lives or general chat about films or books.Its an enjoyable way to teach and feels quite equal.They are paying for me to provide this service and are on the whole very articulate in terms of their needs where the English language is concerned.I have had to invest in a decent notebook so that I can keep track of who I have spoke with and what we spoke about as I can have 6 students a day ...
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