I have a quiet class. If I want to organize a pair work, two of my students may try to find a speaking partner with great reluctance, and the rest of them would stay aloof, quietly reading the textbooks. If I ask questions, they may give very short answers, followed by curt smiles. If they say, "Yes," it is my lucky day because they respond to me.
What am I doing in the class? I am the teacher of a TOEIC class. For those who do not know what the TOEIC is, it is the Test of English for International Communication, which is a very popular test in Japan. My students are Japanese businesspeople, who want to elevate their TOEIC scores.
Some people may wonder why a TOEIC class needs communication between the instructor and students. The answer is a definite yes. As an instructor, I want to know the weakness of my students. So, I ask them questions to find their weaknesses. In this way, I can offer them the help they need.
If my students refuse to talk to me, I will not know the exact weaknesses of my students.
Well, this is my idea of a communicative class. My students apparently have other ideas. They have talked to their corporate management. Looks like I am going to lose this contract to teach them.
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