My Colleagues - (short)

        I have been in Riyadh about a month now.  I have already been asked to extend my stay.  I am not sure what to think about the idea.  I am certainly willing to give it some consideration though.  So far, I have enjoyed the students and staff tremendously.  We teach with several instructors from Pakistan, and I have found them to be very engaging and interested in the “American” version of English.  I made a comment to one of them that they had a very different style of speaking in English, apart from accent.  Obviously, they use a more British version of the language.  What struck me most was that they made some syntax errors which I found strange.  The one that comes to mind most is that the gentleman said he “belonged” the city of Karachi.  I was a bit puzzled.  I figured out that he meant he was from Karachi.  I don’t think it affected the conversation much.  However, it was noticeable.  I asked him about it and he said that it was a common way to express the sentence.  I am sure I will continue to learn from the Pakistani teachers as well as from my Arab colleagues

Testing Saudi Style

       I am going to call this one “Testing Saudi Style”.  Today we were to give a test known as the English Comprehension Level (ECL).  This a standardized assessment to determine the eligibility of Saudi military personnel to attend follow-on training in America.  Where they will go and the type of training determines their necessary ECL score.  In broad strokes, training that requires more communication; medical, flight, liaison, etc. requires a higher score than other types.  The score is simply a raw score of number of correct answers out of 100.  The test has a 66 question listening section and a 34 question reading section.  Obviously, higher scores are better. 

        When we arrived at the testing center we had a list of 35 students to test.  The answer sheets are pre-filled and we are only allowed to bring a few extras to cover for mistakes.  We were greeted with over 60 students.  Immediately fingers began to be pointed, and as one may guess they were pointed at my colleague and me.  We told the first few students who asked, that if they were not on the list we could not test them.  This led to us being asked if we had the correct list or did we make a mistake.  Then someone with slightly higher rank asked the same questions again.  This pattern continued for about another four or five individuals until we came to the highest ranking student, a major.  He finally got the head of the institute involved and as “negotiations” began the language used went from English to Arabic.  Anyone who has taught internationally knows that this is the normal tactic to use when we, the poor American instructors, are to be talked about and/or blamed.  I mean, it is the reality and one learns to just roll with it and wait until they are done. 

        We finally got somewhat organized and into our lab rooms.  However, for the next 10 to 15 minutes there was a steady stream of students entering and feigning ignorance of the fact they were not on the list.  This is why the answer sheets are pre-filled.  We finally began our 0900 exam at around 0929.  And, we are now going to accommodate all of the other students with a specially organized testing session tomorrow.  

        After the test, I was slowly walking around the room collecting answer sheets, when I noticed a group of three students who had moved away from the desks and were openly reviewing their answers together.  I freaked out a bit, but held my composure.  When I asked them about it, they responded that it was normal and that they saw nothing wrong in what they were doing.  

        Welcome to the Kingdom!

The American Language Course

        Before I take off on some long rant about the American Language Course (ALC), I have to honestly say that I have never used this course material before.  I have used many products from the Defense Language Institute (DLI), just not this specific one.  Over the next couple weeks, as I prepare to teach, I will get a chance to go through all the materials and will write a bit more as I become more familiar. 

        I am including a link to a web site/pdf that will explain the ALC in greater detail than I will here.  I hope to sort of talk through some of the specific items that I like or dislike about the material versus writing some exhaustive monologue on the ALC in general. 

http://www.dlielc.edu/prod/Catalog.pdf - The ALC is mainly described in pages 1 -23.  The other part of the site discusses other materials and courses provided by DLI.  Also, one will find a decided emphasis on military vocabulary and familiarization in some of the additional, specific-purpose modules as this course is designed to teach military personnel.  They are primarily supplemental materials, and overall the basic ALC is more generic in its presentation.

        The general structure of the course consists of six levels.  Levels One through Five each have six course books; level Six has four.  The books are designed to correspond to an assessment range which is derived from a student’s placement score.  Fittingly, the assessment tool is the American Language Course Placement Test (ALCPT).  The test scores students in listening and reading skills using a raw score of X correct out of 100 questions.  I will discuss the ALCPT a bit more in another post.  Basically the score is compared to a simple chart which indicates a range for placement into each of the six levels.  For example, a score between 50 and 60 would indicate a student should be placed into Level Three.  The levels are also given titles reflecting their relative degree of skill; Level Three being “Intermediate”.  Obviously there are debates about what the titles mean, but DLI tries to follow the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) definitions and level descriptors.  Below is a link to their web site.

http://govtilr.org/

        Again, this is a government entity and one may or may not agree with their products

Regardless, each level of the ALC is backed up with materials in abundance.  The books in Levels One to Five introduce four new lessons each and have numerous activities, a review lesson and even pre-made flash cards in Levels One and Two.  The instructor materials include ideas for class management, recommendations for teaching practices, and tips and strategies to aid in your instruction.  Level Six becomes more thematic and the books in this level have eight new lessons instead of the four.  There are also two review lessons in each text at this level.  The instructor text becomes more comprehensive as well and includes areas discussing assessment specific to the lessons.  All the levels are supported by audio materials which serve to amplify and reinforce the classroom instruction.  Of course, there are homework activities and several quizzes throughout to aid in ongoing formal or informal assessment as students progress through the course. 

        I encourage everyone to take a look at the DLI catalog web site/pdf for more information.  In the meantime, I will delve a bit more into the specific texts and report back.

Driving in Riyadh

        I had to write a short post about my newest adventure.  Today, I got the opportunity to drive in Riyadh.  Let me take a moment to set the picture.  Saudi Arabia is by any reasonable view a male-dominated society.  Furthermore, many of the the drivers are reasonably wealthy and have an air of privilege.  Now, take the attitude that you might imagine these male drivers to have and apply it to the belief that they have the right-of-way to do almost anything behind the wheel.  Finally, add to this picture the fact that safety rules seem to not apply anywhere on the road, lanes are only sort of apparent, and distracted driving is the norm rather than the exception. 

        It was into this madness that I ventured for the first time this afternoon.  I was asked to accompany a co-worker to the airport.  He has been here a bit longer and, in truth, did the majority of the driving.  On our way we approached a slow bit of traffic.  One of the cars in front of us cut in front, moving from right to left across a lane or two of traffic.  At some point he realized he was approaching what now was stopped traffic, so he slammed on brakes.  He ended up hitting the barrier at the median.  This made his car veer radically to the right where he over-corrected and the back of his car then hit the median as well; almost turning his car around 180 degrees.  He eventually recovered and continued to drive on as if nothing had happened.  I did not get a chance to see the damage as he moved too far ahead of us for me to look. 

        We reached the airport with  a few more minor, close calls.  I was asked to wait in the driver's seat while my co-worker went into the airport.  As one might guess, the parking control vehicle approached and I was forced to drive off and circle back to the terminal twice.  It was perhaps only 20 minutes of driving, but I was hyper aware of the cars around me.  I managed to navigate the traffic, being cut off only one time.  I was more than happy to relinquish the driving back to my co-worker once he returned. 

        I thought at that moment that I might stay on the compound the entire time .... but, alas I was told that I will be routinely driving to another location to actually instruct the course!!!

A Short Side-Thought

        By way of a bit of a detour, I wanted to just briefly mention the proponent organization for the work I will be doing.  The military maintains a language institution for the instruction of service members who require language as part of their training.  Many of you may have heard of a part of this organization; the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California.  I have had the pleasure of attending one of the many schools here on two separate occasions.  I believe that it is one of the finest language training institutions in the world.  Plus, the location is unbelievable.  The facility sits on a site that overlooks Monterey Bay and every day service members are greeted to this fantastic view as they move to class to begin their studies.  But, I digress.  What most people do not know is that DLIFLC has a sister institution whose sole function is to teach English; the Defense Language Institution English Language Center (DLIELC) located in San Antonio, Texas.  It is here that service members who are not functionally fluent in English receive their training before being sent out to serve in the line units of their respective military branches.  However, DLIELC has a second, and perhaps more vital, mission to train foreign military members who are hoping to work with the American military, attend American military schools, or fly military aircraft, (English is the international language for aviation). The main tool to accomplish this task is the American Language Course (ALC).  The ALC is what I will be working with for this upcoming class.  I will provide some thoughts about the ALC in my next post.

        I have included some links here for anyone interested in either part of the Defense Language Institute or its products.

DLIELC  - http://www.dlielc.edu/index.php Check under products to see some of the items/instruction they offer.

DLIFLC - http://www.dliflc.edu/ They have a tab for journals & publications.

Preparing the Class

        As with all new endeavors, I feel that one should take a moment to look around the environment before charging into the fray.  It is the same manner that one might approach entering a new classroom full of eager ELL students.  In the case of my new position both ideas are applicable.  I am about to enter into a new classroom full of students, while at the same time, I will be teaching an entirely new course.  It seems I often find myself in these new places.  I have become sort of a jack-of-all-trades.  In the world of ESOL education one has to be inherently flexible when seeking out job opportunities.  I always believe that I can teach any course, given a bit of preparation.  In this case, I will have a couple weeks to prepare to teach.  This seems like a tremendous amount of time considering other experiences I have had.  I was once asked on a Thursday if I was free to teach a class with a start date of the following Monday.  That was an adventure.

       I wanted to just address how I prepare.  Maybe there is someone out there who might pick up on a useful concept to apply to their own preparation.  I almost always go to the internet and try to do some research on the area where I will be working.  I find that just being able to talk, in general terms, about a place or environment often helps as an icebreaker.  I also like to see what the internet might say about any texts or instructional materials I might be using.  I especially enjoy reading reviews of texts.  In many cases it can help one sort of pre-identify any issues that others may have had with the materials and help to mitigate them as well.  I definitely spend a bit of time testing out my classroom tech and any online sources that I might be planning to use.  URLs, web addresses, and content often change and there is nothing more embarrassing that clicking a link to nowhere.  Also, it is a good idea to do a dry run on the tech support that is in your specific classroom.  Lately, however, I have gotten into the habit of bringing my own.  I found a very nice small, portable projector that I can pair with similarly small speakers which I carry with me everywhere I teach.  I have looked into actually teaching from my tablet as well.  I am certain this will be a next step for me at some point in the future.   Finally I try to time myself while rehearsing a typical lecture I have planned.  This accomplishes two things.  First, it enables me to see where I might need to add or subtract from the material I have prepped and make changes to future lesson plans accordingly.  Second, it gives me a chance to see if I pass the “smell test”, so to speak.  It can validate or invalidate that what I am saying makes sense to me personally.  If I confuse myself, then obviously the students will be lost as well. 

I will leave this post here and prepare a bit to talk about meeting new students in my next effort.