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Requirements

for Effective EFL Education:


Adults in China
Jimmy Fahy
_______

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the requirements to be an effective
teacher of English as a foreign language (EFL). There is less emphasis on teaching
strategies and course content, and more on the pieces of the puzzle beyond that in
the big picture. It examines the mindset, needs, and expectations of Chinese adult
learners and focuses on the characteristics of a teacher and learning environment
that are necessary to provide them with a positive and beneficial learning
experience. The paper begins with an overview on the growing importance of
English in the world community and how that has affected China. It follows with an
analysis of Chinese adults outlooks towards and incentives for studying English.
Then it will enter into discussion on the issue of considering native and non-native
speakers for the best teaching experience in a foreign country. Next, it takes a brief
look at teacher behavior and strategies inside the classroom. It concludes with an
examination of approaches outside the classroom to improve the overall learning
experience.

Keywords: teaching; English; China; adult; foreign language; EFL


Introduction
As English is increasingly becoming an international language in various
aspects of life, such as business, science, technology, and the Internet, proficiency in
the language can be incredibly useful in attaining economic and social success. Since
Chinas Reform and Opening movement began in 1979, learning English has been
strongly encouraged from primary school up through high school and college, due to
the countrys increased interaction with foreigners both in business and daily life.
Students hoping to enter senior high, undergraduate, or graduate school must all
pass a compulsory English entrance exam. (Ruijuan) Thus, scores of Chinese adults
from recent generations have at least some competency in English and awareness of
its advantages.

Attitude and Motivation

Understanding peoples motivations for entering an EFL classroom is crucial
for a school and its teachers to orient their approach. Why do Chinese adults decide
start learning or continue to learn English? Alongside the massive growth of Chinas
economy in the past several decades, materialistic culture has become infused into
society. So, many adults undertake their English studies in order to advance in their
careers and become wealthy. And his attitude isnt exclusive to learners of business
English. Chinese companies generally dont pay as well as foreign companies, so it

also applies to people who would use day-to-day English in their jobs to interact
with foreigners. Ruijuan references a study of 300 adults that showed 70% are
learning English for a better occupation. (Ruijuan)

However, not everyones reason is career-driven. Some might just want to
meet and talk to a new demographic for personal reasons. Others are often
unemployed wives who are looking for a different social outlet. Its a pleasurable
activity to occupy a sizeable chunk of their day.

While the ultimate aspirations of all these types of students can vary
extremely, most of them have one thing in common: they are in the classroom on
account of their own free will and personal choice. Its not compulsory. This is a key
distinction between adults and children in primary or secondary schools. Ruijuan
found that 96% of Chinese adults in his study take more responsibility for and show
more active interest in their learning, and notes a particular student that takes night
classes after tiring days of work and still pays attention and maintains
concentration. (Ruijuan)

Native vs. Non-native Speaking Teachers

Many might assume that having a native speaking teacher of a language is, by
default, better than a non-native speaker. But that distinction actually isnt too
important. Defining exactly what constitutes a native speaker of English can be
difficult. The language is in prevalent, fluent usage in numerous areas around the
world. And a variety of dialects exist within those areas. The United States, Canada,
Jamaica, the Bahamas, Ireland, the United Kingdom, India, South Africa, Ghana,
Kenya, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand are only a handful. In
several of the aforementioned locations, however, English isnt the primary
language. Still, masses of people begin learning English as a second language from a
very young age.

Amongst all of these dialects, none of them are completely proper English.
They are filled with slang words and expressions, and pronunciations and accents
can vary widely across the board. One could make up a word like coughy as an
adjectival form of cough based on the common suffixes that form adjectives, and
even though it sounds like coffee, a high level speaker would be able to understand
it in context. Speakers of all levels will not speak perfect English. For example,
there is a common mistake of saying, Theres [plural noun], instead of using
theyre, even in TV and movie scripts. Nadeau quotes a student Jun Lin saying that
he can usually understand his non-native speaking teachers despite their lesser
language skills. (Nadeau) Whatever faults in speech are present, the required skill is
the ability to understand what a person is trying to say.

Many native speakers dont have an in-depth understanding of how their
language works, whereas a person who is fluent with English as a second language
has achieved that status through a comprehensive study of its grammar rules.
Native speakers need to make an active effort to get to the point where they can
explain grammar as well as a non-native speaker. Indeed, Nadeau discovered that
students of a non-native speaking teacher produced more complex sentences than
those of a native speaker, because the latter students didnt expect their teachers to

understand more sophisticated grammar. (Nadeau) She even quotes a student


saying he felt he knew grammar better than native speakers. (Nadeau)
One factor in this trend is the hiring requirements of schools. For example,
the majority of teachers at the Jiahua Language School in Shenzhen are interns who
previously had little to no teaching experience. But their native speaker status and
perceived potential to become an adequate teacher makes them qualified
candidates in the hiring process. Having native speaking teachers is also part of the
marketing strategy of language schools throughout China, especially white people in
the case of English schools. Thats the stereotypical image a Chinese person has of a
native English speaker.
Native speakers do have their own advantages, though. Nadeau noted that
non-native speaking teachers often struggled with defining idioms and used
obsolete or seldom used speech formulas, whereas native speakers naturally
incorporate accurate and modern idioms and formulaic language in their
classrooms. (Nadeau)

Thus, status as a native speaker is a mostly superficial quality that affects
peoples expectations, and competency as a teacher depends on more significant
factors. Of course language proficiency is huge, but that needs to be accompanied by
detailed knowledge of the inner workings of the language, otherwise teaching will
be much less effective. Nadeau found that a teachers ability to understand students
needs and empathize with their struggles in learning is quite similar between native
and non-native speakers. Methods and personality are far more important
components in considering the best teaching experience.

Classroom Approach
Teacher Characteristics

Lamb examines the substantial benefits of inspiring students. For most of the
Chinese students of his study, who are approaching the edge of adulthood, the best
teachers have strong camaraderie with their students (Lamb), which creates a
friendly atmosphere. They also demonstrate dedication to their job (Lamb), which
sends students the message that its worth making significant efforts to learn. Lastly,
motivating students to study on their own goes a long way, especially when the
teacher provides learning tips. (Lamb)
Strategies

As noted above, adults are highly invested in their learning and tend to take
initiative. Hird identifies the importance of encouraging students to take control of
conversations in the classroom and rely on each other instead of the teacher. (Hird)
Ruijuan draws attention to Chinese adults increased likelihood to fear making
mistakes due to low language competency. (Ruijuan) For Chinese people, losing face
is a momentously serious matter. Ruijuan references a study that showed 80% of
Chinese adults are ashamed of making mistakes. (Ruijuan) Because of this, its
necessary to respond optimistically to errors. In a severe case of losing face, a
student might not return to the same class.



Outside the Classroom



Nadeau brings attention to a students need to use English outside of the
classroom to augment their studies, as many students feel that their learning
experience would be far more valuable in a country with English as the official
language. (Nadeau) Chinas foreigner population is larger in cities like Beijing,
Shanghai, Nanjing, and Shenzhen, but its still relatively quite small compared to
Chinas total population. So often people will have difficulty finding an immersive
English bubble environment within China.

Language schools can take responsibility for simulating this kind of
atmosphere. The simplest option for teachers is having casual conversations with
students in between classes. Building this kind of rapport with students has the
added effect of making students more comfortable within the classroom and kindles
more exciting and complex conversations. Schools can also organize events and
social gatherings to facilitate English conversations between native and non-native
speakers and expose students to foreign cultures. It could be an outing to a Western
style restaurant, a cooking class, an event themed around a popular holiday
commonly celebrated in English-speaking countries, music, singing, dancing, a game,
or a TV show.

In addition to exposing students to foreign culture, teachers also need to
have a broad knowledge of Chinese culture so that they can understand their
students perspectives and connect with them on a deeper level. (Sui) Grasping
Chinese peoples views about working and home life, the importance of family, and
the dynamics of relationships, saving face, as well as their perceptions of the rest of
the world around them is imperative. For example, after identifying the employed
adult who spends his or her precious evening hours studying English after working
all day, making an extra effort to keep spirits and energies high is essential.

Conclusion

Some particular teaching methods within the classroom often have similar
effects among same age groups, while others may be similarly effective across the
board, such as minimizing teacher talking time and maximizing student talking time.
But these classroom strategies are only part of the picture. Providing an optimal EFL
education demands adapting to the culture and mindset of the demographic. Adult
Chinese EFL learners have particular needs and expectations, and its up to the
teacher to be the kind of person who complements that and fosters an encouraging
atmosphere by developing a certain degree of friendship with the students. Since
China has begun to embrace the international community, English has gained
prevalence in more and more peoples lives, especially as a means for being
successful. Understanding this makes a teacher more suited to helping students
achieve their goals. The primary role of a teacher is not conveying information, but
rather empowering students to develop their skills.




References

Hird, B., et al. "Teaching English As A Second Language To Children And Adults:
Variations In Practices." Language Teaching Research 4.1 (2000): 3-32. Education
Research Complete. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

Lamb, Martin, and Martin Wedell. "Cultural Contrasts and Commonalities in
Inspiring Language Teaching." Language Teaching Research 19.2 (2015): 207-24.
ProQuest. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

Nadeau, Melody Hallenbeck. "Adult Learners of English Interacting with Native
Speaker Teachers and Non-Native Speaker Teachers: Exploring Differences in
Students' Language use." Order No. 3620333 State University of New York at
Albany, 2014. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

Ruijuan, Wu, Wu Ruiting, and Le Van Tai. "Challenges Of Adults In Learning English
As A Second Language: Focus On Adult Education In China." Journal Of Language
Teaching & Research 5.5 (2014): 1132-1138. Education Research Complete. Web.
26 Mar. 2015.

Sui, Zhijuan. "Study on the Intercultural Education in College English Teaching*."
Theory and Practice in Language Studies 4.9 (2014): 1924-8. ProQuest. Web. 26
Mar. 201

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