Quote from: chupacaubrey on September 29, 2016, 10:31:26 amQuote from: Chinguetti on September 29, 2016, 10:19:34 amI hate speaking tests. so. much. This seems pretty universal. Why? I kind of dig them, personally.Well for myself, they're incredibly monotonous, especially since I've got to do it for over 600 students. I also think they're a big waste of time -- most of the students just give a lot of pre-memorized answers, and that doesn't really reflect conversation ability. Only a handful of students have decent English speaking ability, and an even smaller pool of them choose to use what they know in an engaging manner. I do get a lot of funny answers from kids who are relaxed enough to spit them out (these actually come from my lower level students), but... yeah.If I had fewer students and didn't have to finish the exams within such a short space of time, this could be a fun project/activity opportunity, but with so many students and the small amount of time they give me to complete the tests, it's just dull and tedious.
Quote from: Chinguetti on September 29, 2016, 10:19:34 amI hate speaking tests. so. much. This seems pretty universal. Why? I kind of dig them, personally.
I hate speaking tests. so. much.
Quote from: wblancha on September 30, 2016, 10:22:34 amIt's the same for me. I have 30 students to test in 45 minutes. It's so repetitive. I ask the same questions about 500 times and get the same answer maybe 475 times.You should vary the questions so the students who take it later in the period don't have an unfair advantage.
It's the same for me. I have 30 students to test in 45 minutes. It's so repetitive. I ask the same questions about 500 times and get the same answer maybe 475 times.
Quote from: sixtieshappy on September 30, 2016, 10:35:48 amQuote from: wblancha on September 30, 2016, 10:22:34 amIt's the same for me. I have 30 students to test in 45 minutes. It's so repetitive. I ask the same questions about 500 times and get the same answer maybe 475 times.You should vary the questions so the students who take it later in the period don't have an unfair advantage.I think I was exaggerating a bit on that one. I do try to vary the questions a bit but it's still quite a bit as there is only a pool of five questions I have to choose from. I also have to provide example answers which they are allowed to use in the test. This means most of the answer are the ones that I have written...
I give my coteachers handouts two weeks before the test. On the handout are around 25-30 questions. Every single one of those questions are lifted directly from the textbook, with the relevant page number at the end of the question. The students 'study' that work sheet for 2 weeks. Come test time, I ask 2 or 3 random questions from the sheet.Of the 1,100 students who are tested by me (oh man, soooo burned out after that last student....) only about 5 or 6 have perfect scores. The average real score is about 50-60%, which through mathematical magic, is transfigurated to 80%.My rant is... why do sooo many students completely bomb the exam after having all the answers handed to them, and having had 1 or 2 classes devoted exclusively to going over the work sheet? It just blows my mind.
Quote from: wblancha on September 30, 2016, 10:43:19 amQuote from: sixtieshappy on September 30, 2016, 10:35:48 amQuote from: wblancha on September 30, 2016, 10:22:34 amIt's the same for me. I have 30 students to test in 45 minutes. It's so repetitive. I ask the same questions about 500 times and get the same answer maybe 475 times.You should vary the questions so the students who take it later in the period don't have an unfair advantage.I think I was exaggerating a bit on that one. I do try to vary the questions a bit but it's still quite a bit as there is only a pool of five questions I have to choose from. I also have to provide example answers which they are allowed to use in the test. This means most of the answer are the ones that I have written...Speaking test rants. Oh yes, I have a few... I give my coteachers handouts two weeks before the test. On the handout are around 25-30 questions. Every single one of those questions are lifted directly from the textbook, with the relevant page number at the end of the question. The students 'study' that work sheet for 2 weeks. Come test time, I ask 2 or 3 random questions from the sheet.Of the 1,100 students who are tested by me (oh man, soooo burned out after that last student....) only about 5 or 6 have perfect scores. The average real score is about 50-60%, which through mathematical magic, is transfigurated to 80%.My rant is... why do sooo many students completely bomb the exam after having all the answers handed to them, and having had 1 or 2 classes devoted exclusively to going over the work sheet? It just blows my mind.
Quote from: Pecan on September 30, 2016, 12:14:34 pmPreach on...There are some very real third world practices still going on here.Some might think that after 5,000 years of "civilization" that the masses would learn.Not long ago, the president's wife from the ROK was on CNN cooking food and very clearly explained why she uses her unwashed/bare hands when preparing food. According to "popular" belief, that is how one transfers their "love" into the food for others to enjoy (feel the love).As for the transfer of germs, bacteria, filth, etc., nothing was mentioned ;)I... I'm skeptical about this. I've literally never heard this belief from any Korean women I've met. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying, that seem a bit unfair to call it "popular" belief, even if you are using quotation marks. I think that woman is just weird.
Preach on...There are some very real third world practices still going on here.Some might think that after 5,000 years of "civilization" that the masses would learn.Not long ago, the president's wife from the ROK was on CNN cooking food and very clearly explained why she uses her unwashed/bare hands when preparing food. According to "popular" belief, that is how one transfers their "love" into the food for others to enjoy (feel the love).As for the transfer of germs, bacteria, filth, etc., nothing was mentioned ;)
nice to know even the lunch ladies at my school don't wash their hands after using the toilet. and they have no shame either, walking right out of the stall and right by other teachers. but all the other teachers do it too so i guess it doesn't matter. i don't understand this obsession with rinsing the feet but hands are paid no attention even if you work with food. i remember my hairdresser using the bathroom and coming out to work on my hair without washing her hands and i've been in food places that have bathrooms with no sinks... this kind of stuff is so nasty to me.
Quote from: sevenpm on September 30, 2016, 01:23:58 pmQuote from: HaLo3 on September 30, 2016, 12:22:24 pmI just got a huge bag of green beans from a teacher with a garden. I said thank you then ate a couple raw out of the bag, and a few coworkers started laughing and telling me I can't do that, then another one brought his phone over and showed me pictures of cooked green beans and how to eat them. Not 10 minutes later, a different teacher starts eating them raw and no one says anything.Yup! That's what its like being under a microscope. Everything you do is because you don't know better or because you're foreign, it's not allowed to just be a personal preference and left alone. Small annoyance, but still an annoyance nonetheless.Weird. Today people are picking up all the things that really grind my gears here. Usually I don't complain. But like, yeah - people watch your biz way too closely here.
Quote from: HaLo3 on September 30, 2016, 12:22:24 pmI just got a huge bag of green beans from a teacher with a garden. I said thank you then ate a couple raw out of the bag, and a few coworkers started laughing and telling me I can't do that, then another one brought his phone over and showed me pictures of cooked green beans and how to eat them. Not 10 minutes later, a different teacher starts eating them raw and no one says anything.Yup! That's what its like being under a microscope. Everything you do is because you don't know better or because you're foreign, it's not allowed to just be a personal preference and left alone. Small annoyance, but still an annoyance nonetheless.
I just got a huge bag of green beans from a teacher with a garden. I said thank you then ate a couple raw out of the bag, and a few coworkers started laughing and telling me I can't do that, then another one brought his phone over and showed me pictures of cooked green beans and how to eat them. Not 10 minutes later, a different teacher starts eating them raw and no one says anything.
I am going home to England for my winter vacatation. So I want to book my flights ASAP to save myself a considerable amount of money. Everyone I ask seems to have no idea when I can take my vacation or when they intend to start and finish winter camp. Like seriously... no one has any idea? Is it that hard? When I push the question further they look like deers in the headlights, absolutely startled by my questions. If I don't get an answer within a couple of weeks I will just go ahead and book when is convenient for me. I have asked enough times now.