Tutor dumb it down or full steam ahead?

[889]

"And a teacher should welcome constructive criticism."

 

That's not my understanding of traditional Chinese culture!

 

[alantin]

12 minutes ago, 889 said:

"And a teacher should welcome constructive criticism."

 

That's not my understanding of traditional Chinese culture!

 

Where do you find your teachers?

 

I have experience with many online Chinese teachers and tutors from mainland China.

None of them has been "traditional" in this sense. They all have encouraged feedback and expressly said they are there to adapt to my needs.

 

I did take a couple of Chinese classes at a university and felt that the native teacher was there mainly to plow through material and students were there to stare at her and repeat in choir some detached words or very short phrases. I got also told by that teacher multiple times that I asked too many questions. None of the other students asked any during the whole time...

 

Maybe that was traditional. I got my 6 credits but I'm not sure I learned much Chinese from those lessons..

I started doing online lessons after that and now there is nothing to keep me from leaving a bad teacher.

 

Come to think of it, my online teachers have all been relatively young - my own age or younger - and the university teacher was the only one who has represented an older generation.

[889]

Back when I was studying Chinese there was a movie -- talkies had actually been invented by then -- in which a very bright student not only dared to question her teacher's use of a word in class but pulled out a dictionary to prove conclusively that the teacher was wrong. As a result, when time came to announce the year's 三好学生, the girl was left off the list.

 

Question your Chinese teacher at your own risk.

[alantin]

Getting to face and all that. I feel that's a bit different can of worms.

 

4 minutes ago, 889 said:

a very bright student not only dared to question her teacher's use of a word in class but pulled out a dictionary to prove conclusively that the teacher was wrong.

 

Doing that seems like a very good way to make a teacher lose face. I doubt it generally would be taken well anywhere in Asia.

 

The reception is likely to be different depending on the way the message is framed too.

"Your talking is too difficult, please dial it down" vs. "I'm having hard time understanding, maybe if we lower the bar a bit?".

[889]

That's the sort of advice Dr. Spock books give budding parents.

 

"When ordering your child around, always do so in the form of a polite suggestion: 'Don't you want to try a couple of those lima beans, Johnny? They're delicious.'"

 

Hah! Johnny sees through you. And so does your teacher.

 

學

 

"A child is but a vessel for the teacher's knowledge."