A PaRTIcUlArLY UseFUl SpEAkinG AcTiviTY

Use this one on the first day of higher-level classes. It will tell you a lot about the kind of students you’ve got and what they expect from you.

Put the students in groups or pairs and tell them that they have decided to start a small English language school. They are going to start with two teachers and should choose two from the following six applicants, and put the others in order of most desirable to least desirable in case the applicants chosen decline the position for some reason.

Here are the applicants:

Dorothea Brighton
Age 56
Master’s Degree in Linguistics from Cambridge University
DELTA teaching certification
Born in Surrey, England

Experience: 23 years teaching grammar at an expensive private school in London, to boys ages 12 – 15, and 9 years as Headmistress at a private girl’s school in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where all classes were taught in English

References: Former employers spoke highly of her knowledge of grammar and linguistics and said her students’ test scores were always the highest at the school. They also said she was a hard worker who never arrived late or missed classes. She has published two grammar reference books, and is a contributing editor for an Internet web site designed to help students wishing to study in other countries. However, former employers said that students often complained that she was strict and humourless in class, and often boring.

Interview notes: Excellent pronunciation, great traditional English etiquette and manners. Conservatively dressed in a dark blue business suit. Rather reserved about speaking about her private life, but she said that she wanted to work in Russia now because her great grandfather was from Russia and she felt the Russian Federation needed good English teachers if it wanted to prosper.

Zack Galligan
Age 26
BA in English Literature, University of Southern California
Born in Los Angeles, California

Experience: 1 year working at private language school in Taipei, Taiwan; 1 year working at private language school in Seoul, Korea; 9 months working at private language school in Tokyo, Japan

References: Former employers in Taipei could not be reached; Zack explained in interview that the school had closed shortly after he left. Employers in Seoul and Tokyo said that he was very popular with students and that their test scores were generally above average. However, Zack could be personally difficult and demanding when dealing with management, and rather temperamental and unwilling to listen to criticism or suggestions.

Interview notes: Zack is a very tall and fit young man, and wore baggy jeans and a Tommy Hilfiger sweater to the interview. He has an earring and a goatee. When asked about the gaps in his employment history, he said that he took extended surfing and snowboarding holidays between jobs. He explained that his former employers in Seoul and Tokyo had been very dishonest and greedy and were always trying to cheat him. Spoke very fast during interview and used a lot of American slang expressions. When asked why he wanted to work in Russia, he said that he had always been interested in Russia since he had seen so many films about it growing up in the 80’s in America.

Jane O’Connell
Age 29
MA in Political Science, University of Toronto
CELTA teaching certificate (obtained last month)
From Toronto, Canada

Experience: 4 years teaching Basic Government Studies to 16- 17 year olds in a high school in Toronto; 3 years experience as a volunteer teaching English as a Second Language to refugees and immigrants in Toronto (2 times a week)

References: Former employees said she was reliable and trustworthy. Students test scores were generally above average, and students never complained about her. One former employer mentioned that she had recently been badly depressed following a divorce.

Interview notes: Seemed to be a shy and quiet person. Very small and dressed very plainly in a brown skirt and blouse. Said she was recently divorced and wants to change her life, but has never lived outside of Toronto before and admitted she wasn’t sure how she’d like Russia. Speaks Russian rather well, however; she studied it in University.

Ian Pemberton
Age 28
BA in Marketing and Business from University of Edinburgh
From Glasgow, Scotland

Experience: 2 years teaching English at a private language school in Prague, Czech Republic; 2 years teaching English at a private language school in Tallinn, Estonia; 2 years teaching English as a freelance private instructor in Budapest, Hungary

References: Language school in Tallinn had no record of him having worked there, but admitted that they had a high staff turnover and bad records. Former employer in Prague said he was generally a hard worker and a competent teacher, and was very popular with the students, who loved to go out drinking with him. Some slight problems arose from him dating students, including a married woman. Was frequently late for classes and on two occasions showed up for work obviously drunk. Students test scores were average, or slightly above average.

Interview notes: Very charming, good-looking and outgoing. Well-dressed in a shirt and tie and expensive trousers. His Glaswegian accent somewhat difficult to understand at times. When asked why he wanted to come to Russia, answered that he thought that Russian girls were the most beautiful in the world.

Peter Oatley
Age 41
No degree, but attained CELTA teaching certificate 5 years ago
From Manchester, England

Experience: 6 years teaching people of all ages, including children, at a large private language school in Bangkok, Thailand. Before that, worked as a taxi driver for 14 years.

References: Former employers said he was a reliable teacher who was unanimously popular with students, but that his students test scores were usually rather low, and that he usually spent most of the lesson telling funny stories. He was a very good-natured person, however, and always agreeable to work with.

Interview notes: Resembles Santa Clause. Very large and happy. Spent most of the interview telling funny stories. Came to interview casually dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Had bad breath. When asked why he wanted to come to Russia, he said that he had recently married a Russian woman he’d met over the Internet. His Manchester accent was very thick.

Innian Marathiegiestes
Age 33
BA in English from University of London
DELTA teaching certificate
Born in London – family recently emigrated from Pakistan

Experience: 3 years teaching English at expensive private school in Lahore, Pakistan; 8 years teaching English at a high school in a poor neighborhood in London’s East End. (Taught many immigrants here.)

Experience: Employers said she was generally hard working and reliable, and that her students test scores were above average. She comes from a very conservative and traditional Muslim background however, and insisted on not working on Muslim holidays, and on being allowed to pray at appropriate times during school hours.

Interview notes: British accent was perfect. A woman of great politeness and poise. Beautiful, and wearing traditional Pakistani Muslim clothes. When asked why she wanted to come to Russia, she said she had many Muslim friends here and was interested in doing volunteer work to help the Muslim minorities in her free time.

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So obviously, this will give you and your students to talk about in terms of what they think is desirable in the classroom, and what you have to offer them. Obviously if they all choose the drunken womanizing Scotsman or whoremongering Mancunian, for their imaginary schools, then you need to run a pretty casual and entertaining class. If they choose the old bitch, you’d better be boning up on your grammar.

This was written with Russia in mind, but it could be easily adapted to any other country. Plenty of other issues can obviously come into the discussion – age predjudice, predjudice against Muslims, the desirability of different accents, and experience vs. training. Students are often horrified to learn that many English teachers have no training other than a four-week CELTA course, for example.

And of course the very topical issues of alcohol abuse and shagging students can be discussed, giving you an invaluable reference point in your pursuit of those things.

And be sure and mention this is English Teacher X's activity. . .

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