An extra topic - semester 1

Well if you've come on here after your English work is finished I'm impressed so I'd like to ask you about the first semester. What did you like, what didn't you like? what would you have preferred? What suggestions do you have to make it better? Also whether you are with me for the second semester or not what would you like to see in the programme? We'll be doing some work towards the TOEIC and your marks will be based on a mock (practice) TOEIC test and a video that you are going to create (oral expression) as well as a participation mark but I can always adapt my course to good suggestions. Let me know. By the way your marks will not be affected by anything you say here - I am always happy for constructive criticism, it's one way in which we all improve - you marks are done and dusted and will be with Sandrine Friday. Good luck to those of you going abroad next semester, for the rest I look forward to seeing you again. Enjoy your (eventual) holidays everyone.

Quite cold here ... So I go first to warm up the place
Thanks John, you've helped me to pick up again my English... You see, the French, the language is so ter...magical to make a student who got usually 18/20 in his senior high school time in English to a loser who knows only speaking Franglais when he wants to spenk in English. It has been five years that I hadn't touched the English but after a semester it's so good, I have the confidence to speak although there's still a long distance to make the efforts comparing with others in our class
But there's one thing that I think somewhat regrateful. When we discuss something, cause the subject was given before the discussion, so we prepared a lot. But when we were discussing, everyone hold their paper on which a lot of informations were written, the most people are silent (including me). And in the end...you know... So it reminds me that when I was in the college in China, when wo do the French discussion, our teacher gave us a key word before and in the class we watch a video related to the key word, and we do the discussion after watching. Because that before the discussion we would guess what we were talking about, so, we have a lot of things to say. And when we sit in the round table, I felt a little stressed, perhaps that I just don't like the feeling to be watched by everyone when I was talking...

TIAN Zhekun wrote:Quite cold here ... So I go first to warm up the place
Thanks John, you've helped me to pick up again my English... You see, the French, the language is so ter...magical to make a student who got usually 18/20 in his senior high school time in English  to a loser who knows only speaking Franglais when he wants to spenk in English. It has been five years that I hadn't touched the English but after a semester it's so good, I have the confidence to speak although there's still a long distance to make the efforts comparing with others in our class
But there's one thing that I think somewhat regrateful. When we discuss something, cause the subject was given before the discussion, so we prepared a lot. But when we were discussing, everyone hold their paper on which a lot of informations were written, the most people are silent (including me). And in the end...you know... So it reminds me that when I was in the college in China, when wo do the French discussion, our teacher gave us a key word before and in the class we watch a video related to the key word, and we do the discussion after watching. Because that before the discussion we would guess what we were talking about, so, we have a lot of things to say. And when we sit in the round table, I felt a little stressed, perhaps that I just don't like the feeling to be watched by everyone when I was talking...

Thanks for that Zhekun. I have a question for you.

I was watching a programme about the Chengdu province last night and they said that the retirement age in China is 50 years old. Is that true? Is it compulsory retirement? Is the retirement pension in line with working wages? Saw a university for "retired" people. it looked great. Thanks for any response that you have.

Admin wrote:

TIAN Zhekun wrote:Quite cold here ... So I go first to warm up the place
Thanks John, you've helped me to pick up again my English... You see, the French, the language is so ter...magical to make a student who got usually 18/20 in his senior high school time in English  to a loser who knows only speaking Franglais when he wants to spenk in English. It has been five years that I hadn't touched the English but after a semester it's so good, I have the confidence to speak although there's still a long distance to make the efforts comparing with others in our class
But there's one thing that I think somewhat regrateful. When we discuss something, cause the subject was given before the discussion, so we prepared a lot. But when we were discussing, everyone hold their paper on which a lot of informations were written, the most people are silent (including me). And in the end...you know... So it reminds me that when I was in the college in China, when wo do the French discussion, our teacher gave us a key word before and in the class we watch a video related to the key word, and we do the discussion after watching. Because that before the discussion we would guess what we were talking about, so, we have a lot of things to say. And when we sit in the round table, I felt a little stressed, perhaps that I just don't like the feeling to be watched by everyone when I was talking...

Thanks for that Zhekun. I have a question for you.

I was watching a programme about the Chengdu province last night and they said that the retirement age in China is 50 years old. Is that true? Is it compulsory retirement? Is the retirement pension in line with working wages? Saw a university for "retired" people. it looked great. Thanks for any response that you have.

Hi John, thanks for your interests of this. In China, due to the bad results of the One Child Policy, the government applied the detention retirement. And for women in enterprises, nowadays the retirement age is about 50, and for women civil servants, it's 55. For men is 60. According to the law, the retirement is compulsory, but if someone is very important to the organization, he can still be re-employed.
The pension is related with the wages and the duration of paying the social security. The computing method is quite complicated...
The retirees' university is not something new..In China it appears in 80's(the first is in France in 1973), and almost every city has its own retirees' universities（the name is agedness university in Chinese）... But it's not well known in France, can be a prophet is not without honor save in his own country.

Hi there!
It's really nice and unsual to have a teacher' asking this kind of questions to his students ! Thanks for that !

What I loved this semester is having the opportunity to talk about what we like. I also found courses dynamic!

To me, the forum is a good way to "force" people to work on their English and make efforts.
In addition, it allows to interact with our classmates on various and interesting subjects. Talking about series that we love encourages everyone to participate, and I think it's really close to the kind of conversations that we might have "in real life" when it comes to talking to someone abroad. I enjoyed the small group discussions too, although the subjects did not always interest me.

Maybe more grammar exercises could be useful, and also written text comprehension (especially to enrich the vocabulary). In the field of marketing would be a plus. Also, I had a teacher in high school who made us watch one or two films each semester. We voted for the one we wanted. These movies were often "debatable" or reflective films, and once we had seen the film in class, we discussed about it. Then, we had a written expression control on it. I think it would be interesting to do this, in addition to TOEIC training

And OF COURSE, the best part of your classes was your english humor ! Monty Python rules !

I wish you all the best!!!

Hi,
I am totally agree with Celine : "What I loved this semester is having the opportunity to talk about what we like" and not just karibou in Quebec or kangaroo in Australia !
and like Céline said, courses are dynamic and very pleasant.
For me, (again like Céline said)    the forum is a good think too ! I know that, if there was no forum, I didn't practice english so much (I confess ).

Mister Admin, I have a question : I go in Erasmus (in Spain and I don't know if I will have english courses). But it is possible for me, continue to participate to the forum in internet from Spain ?
I want to improve my low english nivel....

Have a wonderful Christmas Mister Admin !

Best wishes

Marion Le Moullec wrote:Hi,
I am totally agree with Celine : "What I loved this semester is having the opportunity to talk about what we like" and not just karibou in Quebec or kangaroo in Australia !
and like Céline said, courses are dynamic and very pleasant.
For me, (again like Céline said)    the forum is a good think too ! I know that, if there was no forum, I didn't practice english so much (I confess ).

Mister Admin, I have a question : I go in Erasmus (in Spain and I don't know if I will have english courses). But it is possible for me, continue to participate to the forum in internet from Spain ?
I want to improve my low english nivel....

Have a wonderful Christmas Mister Admin !

Best wishes

It'll be a pleasure to have you continue to participate. Maybe we'll even have you as a topic one week. haha.

Enjoy your holiday