Comments on: Transitioning from Shantou’s bubble to Whitman’s http://whitmanpioneer.com/opinion/columnists/2009/10/29/from-the-shantou-bubble-to-the-whitman-bubble/ The Pioneer | Whitman news, delivered. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:33:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rensi http://whitmanpioneer.com/opinion/columnists/2009/10/29/from-the-shantou-bubble-to-the-whitman-bubble/comment-page-1/#comment-6610 Rensi Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:03:06 +0000 http://whitmanpioneer.com/?p=8744#comment-6610 Hi Robert, I am so excited for your achievment! I do feel that Chinese teachers emphasize individual words rather than "chunks" in English. They believe that once students can recognize all the words they won't have problem using English. Their goal is reading-centered instead of speaking-oriented. Enunciation is neglected in their teaching because they define the best English learners as those who score highest in GRE or TOEFL tests where speaking is not tested or takes up only 25% of the test. Total Physical Response sounds much better than teaching students to memorize tons of words without giving a vivid context. Hi Robert, I am so excited for your achievment! I do feel that Chinese teachers emphasize individual words rather than “chunks” in English. They believe that once students can recognize all the words they won’t have problem using English. Their goal is reading-centered instead of speaking-oriented. Enunciation is neglected in their teaching because they define the best English learners as those who score highest in GRE or TOEFL tests where speaking is not tested or takes up only 25% of the test.
Total Physical Response sounds much better than teaching students to memorize tons of words without giving a vivid context.

]]> By: Robert http://whitmanpioneer.com/opinion/columnists/2009/10/29/from-the-shantou-bubble-to-the-whitman-bubble/comment-page-1/#comment-6593 Robert Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:08:56 +0000 http://whitmanpioneer.com/?p=8744#comment-6593 I was a teacher in Shantou a few years I decided to rewrite how English is taught in China. Foreigner develops English textbooks for Chinese kids Liu Minxia AFTER teaching English in China for more than ten years, Robert Sowa found that many adult learners and children could not speak proper English because they didn’t have a mastery of basic English. He looked for jobs at kindergarten schools in Qingdao, Nanjing and Shenzhen in order to observe the way Chinese kids were taught to speak English. “More often than not, the English language is being taught in a very dull way,” said Robert Sowa. “Teachers read English words and students repeat the words. After they learned how to repeat the words, teachers ask them to recite. Many English learners lose their interest in the language from the very beginning.” With more than 20 years of teaching experience, Robert Sowa believes in Total Physical Response, a teaching method developed by James Assert. Mr Sowa maintains that the Complete English Course helps the beginning learners acquire the language more easily while keeping them interested. Working as a teacher in a kindergarten in Shenzhen since 2006, Robert Sowa first prepared a few lessons based on Total Physical Response method and Complete English Course used the materials from this method in his classes. He created lessons using the alphabet and phonics related the words. He brought vivid pictures and asked his class to describe them with the limited English words they knew. When he started, a few parents complained to the headmaster, saying Robert was wasting their kids’ time. But after a few months, the parents discovered that their children could construct sentences by themselves with words they learned. They could also read and write. “Those who previously lodged complaints came to thank me after I used this method for a half year or so,” Robert said. “I decided to let more kids benefit from the teaching method I used.” “Most Chinese schools use textbooks compiled by Longman or Cambridge, and few people considered whether this system fits Chinese learners or not,” said Robert Sowa. Because there are no textbooks using the Complete English Course, Robert Sowa decided to collaborate with Stephen Lang and Melody Sowa to create one five years ago. Back in his home country, Robert’s older sister, Melody Sowa, found immigrated children in the United States also faced the same problem. With a talent in drawing and painting, Melody Sowa worked with her brother on this project. Last month, Robert Sowa printed samples in Shenzhen of the children’s textbook, workbook, flashcards, and teacher’s guide including 2 VCDs and will have them published soon. Robert Sowa hopes more kindergarten schools in China will use these books. He will also introduce them to schools in the United States. Because of the popularity of this teaching method, Robert has been invited to attend the Shenzhen seminar of China-American Kindergarten Curriculum on November 12. This is the first such seminar series to be held in Shenzhen, China and will include many speakers from America. The book and Robert Sowa has also received a certificate of recognition for achievement in the highest order from the USA Honor Society. I was a teacher in Shantou a few years I decided to rewrite how English is taught in China.
Foreigner develops English textbooks for Chinese kids
Liu Minxia
AFTER teaching English in China for more than ten years, Robert Sowa found that many adult learners and children could not speak proper English because they didn’t have a mastery of basic English.
He looked for jobs at kindergarten schools in Qingdao, Nanjing and Shenzhen in order to observe the way Chinese kids were taught to speak English. “More often than not, the English language is being taught in a very dull way,” said Robert Sowa. “Teachers read English words and students repeat the words. After they learned how to repeat the words, teachers ask them to recite. Many English learners lose their interest in the language from the very beginning.”
With more than 20 years of teaching experience, Robert Sowa believes in Total Physical Response, a teaching method developed by James Assert. Mr Sowa maintains that the Complete English Course helps the beginning learners acquire the language more easily while keeping them interested.

Working as a teacher in a kindergarten in Shenzhen since 2006, Robert Sowa first prepared a few lessons based on Total Physical Response method and Complete English Course used the materials from this method in his classes. He created lessons using the alphabet and phonics related the words. He brought vivid pictures and asked his class to describe them with the limited English words they knew.
When he started, a few parents complained to the headmaster, saying Robert was wasting their kids’ time. But after a few months, the parents discovered that their children could construct sentences by themselves with words they learned. They could also read and write.
“Those who previously lodged complaints came to thank me after I used this method for a half year or so,” Robert said. “I decided to let more kids benefit from the teaching method I used.” “Most Chinese schools use textbooks compiled by Longman or Cambridge, and few people considered whether this system fits Chinese learners or not,” said Robert Sowa. Because there are no textbooks using the Complete English Course, Robert Sowa decided to collaborate with Stephen Lang and Melody Sowa to create one five years ago. Back in his home country, Robert’s older sister, Melody Sowa, found immigrated children in the United States also faced the same problem. With a talent in drawing and painting, Melody Sowa worked with her brother on this project.

Last month, Robert Sowa printed samples in Shenzhen of the children’s textbook, workbook, flashcards, and teacher’s guide including 2 VCDs and will have them published soon. Robert Sowa hopes more kindergarten schools in China will use these books. He will also introduce them to schools in the United States.

Because of the popularity of this teaching method, Robert has been invited to attend the Shenzhen seminar of China-American Kindergarten Curriculum on November 12. This is the first such seminar series to be held in Shenzhen, China and will include many speakers from America. The book and Robert Sowa has also received a certificate of recognition for achievement in the highest order from the USA Honor Society.

]]> By: Gabriela Salvidea http://whitmanpioneer.com/opinion/columnists/2009/10/29/from-the-shantou-bubble-to-the-whitman-bubble/comment-page-1/#comment-5380 Gabriela Salvidea Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:12:13 +0000 http://whitmanpioneer.com/?p=8744#comment-5380 Also, what "impossibility" do you mean here? You don't tell us: "But that impossibility may disappear in the very near future..." Also, what “impossibility” do you mean here? You don’t tell us: “But that impossibility may disappear in the very near future…”

]]> By: Gabriela Salvidea http://whitmanpioneer.com/opinion/columnists/2009/10/29/from-the-shantou-bubble-to-the-whitman-bubble/comment-page-1/#comment-5379 Gabriela Salvidea Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:02:39 +0000 http://whitmanpioneer.com/?p=8744#comment-5379 Rensi, This is great work but it is way too long. Articles should be a maximum of 600 words, and this one is close to 1,000. Please cut it down a bit. See below for one specific paragraph that needs revising: I don't exactly understand what you're saying your government's concern is: "I understand my government's concern: if people don't know how to think, how come you not worry about what they say? But I don't agree with their solutions to the problem: if you don't let people speak, how come you expect them to think with sensitivity? Isn't it hard to learn how to swim without accessing the splash of water? " Thanks! Rensi,

This is great work but it is way too long. Articles should be a maximum of 600 words, and this one is close to 1,000. Please cut it down a bit.

See below for one specific paragraph that needs revising:

I don’t exactly understand what you’re saying your government’s concern is: “I understand my government’s concern: if people don’t know how to think, how come you not worry about what they say? But I don’t agree with their solutions to the problem: if you don’t let people speak, how come you expect them to think with sensitivity? Isn’t it hard to learn how to swim without accessing the splash of water? ”

Thanks!

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