I would appreciate your comments on this Teacher Training Video....

[bangmai]

I was told to watch this video before I gave an online English demonstration lesson.

[thesetat2013]

Do you always do everything you are told?

[phil2]

I don't teach kids, but I think it'll be useful if you're going to be teaching beginners.

[Slip]

I've watched the first 30 seconds. What are you wondering about? TPR is well documented in TEFL academic writing.

[bangmai]

At what age would you stop telling boys to "kiss a daahl"? Drive a "caaah"? Isn't the teachers accent a bit thick?

[cgphuket]

For all we know the kids are just responding to the sound of the sentence. Since they don't actually speak in the video there is no way to know if they understand any of it. Give him a 5-yr contract at an international school.

[nabbie]

It looks as you are teaching them international sign language. Why not? What is the forth picture? Is this something with food?

Could it be good for global communication as there are too many translations in the spoken languages today? Too much misunderstanding?

[DogNo1]

TPR is a very old approach to teaching that makes logical sense but may not be appropriate in all cultures. The kids all look like native English speakers who are fairly uninhibited. Although it is teaching nouns, it seems to take for granted that the kids will understand the verbs used as well as the concept "jumbled" and not mind going through the gestures used by the teacher. This wouldn't be true in some settings. The learning load would be heavy for kids who don't understand the action words and are not demonstrative. Teaching methods have to be adapted to cultural situations. I can imagine situations in which the gestures and sounds wouldn't work and the teacher would have to settle for less than a total physical response.

[lostinisaan]

At what age would you stop telling boys to "kiss a daahl"? Drive a "caaah"? Isn't the teachers accent a bit thick?

My honest opinion?

The kids didn't do that for the first time and it's just an advertisement for an agency/ company, etc...who're trying to make money.

The woman would be very difficult to understand in a Thai classroom, the guy's pronunciation isn't really clear. He does say caah, not car.

And the doohl sounds weird to my ears. Is it possible that this guy loves dolls? I mean living dolls.....

It seems that the kids do have knowledge of the English language and I assume they're American kids.

The teacher's accent is indeed a little but "thick", not really well pronounced. But to answer your question.

It's a great advertisement clip and i tend to believe that the kids grew up with English, or are used to certain words and sentences.

Finally, a talented teacher is using a box of tools to teach kids, not just TPR, depending on their age, knowledge and of course the classroom size.

You can basically do anything to teach four, or five kids English. But please try to do that with 45 Thai kids.....

[bangmai]

I was told to watch that before doing a demo lesson for an online English learning school, in Beijing. They are only hiring North American English speakers. So, this video kind of raised a red flag...because they aren't speaking NA English, tatall. Then they were very critical of my demo....and while I can take criticism, and I'm not the most qualified, but certainly not the least, either. I also was wondering if there were any stories of teachers being jailed in Saudi Arabia for telling young boys to "kiss daahls." Thanks for your comments. It's good to step back and get a different perspective on things.

[lostinisaan]

I was told to watch that before doing a demo lesson for an online English learning school, in Beijing. They are only hiring North American English speakers. So, this video kind of raised a red flag...because they aren't speaking NA English, tatall. Then they were very critical of my demo....and while I can take criticism, and I'm not the most qualified, but certainly not the least, either. I also was wondering if there were any stories of teachers being jailed in Saudi Arabia for telling young boys to "kiss daahls." Thanks for your comments. It's good to step back and get a different perspective on things.

North American English speakers are "usually" easy to understand. But: ( Why's there always a "but"?)

I've got some good friends from all over the States, some of them were GI's, who had to "join the Army" in Europe more than 40 years ago.

I only like facebook, because I found some of my old friends through this webpage and it's really amazing how many different slangs exist in the U.S.A.

Mark, a nice guy from Michigan has a completely different speech than James from Pennsylvania. Have you ever heard of a language, called "Pennsylvania Dutch"? Pretty much cheesy... .

Thus, knowing so many North Americans, I couldn't even tell where this guy in the movie is coming from. Definitely not from the UK. like the woman who's trying to explain how great this guy's English teaching skills are.

He sounds like a German to me, whose family emigrated to America a while ago. Any idea about the guy's nationality???

However, I really love "Queens English", because it's ( usually) spoken very clear and the last letters are clearly pronounced, that you exactly know how to spell the word. ( Great when you prepare kids for spelling contests)

Let's say this guy in the video would make a spelling test with Thai students, i don't know what some students would write down when they hear caahh, or doohl???

It's so similar to the Thai word Kaa, for leg. Pretty much irritating. I believe that an English teacher should "adjust" his, or her speech in a way that also Thai students can follow/comprehend.

A good example might be a guy from the UK, I know for many many moons now, but he's hardly understood by most Americans he meets.

Especially on the phone. How can learners of a second language understand this guy, if NES teachers have a problem and need to "read between the lines"?

But teaching isn't just about having a good command in a language, there's a lot more behind. Psychology, pedagogical skills and last but not least, being able to consider the circumstances Thai kids ( or other nationalities) grow up and how many hours of English they actually have per week.

I really believe that it's quite unfair to call Thais stupid, or not being able to speak a good English after 12 years studying the language.

Those are usually guys who can only speak one language and don't even try to learn Thai when living and working here for many years.

Please use your imagination how it would be if you'd take 45 Thai kids and try to do the same TPR lesson with them what the guy in the video does.

.

Edited September 24, 2015 by lostinisaan

[taotoo]

The kids spoke better English than the teacher.

[DogNo1]

Actually Pennsylvania Dutch = German. In 1914, when the mobs were burning German high schools and their books and dragging German ministers out of their churches to beat them up, all German sounding words suddenly changed. My grandmother's maiden name changed from Bietsch to Beech. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, German was changed to Dutch. In England, similar changes went on. The royal family name changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor. Battenburg changed to Mountbatten. Lord Mountbatten went on to become commander of the Burma Theatre of War and later Viceroy of India.

[lostinisaan]

Actually Pennsylvania Dutch = German. In 1914, when the mobs were burning German high schools and their books and dragging German ministers out of their churches to beat them up, all German sounding words suddenly changed. My grandmother's maiden name changed from Bietsch to Beech. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, German was changed to Dutch. In England, similar changes went on. The royal family name changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor. Battenburg changed to Mountbatten. Lord Mountbatten went on to become commander of the Burma Theatre of War and later Viceroy of India.

Just in case, if you'd like to learn it.....

https://hiwwewiedriwwe.wordpress.com/learn-the-dialect/

[lostinisaan]

Actually Pennsylvania Dutch = German. In 1914, when the mobs were burning German high schools and their books and dragging German ministers out of their churches to beat them up, all German sounding words suddenly changed. My grandmother's maiden name changed from Bietsch to Beech. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, German was changed to Dutch. In England, similar changes went on. The royal family name changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor. Battenburg changed to Mountbatten. Lord Mountbatten went on to become commander of the Burma Theatre of War and later Viceroy of India.

Very interesting, thanks. Wasn't is something like Saxen- Coburg? First Mountbatten, then Manhattan......lol

Edited September 24, 2015 by lostinisaan

[lostinisaan]

The kids spoke better English than the teacher.

Dude, you made me laugh. almost spit my coffee all over the keyboard.....

[MRDave]

Traveled and lived in fifty countries. All this tells us is that you can't hold down a job.

Sun has well set on the British empire. This tells us that you are jealous because America has never had one, and that you are incapable of writing a coherent sentence.

But student and world preference is now for American English. This tells us that you are jealous that your country does not have a language of it's own so has taken to vandalising the English language in a vain attempt to make it your own. Not unlike a car theif respraying a stolen car in an attempt to hide it's real identity. English is from England, I suggest you learn to live with this fact. You seem very anti English, has an Englishman ran off with your woman?

Edited September 25, 2015 by Rimmer
Quoted reply of a removed post

[Rimmer]

A racist troll post has been removed

[Stevemercer]

The only truly international language seems to be sign language for deaf people. Maybe everyone should be taught sign in primary school rather than multiple different languages.

[simon43]

The only truly international language seems to be sign language for deaf people

Is that actually true? The brief research that I've done about sign language seemed to indicate that many countries, such as Thailand, have their own form of sign language which cannot be understood by someone who uses ASL or BSL or...

[Edgehog net]

Do as you told in Thailand. Watch it and then do your own thing.

If you are clueless on what to do, sure take this approach.

It looks like it's a good style then teaching very early age kids.

And if you are worrying about the interview. No one cares. As long as you are looking competent in what you do.

People that are making decisions have no clue anyway

Good luck.

[DogNo1]

You are right. I should have written Saxen-Coburg. And thanks for attaching the Pennsylvania German newspaper. My paternal great-grandparents could not speak English and only spoke German. Partly because of my background and partly because of my love for German music, I took three years of German in college. Can't speak it much now though but I can read a bit.

[Scott]

Please stay on topic.

[Phatcharanan]

Well, I am from the UK but worked in Boston, MA for 5 years.

American English and Bostonian's are a bit of a mixed bag. And whats with ' How do ya like them apples?' <deleted>.

Anyway, I digress. Fact is, when at a bar and speaking in my best British accent, I would usually get the attention of some of the local gals. :-)

[piersbeckett]

Herbert's pronunciation was weak; 'twas only thanks to DogNo1 that I 'got' 'jumbled'!

Herbert is (originally) a German first name and Helbling (Helbling Languages) a German surname, applied as a nickname for a weak man.

Edited September 28, 2015 by piersbeckett

[lostinisaan]

Herbert's pronunciation was weak; 'twas only thanks to DogNo1 that I 'got' 'jumbled'!

Herbert is (originally) a German first name and Helbling (Helbling Languages) a German surname, applied as a nickname for a weak man.

These jumbled priorities should be no cause for surprise.

Edited September 28, 2015 by lostinisaan

[piersbeckett]

I think the vid' should be entitled, 'The case for native speakers' or 'Gerry rumbled over 'jumble' fumble'.

[lostinisaan]

Herbert's pronunciation was weak; 'twas only thanks to DogNo1 that I 'got' 'jumbled'!

Herbert is (originally) a German first name and Helbling (Helbling Languages) a German surname, applied as a nickname for a weak man.

What a bunch of rubbish. It's the company's name. Why do you make such things up that it's a surname for a "weak man?"

Maybe you're just a little bit jumbled up?

Edited October 1, 2015 by lostinisaan