How Can a Chinese Teacher of English Succeed

in Oral English Classes?

Zhou Jie
jieyan [at] pub.online.jn.sd.cn
Foreign Languages Department of Shandong Finance Institute Jinan! "hina#
Introduction
$ral %nglish is an important course for %FL college students in "hina.
&o'e(er! for a long time there has been a contro(ersy about 'ho should
teach oral %nglish! a nati(e %nglish spea)er or a "hinese teacher of %nglish.
*ndoubtedly! a good oral %nglish teacher should be a good %nglish spea)er.
+any nati(e %nglish spea)ers ha(e pro(en to be successful teachers in oral
%nglish classes in "hina. &o'e(er! this does not necessarily mean a good
%nglish spea)er is a good oral %nglish teacher. ,part from fluency and
accuracy of the %nglish language! a good oral %nglish teacher must ha(e a
good grasp of the teaching syllabus! ha(e a good understanding of the
teaching objects students#! and ha(e a good mastery of teaching techni-ues.
.o help "hinese teachers of %nglish gain confidence and do 'ell in their oral
%nglish classes! it is necessary to objecti(ely e(aluate their ad(antages and
disad(antages compared 'ith nati(e %nglish spea)ers in oral %nglish classes.
I. The Course and Its Aims
,ccording to the teaching syllabus! in "hina! college %nglish majors are
supposed to ta)e oral %nglish in the first t'o years of their college curriculum.
*sually! they 'ould ha(e it once a 'ee).
1. Aims of the Course
/y the end of the first scholastic year! students are e0pected to be able to
carry on daily con(ersations in simple %nglish! to as) and ans'er -uestions
based on some reading or listening material! and to tal) briefly for about t'o
minutes about the content of a te0t after one or t'o minutes1 prior preparation.
/y the end of the second year! students are e0pected to be able to carry on
con(ersations 'ith nati(e %nglish spea)ers not only about daily life but also
about social issues. 2i(en some reading or listening material! they should be
able to retell the content and discuss the topic for three to four minutes 'ith
one or t'o minutes1 preparation beforehand.
2. Students' Background Conditions
/y the time they ha(e entered college! "hinese students ha(e already had si0
years1 e0perience of studying %nglish. &o'e(er! they ha(e been studying hard
preparing for uni(ersity entrance e0ams. So most of them! being accustomed
to memori3ing ne' 'ords and e0pressions and paying attention to grammar
points and language structures! find it hard to e0press themsel(es in oral
%nglish. $n the other hand! they may find that the te0tboo)s for oral %nglish!
'hich are largely full of dialogues and con(ersations! appear to be of little or
no use to them! because they find fe' ne' 'ords or e0pressions.
II. Requirements For an Oral English Teacher
What's needed for an oral English teacher?
,ccording to Zhang Zhengdong1s description Zhang Zhengdong4 p567# of
+yrna Delson89aran1s idea! in educational e(aluation! the follo'ing items may
be ta)en into consideration for the e(aluation of a teacher of second language
teaching.
Profciency at the Target Language
.his includes the teacher1s ability to understand! to spea)! to read and to 'rite
%nglish: accuracy in pronunciation: )no'ledge of foreign customs! culture and
cross8cultural communication: )no'ledge of linguistics and of the essence of
language ac-uisition: and his;her ability to initiate! to sustain! and to close
basic communicati(e tas)s in an appropriate 'ay.
Teaching Efectiveness
.his includes the teacher1s ability to prepare a lesson plan focusing on the
teaching aim and to 'or) to'ards the aim 'ith certain teaching strategies.
Presentation of Foreign Culture
.he teacher should bear an open attitude to'ards foreign culture! share 'ith
students 'hat he;she )no's about ho' foreign culture differs from his;her
o'n! and present them in teaching.
Classroom Management
.his includes proper arrangement of seats! board! and time to fit for certain
acti(ities. .his also includes the teacher1s ability to be clear in the classroom
and to change modes of presentation and types of -uestions. .he teacher is
also supposed to be able to engage students in the learning process! to
pro(ide opportunities for feedbac) and to use group and indi(idual acti(ities
so as to bring students1 initiati(e into full play.
Psychological Elements and Personality
.he teacher should ha(e patience! confidence! imagination! enthusiasm!
humor and creati(ity. &e;She should be friendly! sympathetic and on good
terms 'ith the students! and ha(e an affirmati(e attitude to'ards the students
and occasionally encourage them if necessary.
,s for oral %nglish teachers! the abo(e mentioned abilities are of course
necessary. &e;she also needs to ac-uire the follo'ing abilities! as suggested
by Stephen .chudi and Diana +itchell in %0plorations in the .eaching of
%nglish4
$ral language in(ol(es a comple0 interaction of spea)er and listener! of (oice!
tone! style! intonation! non(erbal e0pression... the spo)en language cannot
truly be <taught<. =eople learn to spea) and listen by doing it successfully.
"on(ersely! they become inarticulate and inept 'hen their oral language
e0periences are unsuccessful or constrained...Learning the s)ills of oral
%nglish is closely related to using them! and 'e belie(e the teacher should
focus attention on ma)ing the classroom a place 'here the use of spo)en
language is strongly supported. 0p6>7#
III. Advantages and Disadvantages of Native English
Speakers and Chinese Teachers of English in Oral
English Course
.he teacher should be an e0pert or at least should be able to do! 'ith ease!
'hate(er the students are e0pected to do. , nati(e %nglish spea)er can
certainly do 'hate(er the students are as)ed to do himself. ,nd he;she )no's
e(erything about the %nglish language and about the 'estern culture. &e;She
can tal) freely! 'hich assures the "hinese students as 'ell as the "hinese
teacher of %nglish that the nati(e %nglish spea)er is the only choice and the
best candidate for teaching oral %nglish.
+any nati(e %nglish spea)ers are successful teachers of oral %nglish. .he
reasons for their success may be summari3ed as follo's4
?. , nati(e %nglish spea)er himself is foreign! ne' and different and
thus interesting in e(ery 'ay to the student.
6. &e;She is the best model set for the students to learn the language
he;she spea)s and the culture he;she comes from.
5. &e;She gi(es the students a natural language en(ironment as 'ell
as a chance to tal) 'ith a nati(e spea)er! 'hich gi(es them a feeling of
accomplishment 'hen they can! by and large! get their ideas across to
him.
@. &e;She can tal) about his;her country! his;her life and e(erything that
is ne' and interesting. So the students are interested in 'hat he;she
tal)s about.
A. &e;She is good at teaching! 'hich is both a science and an art.
B. &e;She is able to discard those useless! less8than8effecti(e things in
the te0tboo). Instead! they 'ould tal) about something useful!
e(eryday affairs or current ne's! through 'hich the students feel that
they ha(e ac-uired the ability to tal) about them too.
.here are some other reasons that account for a nati(e %nglish spea)er1s
success in oral %nglish class! e.g.! the teacher1s personality88 being
humorous! friendly! etc.
*nfortunately! there ha(e been cases in 'hich nati(e %nglish spea)ers ha(e
turned out to be poor teachers in oral %nglish classes because they ha(e no
teaching e0perience or teaching training. In these cases! the students may
simply ha(e some listening practice or gain little at all if the teacher spea)s
non8standard %nglish or al'ays spea)s too fast for the students to
comprehend.
In comparison 'ith a nati(e %nglish spea)er! a "hinese teacher of %nglish in
oral %nglish classes may ha(e some disad(antages in language proficiency
and in familiarity 'ith 'estern culture. /ut ha(ing got a /achelor1s or e(en a
+aster1s Degree of ,rts after four or se(en years1 of postgraduate or graduate
study of the %nglish language! a "hinese teacher! though a non8nati(e
%nglish spea)er! should understand ho' to teach %nglish.
It1s also possible for any "hinese to learn about foreign culture through
(arious 'ays. Chether the teacher can succeed in oral %nglish classes
seems to be a -uestion of 'hether he;she has proper psychological elements
and )no's the right 'ay to manage the class.
In teaching! a "hinese teacher of %nglish may encounter some of these
problems.
?. &e;She may find there are almost nothing ne' to the students in the
te0tboo)s! so he;she may 'onder 'hat to teach in class.
6. &e;She consults some information for something about foreign
culture and brings it to the classroom! 'hich really can arouse students1
interests of listening but changes the oral %nglish class into listening
practice. ,nd the teacher himself;herself ma)es great progress in
spea)ing %nglish but is usually o(er8e0hausted because of the long
time of 'hich the teacher spea)s in class.
5. &e;She as)s the students to read or recite dialogues! but they ma)e
little impro(ement in e0pressing themsel(es appropriately in interaction
acti(ities.
@. &e;She tries some classroom acti(ities! e.g. pair 'or) or group
discussion! only to find that some students remain silent or spea) in
"hinese or are constantly loo)ing for some ne' 'ords in the "hinese8
%nglish dictionary.
.hese problems emerge because "hinese teachers of %nglish ha(e been
accustomed to teaching %nglish by telling students the uses of ne' 'ords!
e0pressions and grammar points! and by as)ing students to recite or
memori3e something! so! oral %nglish! 'hich can not be <taught< at all!
becomes a difficult course for them to handle.
IV. How Can a Chinese Teacher of English Succeed in
Oral English Classes
.o succeed in oral %nglish classes! a "hinese teacher of %nglish should first
change his;her concept of <teaching< oral %nglish. $ral %nglish learning is
mainly a matter of practice but not a matter of teaching. .his is to say! the use
of language is more important than )no'ing about the usage of language.
Students should be gi(en enough time to communicate 'ith each other in
authentic situations.
Chen the teacher reali3es this! he;she 'ill try to ma)e oral %nglish classes
acti(ity oriented and student centered. Chat he;she focuses his;her attention
on 'ill be ho' to encourage the students to spea) %nglish more often and
more fluently.
.he teacher may guide the students to do some pair 'or) or group
discussions! but if they are not interested in the topic! if they ha(e little
)no'ledge about the topic! or if they lac) the means of e0pressing themsel(es
in %nglish! they may fail in communication.
&ere are some techni-ues and methods that are essential for a "hinese
teacher of %nglish to employ in successful classroom acti(ities4
?. .he first time a teacher meets his;her students! he;she should try in
some 'ay to get to )no' about their interests so that he;she may find
some interesting topics for discussion! and so that the students may
feel that the teacher is interested in each of them 'hich allo's for a
better relationship bet'een the teacher and the students to be
established. .his may be done by as)ing each indi(idual to ma)e a
short tal) or by designing a -uestionnaire! in 'hich one can get some
detailed information about each student1s li)es and disli)es in their
college life! their attitude to'ards certain social problems! and their
problems in study and life! etc. It seems that the latter is a better choice
because in this 'ay one can )eep the ans'ers for a long time and refer
to them 'hene(er there is a need.
6. ,s for the use of te0tboo)s! "hinese teachers of %nglish should learn
from some nati(e %nglish spea)ers4 just as) the students to go through
them by themsel(es before class so that they can do some situation
practice or role8play in class. In preparing for the role8play! it is
necessary for the teacher to create some <information gap< e0ercises.
.his may be achie(ed by gi(ing each student a role card so that each
may )no' 'hat to do himself 'ithout )no'ing anything about some
other role. .o ma)e sure that the students use the e0pressions they are
supposed to use! the teacher may 'rite them on the blac)board. .his
may help them to use the e0pected e0pressions.
Chen as)ing for <free con(ersation< 'or)! the teacher should ma)e
sure that the students )no' ho' to e0press their ideas in %nglish!
other'ise they can not carry it out. .o do this! the teacher may
encourage students to form small groups according to their different
interests to do some e0tracurricular acti(ities. For e0ample! there may
be a sports group! a music group! a current e(ents group! a social
problems group! a school life problems group! a study method research
group! a drama group! a 'estern culture study group! or e(en a fashion
group! etc. .hey are supposed to collect some reading material on a
specific aspect in their e(eryday reading of ne'spapers or maga3ines
in %nglish and do some reports of their e0tracurricular acti(ities e(ery
time they meet in class. .hey may do some different things in their
e0tracurricular acti(ities! such as ma)ing up dialogues! con(ersations!
or discussions or debates! or they may just simply discuss some of the
latest ne's. This can really help them in working independently
and in speaking more in English. Chen the students are interested
in the topic and some of them ha(e got some )no'ledge about the
topic they are gi(en! they can ha(e real practice of oral %nglish. ,nd as
time goes on! they 'ill get used to learning from each other instead of
referring to a "hinese8%nglish dictionary.
.o get students familiar 'ith Cestern culture! a teacher may create
some situational conte0ts or employ role8play games for the students to
e0perience this culture and )no' its difference in comparison 'ith their
o'n.
, teacher himself;herself should ha(e as 'ide a range of )no'ledge
about Cestern culture as possible. .here are many festi(als in Cestern
'orld and the teacher can celebrate together these festi(als 'ith the
students in the 'ay they are obser(ed in the Cest.
5. It1s necessary for a "hinese teacher of %nglish to ma)e good use of
audio and (isual aids. .he most common audio aid may be radio. For
freshmen! they may be as)ed to listen to Special %nglish =rograms of
D$, e(ery day and retell in class anything they find interesting. If it is
a(ailable! students may be sho'n some (ideo %nglish teaching
programs! or some famous original (ersion of Cestern films. .hese 'ill
help the students 'ith pronunciation and intonation and enlarge their
)no'ledge about Cestern culture.
@. .o help students spea) accurately! it1s important for the teacher to
correct students1 errors. &o'e(er! it is not acceptable to ma)e
corrections 'hen they are spea)ing. It1s suggested that the teacher
ta)e do'n notes of errors students ma)e in class. If they are common
problems! he;she can present them as language points and as) the
students to do some practice: if they are mista)es committed by
indi(idual student! just point them out at the completion of the indi(idual
performance or gi(e the student a note 'ith the corrections.
A. .o help students spea) fluent %nglish! paraphrasing and retelling
ha(e been pro(en effecti(e.
B. Finally! it is necessary to change the acti(ities of pair 'or)s or group
acti(ities so that the students do not get bored. Sometimes! a drama! a
game! or simply an %nglish song may cheer up the students and ma)e
them 'or) more efficiently.
Conclusion
&a(ing analy3ed the aim and the criteria of the oral %nglish course! the
students1 conditions! the reason for some nati(e %nglish spea)ers1 success!
and some problems "hinese teachers of %nglish may encounter in oral
%nglish classes! it may be concluded that both nati(e and non8nati(e %nglish
spea)ers ha(e a role in teaching oral %nglish. In order to teach oral %nglish
'ell! a "hinese teacher of %nglish needs to ma)e up for the disad(antages of
being a non8nati(e %nglish spea)er and for the cultural differences. /oth
nati(e and non8nati(e %nglish spea)ing teachers need to be a'are of the
importance of (arying their roles in their teaching beha(iors! not only as an
authority figure but as an assessor! or an organi3er! or a participant. ,
-ualified and sympathetic teacher must ha(e a full understanding of his;her
students1 needs and interests as 'ell. If a teacher )no's his;her o'n
ad(antages and disad(antages in oral %nglish classes! and those of his;her
students! he;she is sure to succeed in oral %nglish classes.
References
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