Post #106 26 June 2016

Gentlefolk,

This post is about my two Oral English classes this semester.

I had two Oral English classes, Non Major 63 from 7 - 8.50 on Tuesday night and NM295 from 7 to 8.50 on Wednesday night. These were optional or elective classes open to students who were not English majors (commonly called "Non Major" classes).

Courses run by foreign teachers are always over-subscribed as students are keen to practice their speaking and listening skills.

Previously Non Major Oral English classes would have 60 students, but finally the Teaching Office listened to our feedback and now these classes only have 30 students. But often other students will attend as "auditors" (visitors).

Actually, when I started back in March about 50 turned up to each class - after a couple of weeks, reluctantly, I put my foot down and insisted that only those on the class list attend. Pity, because they are obviously keen to improve their English, but it's unfair on those who made the class list and will have do the exam at the end of the semester.

NM63 had one Freshman student, while NM295 had 9 Freshmen. I first thought that would make a difference, but the Freshmen students turned out great - what they lacked in maturity they made up in enthusiasm. They were both good, fun, classes, but NM295 was the livelier.

The final exam consisted of a 3 or 4 minute one-on-one conversation about some everyday topic.  I'm a tough marker, but everyone passed, with a quarter in each class scoring over 80% (= very good).

Five students (4 girls and a boy) in NM295 asked to give me a hug after their test - quite uncommon in a culture where emotions are usually kept under strict control, especially between the sexes. Maybe my grandfatherly image?

Here are some photos of the two Oral English classes.

NM63 (Tuesday nights)

Only 17 of the 28 students in the class were present when we took the class photo on 14 June 2016 (some exams have started already). From left: Xu Pei (Randy); Liu Duo (Isabelle); Pan Wei Chen (Richard); Zhang Di (Tiffany); Wang Wei Chen (bob); Wang Yu Xiang (Sherlock); Song Danying (Sunny); Wang Shi Yuan (Right); Zhang Qian Rong (Tom); Qin Yue (Crystal); me; Ma Sheng Xiang (Jack - partly obscured); Cong Yang Zi (David); Liu Yu (Hillary); Fan Guang Yong (Snail - partly obscured); Zhao Pei Yao (Melody); Zeng Jin Feng (Bill); Lu Lei (Nancy). The class monitor, Hou Xiao Yi (Roxanna) was absent. Her major was Control Engineering and her spoken English was excellent.

With Qin Yue (Crystal) 3rd Year Accounting major, from Hebei Province. One of my favorites. She is short, about 153 cm, but full of life. Good fun.

With Pan Wei Chen (Richard) 3rd Year Communications Engineering major. He is from Anhui Province, actually went to the same High School as another student in the class, Xu Pei (Randy) 3rd Year Physics major.

With Zhang Qian Rong (Tom), 2nd Year majoring in Oil & Gas Storage and Transportation. He is from Gansu Province.  He had quite a distinctive, direct, way of speaking.

With Lu Lei (Nancy), 2nd Year majoring in Storage & Transportation.  From Hebei. She usually sat with San Fan Gong (Snail) who was a great character.

With Ding Shuo (Sure), 2nd Year majoring in Storage & Transportation. From Laiwu, Shandong Province. She had a lovely , beaming smile.

With Cong Yand Zi (David), 2nd Year student majoring in Surveying and Mapping. From Weihai, Shandong Province. He was the best English speaker among the boys in the class.

With Zhao Pei Yao (Melody), 1st Year majoring in Chemical Engineering, from Sichuan Province.  The only Freshman in the class, she was shy to start with but her confidence grew and by the end she could easily hold her own.

NM295 (Wednesday nights)

From left: Zhu Ting Ting (Fanny); Yu Jia Yi (Sophie); Niu Fang ya (Abby); Wu Ya Qian (Jasmine); Zhong Han Sheng (Kae); Zhang Ye (Yvonne); Liu Wei (Nuoke); Zhang Kai Ning (Sally); Wen Xiao Jin (JR); Wan Qing Ke (Rapture, class monitor); Ji Jiang (Leo); Xue Wang Guang (Dimmock); me; Wang Yi Bo (Eric , obscured); Ma Chao (Chaos); Gao Jian Wei (Jerry); Hou Xiao Lin (Alisa); Hu Teng (Tony); Lu Shan Shan (Bella); Sun Xian (Geoffrey); Mu Xue Fei (Amber); Ma Zhi Ru (Jack); Li Shi Yu (Okra); Li Zhen (Lee); Yang Ying Nan (curry); Zheng Hui Hui (Wai).

You can see the faces better in this photo. They were a great class, full of enthusiasm and keen to participate and learn. I liked Chaos with his long hair (pretty rare on our campus).  He had a hesitant, soft, speaking style, but once he got started he was hard to stop!  Dimmock, in the center, was a Freshman but spoke with authority and showed maturity beyond his years. 

With Niu Fang Ya (Abby) and Yu Jia Yi (Sophie). Both are 2nd Year majoring in Petroleum Engineering. Abby is from Dongying, Shandong Province, while Sophie is from Heilongjiang Province. They were obviously close friends.  Both had excellent spoken English. Two smart ladies.  Sophie was also in my English News class, and top scored in that exam.

With Zheng Hui Hui, 2nd Year majoring in Offshore Engineering, from Guangdong Province. She misses Guangdong food.

With Lu Shan Shan (Bella), 1st Year student majoring in Chemistry. She is from Gansu Province. She was very sweet, so young and innocent-looking, but she tried really hard in class, and her English improved quickly.

...

Some family photos to finish this post.

My brother, Papa Andy, with his granddaughter Hinamoana. He lives in Rarotonga, Cook Islands.

Sisters Katherine (with Miles and Bea) and Caroline (with our grandson Eddie) in Hong Kong. 

Our daughter, Jennifer Roberts, with kids Nate, Sid and Kurt.  She shaved her head to raise money for cancer research, and has decided to keep the short look; occasionally she goes blond (working up to blue or green?). She looks stunning.

...

Well, that's it for this post.

All the exams are over, and grading finished.  Another semester and academic year done.

We've had a month of mainly foggy days, but now the sun has come out and it's quite warm - summer is here at last.

Less than two weeks to go until our departure.  We'll miss this place.


Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
English teachers at the China University of Petroleum, Qingdao
www.upc.edu.cn
Sunday 26 June 2016

Qingdao TV did a series of programs on foreigners living and working here.  One program featured two foreign teachers, Laxmisha Rai and Alex Olah - to view on YouTube click HERE.  It's about 25 minutes, mainly in Chinese but enough English to get the gist.