So the hardest part of the exams, on my part at least, seems to be getting all the students organised in order to fit in at least 20 exams per class. This aim is proving to be a challenge to some to say the least, with some even refusing to do it because they claim they aren't ready (they've had 2 weeks!!) - I've found threatening them with failure suddenly makes them all very keen to do the exam...
I noticed one of the boys had written his speech on his arm. I presume it was his speech because it was in English and I can't imagine he had any other English exams on at that exact moment. He didn't seem to use it though, probably because he saw that I saw it - I'd told them they had to do the exam without notes. Nice try though.
I noticed one of the boys had written his speech on his arm. I presume it was his speech because it was in English and I can't imagine he had any other English exams on at that exact moment. He didn't seem to use it though, probably because he saw that I saw it - I'd told them they had to do the exam without notes. Nice try though.
Week 2's exams have seen some interesting as well as unusual speeches. I've discovered that some people can fill a good 2 minutes talking about basketball whilst the next person can only talk about it for about 20 seconds yet they still talk about all the same things - I still haven't quite worked out how this happens! Sticking with sport, there seems to be an urban myth in these parts that playing badminton will make you taller - i've lost count of the amount of times I've heard this recently!
I've also had a few moments where I felt like i'd been thrown back into the 90's with some students talking about break dancing and pop'n'locking, one boy even gave me a break dancing demonstration - I got a bit concerned when he clonked his head off the floor when he did a head spin (i'm sure this move has a proper name but i'm just not cool enough to know it), I was a bit concerned he wasn't going to stand back up again but it seemed to go unnoticed on his part.
I think my most entertaining moment of the week arrived out of a moment of mispronunciation. One girl was talking about how she was a member of the singing club and how it helped her confidence. I could have sworn she said this: "I used to be shite in the singing club". It took me a good few seconds to work out that she actually said "I used to be shy in the singing club", and then I had to spend a good few seconds stifling laughter. I would have admired her honestly, and been very impressed, if she had used the word shite!
I think my most entertaining moment of the week arrived out of a moment of mispronunciation. One girl was talking about how she was a member of the singing club and how it helped her confidence. I could have sworn she said this: "I used to be shite in the singing club". It took me a good few seconds to work out that she actually said "I used to be shy in the singing club", and then I had to spend a good few seconds stifling laughter. I would have admired her honestly, and been very impressed, if she had used the word shite!
The American TV series '2 Broke Girls' is also proving popular amongst pupils with both boys and girls talking about it - even though they keep calling it '2 broken girls' I didn't expect to have to write 'broke = to have no money' on exam papers. This is on of the few cardinal sins that keep getting committed - the worst is just about using the word funny instead of fun when describing why they like basketball. I'm going to have to really drill that one next term and maybe start a forfeit system for those who still commit this crime against my sanity. I'm also very bored of hearing the words boring, exciting and interesting - these words are banned in my lessons and my seemingly endless attempts to provide alternatives to these words seems to have been largely ignored,. I was far too happy when one girl managed to use the word tedious (which i've peddled out a few times) in her speech - I think I need to make her my poster girl for vocabulary expansion!
On girl did her speech entirely on the actor James McAvoy. It turns out he is a big hit here in China and they even have their own affectionate nick-name for him (which I've forgotten).
One boy managed a speech on Mr Bean while another attempted a speech on the film 'Bugs Life' (this film came out in 1998, this lot were hardly born then). He didn't tell me what he was talking about Bugs Life, I thought his favourite movie was a documentary on Ants...
The head teacher was described by some pupils - he seems to be someone who is fondly talked about by the pupils - as having a round face and being a little fat. I haven't met the head teacher so I have no idea if this description of him is accurate or not.
One student said is his speech that my lessons have inspired him to learn English properly. If this is true it's very flattering and must mean i'm doing something right!
One student said is his speech that my lessons have inspired him to learn English properly. If this is true it's very flattering and must mean i'm doing something right!
And finally, some pupils give me a little bow when they finish their speech, i'm not sure if i'm supposed to bow back so I just nod my head and smile instead (hopefully I don't look demented. It makes me feel a bit like the Queen...
G x
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