Questionnaire and Assessments

Questionnaire and Assessments
By Iris Chiu 090224
I am currently doing a special program, ICT. For this, I need to carry out a research project which will be presented as a teaching material next time. This research questionnaire aims to focus upon important aspects of learning English in this program.
I would be extremely grateful if you agree to participate in this program, and hope we can ignite some interests to speak English. This program will put into practice for six to eight weeks; hence, I’d like to get your honest suggestions. That is, the more input you can submit, the more likely I can improve the program.
There are sixty-six teachers in my school. After the training course, fifty-eight teachers handed in this questionnaire. Eventually, I can adapt some teaching materials based upon your suggestions to set the benchmark. Our team hopefully can outline an illuminating way to enhance three levels’ lessons.

Questionnaire
1. According to the lesson that we taught in the end of last semester, please write down which sections impressed you most favorably?
(1) Wesley’s report
Over all, his report was very captivating; teachers were highly inspired. His lesson was active, communicated with teachers efficiently, and offered high-end technology on protecting the environment. In addition, the course provides teachers with many valuable insights into the relationship between man and the environment.

Comments:
(a) The words in the slide were hard to read because they were too small.
(b) It would have been helpful to have pictures included in Wesley’s slides.
(c) Nearly fifty percent of the teachers, especially the basic level teachers, asked to add some Chinese translation which would help them to catch up to speed during the class.

(2) Teaching material
In the beginning, there were some vocabulary, phrases and terminologies, so teachers were left high and dry. Also one third of the teachers found it difficult to recognize the terminology with the short time they were given.

Comments:
(a) Teachers should put some dialogue in the essay if possible. That would especially help the topic of global warming be more easily understood.
(b) On-the-job training is a good way to polish teachers’ language ability. But, it is so hard to have a routine training course with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
(c) The length of the essays are too long to read for the hour that we had in each group.

(3) The class atmosphere (include the three levels’ teachers teaching methods and expression)
All teachers worked hard in order to scrub us eagerly for our language ability. All the teachers were willing to join the training course next time if they got adequate language support.

Comments
(a) Teachers thought the course book was too tough to read because there were some big words.
(b) Eighty percent of the teachers considered it difficult to read this essay in this period.
(c) Looking up the words in a dictionary beforehand, teachers were going to get everything ready easier.

2. Do you think it is a good way to take the handouts before the class?
Fifty percent of the teachers will prepare the course before they got the handouts. Therefore, they all gave the positive responses. But, few teachers still wondered the press of time every day. As starting to work, they will leave little time to read. They could not get much progress.

3. What was the most difficult part for you during your experience in this class?
Ninety percent of the teachers said they had not studied English for a long time. It was the hardest work that they have encountered. Many teachers, more than half, had no idea what the guide teachers were trying to express.

Comments:
Given these experiences, teachers perhaps will become more tactful during this semester.

4. What will you do for your language learning in the future?
After the stimulating class, sixty percent of the teachers dusted themselves off, picked up some books and then began to study hard. Even more exciting was that one teacher said she will make it a rule to listen to the English radio program while driving her car to school every day.

5. Some tips in learning English
(1) We can find the overdue magazines to keen to get some knowledge.
(2) Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. If you are afraid to make a mistake, then that is your biggest mistake right there. To be a kid while you learn languages, try as much as you can since the kids have no limitations on themselves. So, keep working! You can make it someday!
(3) English Village teachers are all our good friends. They will always be willing to assist us whenever we need it.
Assessments
The principal unveils plans to cooperate with English Village teachers that will make new language support for each teaching area. Our ideas are:
(1) Short term
Starting with a routine meeting on Wednesdays, we plan to teach a short English poem or an English essay to help teachers get some ideas. Teachers will get more time to read some easy essays and know some foundational vocabulary and phrases. Our team hopes to reach a deal with teachers and students to learn English so that it becomes routine work in this semester.

(2) Long term
Improved ties with vocabulary and reading essays will benefit the habits of reading English. For example, the team of ICT would like to get English Village teachers together and then guide our school teachers in each teaching area. Expectedly, our team will kick both students and teachers into high gear in learning English. We hope to not only offer some opportunities for learning, but to lay a new foundation for growth.

Conclusion
I am impressed to see that every teacher gives me so many positive feedback and constructive suggestions. On the other hand, much of my appreciation for my principal comes from having spent part of my time having her to guide me through some trifling work.
Indeed, globalization has made the distance of once remote East to Western countries become much shorter. Learning English has become an essential work for us. However, the fact is that learning English takes a bit of time for us to know the ropes.
Today I would like to suggest to all teachers that the challenges in learning English in the beginning can be difficult to overcome. We have to face it even though it will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But we know this: learning English is not an overnight job. There is no short cut in language learning. Studying hard and practicing frequently make it possible to speak English well.