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For my summative task, I have chosen to explore ‘Problems for learners in a country of your choice.’ The reason why I have decided to focus on this as a topic to explore further is due to the fact that I have begun the process to be a certified teacher to work as an English tutor for Chinese students aged six to sixteen, working on their English proficiencies. Due to my focus of study, I would like to look at problems facing learners within China. I am fluent in spoken Mandarin after many years of studying the language and culture. Once beginning to immerse myself in Chinese culture, I began to further understand the problems facing Chinese students. China has a model of teaching which they refer to as ‘feeding the duck’ style of teaching. In basic terms, this means that their model of teaching is forcing information down the throats of Chinese students and forcing them to memorize all the information that is put in front of them. While Chinese students are primed to memorize and are sometimes referred to as ‘Human recording machines’ (a phrase that makes more sense when said in Mandarin), this creates a divide between Chinese students and professors. Chinese students are taught to never contradict their teachers, never to interrupt, as well as never to ask questions while their teachers are lecturing. This does not allow for Chinese students to ask clarifying questions to better understand the material. Additionally, being that the Chinese model for instruction is memorization-based, Chinese students lack the ability to comprehend what they are learning. In America, students are asked clarifying questions, and are often tested on how they interpret material; rather than just repeating back facts and statistics they learned during lecture. An additional factor that works against Chinese students is that they are unable to create a rapport with their teachers when they aren’t able to cross-communicate during classes. Even if you know your teacher is telling you something incorrect, in China, you may not introject. This is a specific issue in Chinese education that truly bothers me from a perspective-teacher standpoint. I feel as though one of the strongest components of a well-rounded education is the ability to clarify what you are learning while you are learning it. This is something I hope to change as an English tutor for Chinese children. I want to create a comfortable atmosphere where my students are able to talk through their confusions, engaging through conversation and discussion. Additionally, I hope they can better understand what they are learning and why it is important to understanding the English language as a whole. Although I cannot possibly understand how learning English as a second language must feel, I believe I have an understanding of how difficult it can be to learn a language entirely different from your native language; a language that foundationally does not resemble your native language at all. Personally, I know that if I was unable to learn Chinese by asking questions and engaging with my teacher, my proficiency level would be far less than desired. I am proud that I have been given the opportunity to serve as a teacher in Chinese culture, and I look forward to working with new Chinese students. I will plan to build a strong rapport with my students and create an environment I believe will induce the most accurate learning of English.
