The Seattle Seahawks are playing GREAT this season, and it looks like they might just go all the way to the Superbowl. If they make it that far, this would be the first time that Seattle has ever gone to the Superbowl. The Seahawks are presently the best team in the entire NFL, with a record of 12 wins to just 3 losses.西雅圖的海鷹隊在這一季有很棒的表現, 看起來很有希望進入美式足球超級盃, 如果他們能打進超級盃, 那將是西雅圖第一次打進超級盃, 海鷹隊是目前美國美式足球聯盟最好的球隊, 目前成績是贏了十二場, 輸了三場.
With the Seahawks in mind, I've been playing American football with my classes at the elementary school. The kids always get excited when I bring out the football, even if they're not exactly sure what it is. American football is NOT popular in Taiwan. At all.因為海鷹隊的關係, 我在國小裡帶我的班玩美式足球, 孩子們雖然不確定那是什麼球, 因為美式足球在台灣並不熱門,但看到我拿出橄欖球都很興奮 .
I have to simplify the rules quite a bit for the kids, but by the end of my short introduction we are almost playing something that looks like American football. I start by drawing a field on the board with two players. Then I draw one player throwing the ball to the other player. After that I act out the other player running to the opposite end of the field.為了孩子能盡快地了解玩法, 我必須將比賽規則簡單化,在我簡短的介紹後, 我們幾乎玩得有模有樣了, 剛開始我畫了兩個球員和一座球場在黑板上, 然後畫一個球員丟球給另一個, 接著我演那個接到球的人跑向球場的另一端.
Then I'll try a couple "demo games" in the class with two of the students. I throw one of the students the ball, and they try to walk past me to the other side of the room. I TRY to show the class that a two-hand tag means that the other side must stop, and that we are tagging the other player, not SMASHING THEM INTO THE GROUND. If I have time, I show the other student how to "block."然後我會請兩個學生在課堂上和我一起表演怎麼玩, 我將球丟給其中一個學生, 他們試著經過我走到教室的另一頭, 我試著讓他們了解 two-hand tag發生時另一隊要停止動作, 並且觸碰另一隊的隊員不表示猛烈撞倒他, 如果我有時間的話, 我也教其他的學生如何攔截球.
It is also necessary to explain that the ball can only be passed one time between players on the same team. A lot of classes have trouble with this part, and they will just pass and pass and pass. When they do this, what you end up with is a kind of handball. 對他們解釋同隊的隊友之間只能傳一次球, 很多班級沒辦法了解這一項, 他們只顧著在彼此之間傳球, 在這種情況下, 遊戲就成為某種手球賽了.
Of course the easiest way to avoid confusion is just to type out a series of directions in English and Chinese, but since I am the conversational English teacher, I don't really like doing this. As an educational exercise, I think it's better if I talk them through the rules as much as possible. 當然最簡單的教法是用中文跟英文寫一張介紹美式足球的規章, 可是我覺得英文會話老師不應該這麼做. 從教學的角度看, 我覺得討論美式足球的規則是比較好的教法.
Later on, we go outside and try to play football. I have to watch the boys VERY carefully when we do this, because many of them will want to shove the other players to the ground. A lot of boys are really fixated on the violent aspects of this and other sports, and I have had to tell a few boys that they can't play if they are going to hurt people. 介紹規則之後, 我們會到外面玩美式足球. 這時候我要很小心注意學生, 因為很多男孩想把他們同學推到地上. 很多男生認為這種運動最好玩的部分就是推擠別人. 所以我們每次玩的時候我都要跟這樣的男同學說他不能再玩了.
I often think about how much more interested they would be in football if there was a Taiwanese player in the NFL. Having a player you can identify with is a big part of any sport, and American football is no exception. Taiwanese people LOVED baseball after Chien-Ming Wang got into the MLB, just as they LOVED basketball after Jeremy Lin started playing in the NBA. I'm sure that many Taiwanese people would also become huge curling fans if it looked like some Taiwanese curler had a shot at the next Winter Olympics.如ˇ果有一個有名的台灣球員在美式足球隊的話, 那大家對美式足球就會更有興趣了. 在任何的球類比賽中, 有一個有名的球員是一件重要的事, 這在美式足球中也不能免俗, 台灣人民瘋棒球是因為王建明加入美國職棒大聯盟, 林書豪打 NBA也是一個很好的例子, 我相信如果台灣出一個冰上滾石遊戲的球員參加下一屆的冬季奧林匹克的話, 那台灣人民也會開始瘋那項運動了.
I think American football is a great game, and it is a game I enjoy both watching and playing. I feel the same way about soccer, which people in Europe call football, much to everyone's confusion. I really wish I could see the Seahawks games live, but thanks to the time difference they always end up occurring in the middle of the night over here. 我覺得美式足球是一個很棒的遊戲, 歐式足球比賽也同樣好玩又好看. 歐洲人叫他們的足球football, 可是我們美國人叫它soccer. 在美國football就是美式足球. 我很想看最近海鷹隊美式足球隊的比賽, 可是兩地的時差差太多了, 他們總是在台灣的三更半夜進行比賽.
Even if the Seahawks don't make it to the Superbowl, I've had a lot of fun playing the game with my students. Most of them enjoy it, and I've had a lot of fun trying to teach them how to play the game.就算海鷹隊沒進入超級盃的比賽, 我已經和我的學生玩得很開心了, 大部分的學生都很喜歡, 我也從教他們的過程中得到許多樂趣.
Showing posts with label american. Show all posts
Showing posts with label american. Show all posts
Sunday, April 12, 2015
Are American Schools Better? 美國的學校比較好嗎?
People in Taitung often ask me if American schools are better. My answer is always no. Of course, there are good and bad schools everywhere, and the worst school in America might be better than the worst school in Taitung, but really, on average, I would say that Taiwanese schools have a lot going for them. 台東的朋友常常問我, "美國的學校比較好嗎?" 我的回答是 "不." 到處都有好學校跟壞學校, 美國的學校不一定比較好. 美國最差的學校可能比台灣最差的學校好一點, 但是我覺得台灣的學校很有自己的特色.
For me, one of the major differences between American and Taiwanese schools is the emphasis put on either facts or opinions. In America, teachers tend to reward students with strong opinions about things, even if those students' mastery of underlying facts is a bit shaky. 我認為美國跟台灣的學校的最大差別在於重視書本知識或個人意見. 在美國, 老師傾向於鼓勵學生對事物有自己的想法, 有時可能學生對事實並沒有很深的瞭解, 只是有意見就好.
In Taiwan, students are rewarded more for their mastery of facts, and less for their opinions about these facts. Obviously it would be the best thing to have well-informed opinions, based on a thorough knowledge of a given subject, but schools in both countries tend to emphasize one half of the equation over the other. 在台灣, 大部分的老師比較重視書本知識. 個人意見顯得沒有那麼重要. 當然正確的知識觀念跟正確的個人意見都很重要, 可是這兩國家都還沒在這兩項重點上取得平衡.
People also ask me if American schools are more "free." They aren't often able to elaborate on what they mean by "free," but I assume they are asking if American schools are less bound by rules and tradition. In this instance, there is a sharp distinction between American public and private schools. American public schools are certainly more free, but often to a disorganized or even dangerous extent. American private schools, on the other hand, are sometimes even more rule-bound than Taiwanese schools. Many American Catholic schools, for example, attract a large number of students not on religious grounds, but on the fact that their discipline is much, much stricter. 還有人問我, "美國的學校比較自由嗎?" 他們通常都無法定義"自由"的意思. 我想他們要問的是學校的規矩是否比較少. 在這方面, 公立學校跟私立學校比較起來就差很多. 美國有的公立學校真的很自由, 自由到超亂的或是有點危險. 有的私立學校的規矩甚至比台灣的學校還嚴格. 特別是美國的天主教學校. 很多美國小孩在那種學校上學不是因為宗教的關係, 而是因為那種學校很嚴格.
Another big difference between American and Taiwanese public schools is money. In Taiwan, public schools are pretty much the same everywhere, and are allotted funds out of the same general purse. In America, many schools are dependent upon local education levies, federal and local government assistance, and money from other sources. This means that schools in affluent areas tend to look (and often be) better. Immigration also plays a role here, since schools in affluent areas tend to educate more native speakers, from more stable households. Schools in poorer areas just can't compete. 另一個美國的學校跟台灣的學校的差別在於"錢". 在台灣, 每所學校的經費由縣市政府決定. 美國的狀況比較複雜, 因為部分的錢由中央政府提供, 部分的錢來自於地方的土地增值稅等...... 所以有錢的社區的學校通常比較好. 那些比較窮的學校通常有比較多的移民學生跟家庭有困難的學生,所以兩者的素質就有所差別.
During my time teaching in Seattle (about two years altogether), I taught at both kinds of American school. One school I taught at was so poor that they couldn't even heat the building properly, and some of the interior walls were falling down. Many of the students in that school came from very frightening home environments, where drugs and domestic violence were an everyday occurrence. 我在美國教書的兩年中, 在這兩種學校當過老師. 其中一所學校很老舊, 有的牆壁快倒了, 冬天的時候也沒辦法供應足夠的暖氣. 那裡的學生很多是家庭狀況不好, 他們居住的環境中常常碰到毒品或家庭暴力的問題.
I have also taught at very nice, new schools, in very rich neighborhoods. These were like the schools you see in Hollywood movies, where all the kids are well-dressed and well-behaved. The strange thing is, I tended to like the poorer schools more. Many of the kids in those schools felt more "real" to me, even if some of them were a nightmare. 我也在有錢的社區的學校教過書. 那裡的學校很像美國電影裡的學校. 每個學生穿著流行的衣服,行為也很好. 奇怪的是我比較喜歡沒錢的學校, 因為那種學校的同學對我來說比較"真".
So are American schools better? On average, I would have to say no. Just different, I think, and burdened with their own problems. There's good and bad everywhere, and America is no exception. 美國的學校比較好嗎? 我覺得不是,而是不同而已. 因為環境跟政策的關係, 每個學校都有他們自己的問題. 到處都有好跟壞的學校. 在美國沒有什麼不一樣.
P.S.
If you want to see a funny movie about American schools, I highly recommend "Bad Teacher." You can rent it at Blockbuster! 如果您想看部關於美國學校的喜劇片, 我建議你看"Bad Teacher"[罷凌女教師]. 您可以在百視達租這片DVD.
For me, one of the major differences between American and Taiwanese schools is the emphasis put on either facts or opinions. In America, teachers tend to reward students with strong opinions about things, even if those students' mastery of underlying facts is a bit shaky. 我認為美國跟台灣的學校的最大差別在於重視書本知識或個人意見. 在美國, 老師傾向於鼓勵學生對事物有自己的想法, 有時可能學生對事實並沒有很深的瞭解, 只是有意見就好.
In Taiwan, students are rewarded more for their mastery of facts, and less for their opinions about these facts. Obviously it would be the best thing to have well-informed opinions, based on a thorough knowledge of a given subject, but schools in both countries tend to emphasize one half of the equation over the other. 在台灣, 大部分的老師比較重視書本知識. 個人意見顯得沒有那麼重要. 當然正確的知識觀念跟正確的個人意見都很重要, 可是這兩國家都還沒在這兩項重點上取得平衡.
People also ask me if American schools are more "free." They aren't often able to elaborate on what they mean by "free," but I assume they are asking if American schools are less bound by rules and tradition. In this instance, there is a sharp distinction between American public and private schools. American public schools are certainly more free, but often to a disorganized or even dangerous extent. American private schools, on the other hand, are sometimes even more rule-bound than Taiwanese schools. Many American Catholic schools, for example, attract a large number of students not on religious grounds, but on the fact that their discipline is much, much stricter. 還有人問我, "美國的學校比較自由嗎?" 他們通常都無法定義"自由"的意思. 我想他們要問的是學校的規矩是否比較少. 在這方面, 公立學校跟私立學校比較起來就差很多. 美國有的公立學校真的很自由, 自由到超亂的或是有點危險. 有的私立學校的規矩甚至比台灣的學校還嚴格. 特別是美國的天主教學校. 很多美國小孩在那種學校上學不是因為宗教的關係, 而是因為那種學校很嚴格.
Another big difference between American and Taiwanese public schools is money. In Taiwan, public schools are pretty much the same everywhere, and are allotted funds out of the same general purse. In America, many schools are dependent upon local education levies, federal and local government assistance, and money from other sources. This means that schools in affluent areas tend to look (and often be) better. Immigration also plays a role here, since schools in affluent areas tend to educate more native speakers, from more stable households. Schools in poorer areas just can't compete. 另一個美國的學校跟台灣的學校的差別在於"錢". 在台灣, 每所學校的經費由縣市政府決定. 美國的狀況比較複雜, 因為部分的錢由中央政府提供, 部分的錢來自於地方的土地增值稅等...... 所以有錢的社區的學校通常比較好. 那些比較窮的學校通常有比較多的移民學生跟家庭有困難的學生,所以兩者的素質就有所差別.
During my time teaching in Seattle (about two years altogether), I taught at both kinds of American school. One school I taught at was so poor that they couldn't even heat the building properly, and some of the interior walls were falling down. Many of the students in that school came from very frightening home environments, where drugs and domestic violence were an everyday occurrence. 我在美國教書的兩年中, 在這兩種學校當過老師. 其中一所學校很老舊, 有的牆壁快倒了, 冬天的時候也沒辦法供應足夠的暖氣. 那裡的學生很多是家庭狀況不好, 他們居住的環境中常常碰到毒品或家庭暴力的問題.
I have also taught at very nice, new schools, in very rich neighborhoods. These were like the schools you see in Hollywood movies, where all the kids are well-dressed and well-behaved. The strange thing is, I tended to like the poorer schools more. Many of the kids in those schools felt more "real" to me, even if some of them were a nightmare. 我也在有錢的社區的學校教過書. 那裡的學校很像美國電影裡的學校. 每個學生穿著流行的衣服,行為也很好. 奇怪的是我比較喜歡沒錢的學校, 因為那種學校的同學對我來說比較"真".
So are American schools better? On average, I would have to say no. Just different, I think, and burdened with their own problems. There's good and bad everywhere, and America is no exception. 美國的學校比較好嗎? 我覺得不是,而是不同而已. 因為環境跟政策的關係, 每個學校都有他們自己的問題. 到處都有好跟壞的學校. 在美國沒有什麼不一樣.
P.S.
If you want to see a funny movie about American schools, I highly recommend "Bad Teacher." You can rent it at Blockbuster! 如果您想看部關於美國學校的喜劇片, 我建議你看"Bad Teacher"[罷凌女教師]. 您可以在百視達租這片DVD.
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