Unlock with PatreonThe Problem with CI
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Vampspooder – 1
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3 thoughts on “Vampspooder – 1”
The funny thing is that students will go from our classes to traditional classes and TELL their new teacher about the things that they used to do in the CI class, and these teachers STILL won’t look into it, research it further, or ask more questions. They just keep doing what they are doing so they can get their paycheck.
Any time a student says they had a really good teacher in middle school I ask them what types of things they did…..usually I find out that they did Senor Wooly or something like that. A few times I got students from CI teacher friends in the area.
The worst is sending superstars, who are often unnoticed “C” students in their other subjects, go the the high school prison grammar program and quit either during or right after their first year. I try to tell them not to give up on themselves as language learners, but always to no avail. When middle and high school programs articulate with CI, it’s a good thing. A rare thing, esp. in the light of what Greg said about the teacher shortage (so they hire anyone), but a good thing when it happens. That usually takes aggressive admins who have studied the research on how people learn languages and who don’t want a language program in their building from the 1950’s.
I got this email today from a new member of our group who until now has been required, for a very long time, to teach the old way:
…they gave me a pile of info-gap worksheets, and a diet of “realia” and “preterit” and other posh words I never heard of in my 46 years, despite being an enthusiastic language learner. The whole language department was comprised solely of professional students who never left college, i.e. never taught a day of K-12 school in their lives. Clueless purveyors of bullshit….
That is one of the best and most honest assessments I’ve ever seen of the grammar prison system, esp. the sentence above in italics, which is just brilliantly stated. It’s true. And it feels good to read. If anyone doesn’t like it, or feels that there is too much harshness in it, I state again my mantra on this topic – I think every teacher should be allowed to teach as they see fit, but not at the expense of children and not against the research and the standards.