I have completed my first week of teaching conversational English and, boy, are my arms tired!
Anyhow, I now have a better understanding of what my position entails, and I know that some of you are curious what I will (hopefully) be doing for the rest of my time here in France. My new employer, International Language Training Company (or ILTC for short), offers services in three different arenas of training.
The first is composed primarily employers who have contracted ILTC to provide training for their employees. These types of lessons are typically small in nature, usually one on one, or one on two. Apparently, it is unusual to have a large number of trainees for these sessions, and they rarely exceed more than eight trainees even in these cases. These sessions usually occur at ILTC’s offices (although it is possible for the trainer to travel to the trainee’s location). These are probably the most comprehensive, as the trainee has face to face lessons as well as Gymglish, and online training course, which they can practice at their leisure (and is not required, but recommended). In ILTC vernacular, these are referred to as ‘Lessons,’ and they may also incorporate the next type of training listed below.
The second is similar in nature to the Lessons, and is sometimes a component of them. These are the telephone training, known simply as “Telephone”. In these lessons, the student is sent information and training to work on at their leisure. Then, at a scheduled time, they will call a trainer and practice their speaking and comprehension by discussing the lesson they were sent. These are scheduled as 30-minute telephone calls and, as a benefit; the trainer can do these from home.
The third and final training is English training at two local business schools (simply known and ‘Schools’ or ‘Classes’). In this instance, ILTC is contracted to provide general English training and preparation for TOEIC testing (more on TOEIC in the next paragraph). Classes are usually two-hours long; however, both schools have different thoughts on this preparation. The first, IFAG (pronounced e-fag, don’t laugh), has comprehensive training, frequent classes, and regular testing to assess the student’s progress. The other, 3A (Twahz-Ah), has infrequent classes and little to no assessment except for a final project and the TOEIC test itself. Because of this difference, lessons plans differ greatly between the two schools. Whereas IFAG provides a more balanced course in English, 3A is more rushed, and the lesson must pack more content into a shorter time frame.
TOEIC (Test Of English for International Communication) is an international standard for testing English skills in a variety of areas. Developed in 1979, and continually revised since, TOEIC is an important test for business students who plan on seeking employment with a company that would require them to speak and/or write in English. The top score is 990, and most businesses that require English comprehension in a candidate have a minimum requirement of 700.
So, what is this teaching like: well, I have not yet done any Telephone yet, so I cannot comment on that, but I have taught at 3A and, as of today, have completed two Lessons. To be honest, the difference between Classes and Lessons is worlds apart. Classes involve a structured lesson plan devised jointly by the school itself and ILTC. As trainers, we are given leeway on adapting or altering the lesson if needed (either due to student comprehension or, as is more often the case, technical difficulties), but the objectives and goals of each individual lesson are solid and immutable.
Lessons, on the other hand, are more open to interpretation. After the trainee is audited by ILTC, and receives an assessment across several criteria of their English skills, ILTC and the client (the trainee’s employer) determine a path of objectives to be reached over the course of the training (usually between 40-60 hours total). Outside of that, the trainer has a fairly free hand in developing lesson plans that fit the trainee’s temperament and needs. The trainer also is allowed to adapt and develop the direction of training as needed.
Another difference is the attitude of the trainees and students. Trainees for the lessons tend to be more outgoing and positive. Also, with Lessons being on a more intimate level of personal interaction, a strong rapport between the trainers and the trainer is typically built.
The students, though, can be a holy terror! I’m not sure of the French attitude of student/teacher relationship, but I can tell you this much: The general attitude of the students I have taught and observed would never fly in the United States. They will challenge you, try to talk over you, or ignore the lesson and instructions and chit-chat away.
Now, to be fair, not all of the students are like this, and a combination of class-size as well as comprehension of English play a part. For example, I have two two-hour classes at 3A, back to back. The first is small, about 16 students (I was also lucky in that only ten of them showed up on my first day). Because of this smaller size, it is easier for the instructor to engage the whole class at once, or to quickly quell any bad behavior (of which there wasn’t much). As there were only ten students, I also feel that I created a positive rapport with them. So I am hoping that when I finally meet the other six who were absent, I will have a majority of the previous students already on my side. Win their hearts and minds, I say!
My second class is much larger, though. It is a total of 24 students, 22 of which were present on my first day with them. Larger groups are harder to teach because it is difficult to address their concerns individually. Another issue I instantly realized is that, while they were all placed in this class based on an audit of their English abilities at the beginning of the school year, some seem to have progressed much more quickly than the others. This difference in comprehension required me to spend more time with those who were having trouble. It also leads to the more advanced students to pay less attention, and also to be a bit cocky due to their self-assuredness.
And so there you have it. A more concise run-down about what I am and will be doing. I sure I am only touching the tip of the iceberg, and there is probably much that I still have yet to discover. But we can talk about that later.
Coming up in the next entry of Americans Abroad: Jeff and his friends visit a Teppanyaki-Style restaurant for Jeff’s birthday dinner. How will it go? Will the food be just as good as in the States? Will lots of Sake be involved?!? Okay, we know the answer to the last one. It is YES!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Food, part Deux
You know what I am having a hell of a time finding here in Lyon? A good hot sauce. Really!
I mean, is it too much to ask to have a little heat in your food? Sure, I know that the French have refined palates, and that they prefer their food to be on the creamy, fatty side with gentle overtones of soothing flavor. But this is supposed to be the gastronomical capital of France. WHERE'S MY HOT SAUCE!?!
Don't get me wrong. Just about every grocery store has red Tabasco (some even have the milder green blend), so at least there is that. But here is the thing about Tabasco: It is like a light beer, Miller Lite for example. It's passable and good for when you got nothing better around, but you can have as much of it as you want and it still won't screw you up. Tabasco is safe. Tabasco is for the masses.
Thus far, I have only been able to find two (2!!!) other hot sauces. The first that I found (even before I found Tabasco, which is usually in a completely different section), is Louisiana Hot Sauce, and that's only the Original flavor. This one is OK. It has mild heat, but little to no flavor.
Next I found Grace Hot Pepper Sauce, a Product of Jamaica. This one is a bit hotter (the label lies and says "very hot/tres piquant") but, still, no flavor.
Of course, their are also Asian pepper sauces you can find at any Asian store, but they are different, you know? Their favor doesn't really lend itself to meals like tacos and other southern foods as much as they work well with eastern cuisines.
I don't know if there is no market for hot sauces here, or if they only import hot, yet unflavored hot sauces because the French only want "Hot" sauces.
Verily, woe is me...
Oh, and I got a call from my new employer, and they moved up my start date from February 11th to next Tuesday. Woohoo!
I mean, is it too much to ask to have a little heat in your food? Sure, I know that the French have refined palates, and that they prefer their food to be on the creamy, fatty side with gentle overtones of soothing flavor. But this is supposed to be the gastronomical capital of France. WHERE'S MY HOT SAUCE!?!
Don't get me wrong. Just about every grocery store has red Tabasco (some even have the milder green blend), so at least there is that. But here is the thing about Tabasco: It is like a light beer, Miller Lite for example. It's passable and good for when you got nothing better around, but you can have as much of it as you want and it still won't screw you up. Tabasco is safe. Tabasco is for the masses.
Thus far, I have only been able to find two (2!!!) other hot sauces. The first that I found (even before I found Tabasco, which is usually in a completely different section), is Louisiana Hot Sauce, and that's only the Original flavor. This one is OK. It has mild heat, but little to no flavor.
Next I found Grace Hot Pepper Sauce, a Product of Jamaica. This one is a bit hotter (the label lies and says "very hot/tres piquant") but, still, no flavor.
Of course, their are also Asian pepper sauces you can find at any Asian store, but they are different, you know? Their favor doesn't really lend itself to meals like tacos and other southern foods as much as they work well with eastern cuisines.
I don't know if there is no market for hot sauces here, or if they only import hot, yet unflavored hot sauces because the French only want "Hot" sauces.
Verily, woe is me...
Oh, and I got a call from my new employer, and they moved up my start date from February 11th to next Tuesday. Woohoo!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
I never tried that, but I know I don't like it.
Really, most of you would be surprised to learn that, at one time in my life, I was one of the pickiest eaters. Now look at me, I eat stuff many of you have never heard of! I'm not sure when my love of food fully blossomed, but I think I do have to credit my old room mate Garen Gaston, and my friend Ian Miller, for introducing me to new cuisines that began my love affair with food.
So what is the food like in France? Well, in some ways it is not much different. They still have McDonalds, and it is about the same. To be honest, we haven't eaten much "French" food since we have been here. Being more situated to the center of the known world, France (and Europe) seem to have a lot more international cuisines all over the place. So what have we eaten...
Asian cuisines
There is a lot of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian restaurants. Since France tried to 'colonize' a lot of Southeast Asia, immigrants from that region have also relocated to France, and have brought their cuisines along as well. Interestingly, many of our friends have also remarked that most Chinese restaurants are actually run by Vietnamese. Hmmm...
We are lucky to have two such restaurants nearby, each only about a block or two away. One is Vietnamese and is pretty good, the other is Cambodian (with some Thai influences) and that is also very good.
Kebabs
Kebab shops are all over the place here. basically, kebab = gyro, but this is the Turkish version and is spiced a bit differently. They are still damn good, if not healthy. There is one right down the street that I have partaken of a couple of times. Since Erika doesn't regularly eat lamb (or whatever the meat actually is), she usually goes for a chicken sandwich, although some restaurants spice their chicken with something that gives her an allergic reaction. =(
Raclette
Raclette is kind of like fondue, in that you spend more time socializing rather than eating. Basically, you have a bowl of boiled potatoes. then there is the machine where you have a cute little dish that you put cheese and deli meats on, and stick it under a heater to melt the cheese and warm the meats. Then, when it is ready, you pull the dish out and pour it on your potato. Very tasty, but very, very, filling.
Mussels
Although we have made mussels at home a couple of times, we have also had them at restaurants. The first time was at Leffe, a bar/restaurant run by the makers of Leffe beer. This was in a bit of a touristy area and, while the mussels weren't great, they were just average.
However, last night we went to a place called Palais de la Biere (basically, Palace of Beer). This place serves a plate of either mussels or sausage, and has a lot of excellent beers. The mussels were spectacular, and beer was awesome! Erika had the Saison Dupont, and I had La Trappe Quadruple. Awesome!
Bouchon
We haven't had this yet, but this is known as the traditional Lyonnais cuisine/restaurant. Technically, 'bouchon' means 'cork' as in wine bottle cork. Although this type of cuisine has nothing to with corks (or, at least, not anymore than anything else). From what I understand, it is very meat-centric, and most of the meals comprise of the parts that normally don't get used. It is also supposed to be very fatty.
Aside from these, we have also had some tasty meals for dinner at friends' houses. Some of these meals are regional, and I couldn't tell you what they are to save my life. But one thing is for certain, food is definitely very important here. Looks like I have come to the right place!
So what is the food like in France? Well, in some ways it is not much different. They still have McDonalds, and it is about the same. To be honest, we haven't eaten much "French" food since we have been here. Being more situated to the center of the known world, France (and Europe) seem to have a lot more international cuisines all over the place. So what have we eaten...
Asian cuisines
There is a lot of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Cambodian restaurants. Since France tried to 'colonize' a lot of Southeast Asia, immigrants from that region have also relocated to France, and have brought their cuisines along as well. Interestingly, many of our friends have also remarked that most Chinese restaurants are actually run by Vietnamese. Hmmm...
We are lucky to have two such restaurants nearby, each only about a block or two away. One is Vietnamese and is pretty good, the other is Cambodian (with some Thai influences) and that is also very good.
Kebabs
Kebab shops are all over the place here. basically, kebab = gyro, but this is the Turkish version and is spiced a bit differently. They are still damn good, if not healthy. There is one right down the street that I have partaken of a couple of times. Since Erika doesn't regularly eat lamb (or whatever the meat actually is), she usually goes for a chicken sandwich, although some restaurants spice their chicken with something that gives her an allergic reaction. =(
Raclette
Raclette is kind of like fondue, in that you spend more time socializing rather than eating. Basically, you have a bowl of boiled potatoes. then there is the machine where you have a cute little dish that you put cheese and deli meats on, and stick it under a heater to melt the cheese and warm the meats. Then, when it is ready, you pull the dish out and pour it on your potato. Very tasty, but very, very, filling.
Mussels
Although we have made mussels at home a couple of times, we have also had them at restaurants. The first time was at Leffe, a bar/restaurant run by the makers of Leffe beer. This was in a bit of a touristy area and, while the mussels weren't great, they were just average.
However, last night we went to a place called Palais de la Biere (basically, Palace of Beer). This place serves a plate of either mussels or sausage, and has a lot of excellent beers. The mussels were spectacular, and beer was awesome! Erika had the Saison Dupont, and I had La Trappe Quadruple. Awesome!
Bouchon
We haven't had this yet, but this is known as the traditional Lyonnais cuisine/restaurant. Technically, 'bouchon' means 'cork' as in wine bottle cork. Although this type of cuisine has nothing to with corks (or, at least, not anymore than anything else). From what I understand, it is very meat-centric, and most of the meals comprise of the parts that normally don't get used. It is also supposed to be very fatty.
Aside from these, we have also had some tasty meals for dinner at friends' houses. Some of these meals are regional, and I couldn't tell you what they are to save my life. But one thing is for certain, food is definitely very important here. Looks like I have come to the right place!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
This is the worst blog ever.
Holy cow! It has been a month since my last update. Boy, am I lazy!
Not surprisingly, I do have quite a bit to talk about so, in the interest of brevity, I will split them up over the next couple of days.
WORK
When I last left you, I found out that I got the job teaching conversational English to business people. On the 6th of January I went in to sign the work contract... and that is it. It turns out I don't start my training until February 11th. I was supposed to go in on the 12th of January for a meet-and-greet with the employees of the company, but that was postponed because the other new employee doesn't have her Carte de Sejour (residence card) yet, so she couldn't sign her contract. So, now I am waiting on that as well.
HOME
We are still working on getting settled in. There is still some furniture and light fixtures we need to pick up, as well as a washing machine, and some more kitchen cookware. Other than that, its pretty nice. We are getting a new (used) entertainment center from a friend and, once that arrives, the current wire-shelving entertainment center will move into the sejour (living room) to be used as a pantry and other storage. Wall decorations will go up once that is settled.
HOLIDAYS
The holidays were blessedly relaxed for us. We talked the talk about going somewhere for or after Christmas but, once it came down to it, we stayed home and relaxed. On Christmas day we went and saw Avatar in 3D. It is a fun movie, and visually stunning, but the plot is so cliche and generic, I can't understand how James Cameron actually thinks he has created a story for the ages. Oh well... Erika had problems with the 3D glasses fitting over her regular glasses, so it wasn't as cool for her. =(
For New Year's Eve we were invited by our friend Patricia to a small house party. We ate raclette and drank lots of wine. People danced. One guy drank so much that he passed out at around 1am, only to wake up refreshed and ready to go again at 3am, when everyone else was winding down. We got home around 4-4:30am, and the kids upstairs still had the music blaring for their party. We kindly asked them to turn it down, but when it was still going at 6:30am, I went up there, knocked on the door and, when one of the guys answered it, I walked right in and turned the sound off of his stereo. Ha!
On New Year's Day, we watched a downloaded copy of the Champs Sports Bowl (go BUCKY!) and Erika and I made a meal of fried scallops, sausages, and escargot. Oh, and we drank lots of mimosas.
Tomorrow's subject: FOOD!!!
Not surprisingly, I do have quite a bit to talk about so, in the interest of brevity, I will split them up over the next couple of days.
WORK
When I last left you, I found out that I got the job teaching conversational English to business people. On the 6th of January I went in to sign the work contract... and that is it. It turns out I don't start my training until February 11th. I was supposed to go in on the 12th of January for a meet-and-greet with the employees of the company, but that was postponed because the other new employee doesn't have her Carte de Sejour (residence card) yet, so she couldn't sign her contract. So, now I am waiting on that as well.
HOME
We are still working on getting settled in. There is still some furniture and light fixtures we need to pick up, as well as a washing machine, and some more kitchen cookware. Other than that, its pretty nice. We are getting a new (used) entertainment center from a friend and, once that arrives, the current wire-shelving entertainment center will move into the sejour (living room) to be used as a pantry and other storage. Wall decorations will go up once that is settled.
HOLIDAYS
The holidays were blessedly relaxed for us. We talked the talk about going somewhere for or after Christmas but, once it came down to it, we stayed home and relaxed. On Christmas day we went and saw Avatar in 3D. It is a fun movie, and visually stunning, but the plot is so cliche and generic, I can't understand how James Cameron actually thinks he has created a story for the ages. Oh well... Erika had problems with the 3D glasses fitting over her regular glasses, so it wasn't as cool for her. =(
For New Year's Eve we were invited by our friend Patricia to a small house party. We ate raclette and drank lots of wine. People danced. One guy drank so much that he passed out at around 1am, only to wake up refreshed and ready to go again at 3am, when everyone else was winding down. We got home around 4-4:30am, and the kids upstairs still had the music blaring for their party. We kindly asked them to turn it down, but when it was still going at 6:30am, I went up there, knocked on the door and, when one of the guys answered it, I walked right in and turned the sound off of his stereo. Ha!
On New Year's Day, we watched a downloaded copy of the Champs Sports Bowl (go BUCKY!) and Erika and I made a meal of fried scallops, sausages, and escargot. Oh, and we drank lots of mimosas.
Tomorrow's subject: FOOD!!!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Working on the Chain Gang
OK, so… Hooray! I’ve got a job!
I have been offered, and accepted, a position at ILTC, a language-training institute here in Lyon. ILTC just celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and has offices in Paris and Lyon, and is in the process of opening a new office in southern France. ILTC trains on a variety of languages and offers training in the classroom, by telephone, and document translation.
I will be on the English training side of things and, after my own training, will probably start out in one of the general conversational (spoken) English courses. From my understanding, the classes are mostly personnel from business and the like, although there is also courses for college students looking to improve their English as well.
The position itself is sort of what we would call a ‘probationary period’ in the states. It is a 200 hour contract at a set rate of pay. The two main perks in the contract is that I will be enrolled in one of ILTC’s French language courses, so that I may continue my French training; and they also cover, in part or whole, my mutuelle (private, supplemental insurance to cover what the French Social Security system does not). After those 200 hours, my contract will be reevaluated based on my progress and a new one will be written up (or I will be let go). I don't go in to sign my contract and start work until January 6th, so I have a lot of time to get all antsy about getting to work and stop hanging around the house!
That being said, at this point I have no idea what my weekly schedule will be like. Classes are only taught during the week, but work is based on what is currently going on. So it’s entirely possible that I could work as little as 10 hours a week, or as many as 50 hours, or it could be different every week. Who knows?
Well, that’s about all I can think of right now. If anything new comes up, I’ll let you all know!
I have been offered, and accepted, a position at ILTC, a language-training institute here in Lyon. ILTC just celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and has offices in Paris and Lyon, and is in the process of opening a new office in southern France. ILTC trains on a variety of languages and offers training in the classroom, by telephone, and document translation.
I will be on the English training side of things and, after my own training, will probably start out in one of the general conversational (spoken) English courses. From my understanding, the classes are mostly personnel from business and the like, although there is also courses for college students looking to improve their English as well.
The position itself is sort of what we would call a ‘probationary period’ in the states. It is a 200 hour contract at a set rate of pay. The two main perks in the contract is that I will be enrolled in one of ILTC’s French language courses, so that I may continue my French training; and they also cover, in part or whole, my mutuelle (private, supplemental insurance to cover what the French Social Security system does not). After those 200 hours, my contract will be reevaluated based on my progress and a new one will be written up (or I will be let go). I don't go in to sign my contract and start work until January 6th, so I have a lot of time to get all antsy about getting to work and stop hanging around the house!
That being said, at this point I have no idea what my weekly schedule will be like. Classes are only taught during the week, but work is based on what is currently going on. So it’s entirely possible that I could work as little as 10 hours a week, or as many as 50 hours, or it could be different every week. Who knows?
Well, that’s about all I can think of right now. If anything new comes up, I’ll let you all know!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Long time, no see. Part 2
Job Update: I got the call yesterday, and I do not have a job yet. However, I do have the coveted 'second interview' this coming Thursday. So let us hope for the best. I have never NOT gotten a second interview in a position which I have applied for that warrants one. And out of the six second interviews I have had in my life, only one didn't pan out. So my success rate is fairly high in these situations!
Anyhow, I promised more updates over the weekend regarding recent events, so this is update #2.
On Monday, November 30th, our stuff FINALLY arrived from the good ole' U.S. of A. I'd like to take this moment to thank the following people for their direct assistance: Anya for helping us load the moving van back in State College. Lance for storing our stuff until the movers could pick it up (as well as dealing with the whole U.S. side of that process). Dad and Kellie for dropping us off at Chris', and Chris for taking us to JFK. Finally we'd like to thank Tarlis, Patricia, Joanna, Emil and Alex, Gergely and Agnes for helping us in quickly and efficiently getting our stuff up from the moving truck to our apartment.
Barring some minor damage (a piece of wood from the pallet pierced the bottom of a box and damaged the case for one of my Playstation 3 game; and well as a plate, a bowl, and a glass were broken) things were in fairly good shape.
The biggest issue was probably the preceding week, where we were having unpleasant and stressful discussions with the movers, who insisted that we had to pay 110 euros for a 'local agent' to have parking in front of our building reserved for the truck on the day of delivery. Needless to say, it was fishy because we were to pay the movers in cash when they arrived and, furthermore, the local agent (who was supposed to handle everything himself), didn't follow through and, hence, we paid for a service that wasn't provided. Cars were still parked there and the moving truck had to unload while essentially blocking a lane of traffic.
After Erika and I composed a strongly worded letter to both the local moving company, as well as the company in the U.S. who we contracted to oversee this process, they have agreed to refund us the 110 euros. Now let's just see if it actually shows up!
Anyhow, I promised more updates over the weekend regarding recent events, so this is update #2.
On Monday, November 30th, our stuff FINALLY arrived from the good ole' U.S. of A. I'd like to take this moment to thank the following people for their direct assistance: Anya for helping us load the moving van back in State College. Lance for storing our stuff until the movers could pick it up (as well as dealing with the whole U.S. side of that process). Dad and Kellie for dropping us off at Chris', and Chris for taking us to JFK. Finally we'd like to thank Tarlis, Patricia, Joanna, Emil and Alex, Gergely and Agnes for helping us in quickly and efficiently getting our stuff up from the moving truck to our apartment.
Barring some minor damage (a piece of wood from the pallet pierced the bottom of a box and damaged the case for one of my Playstation 3 game; and well as a plate, a bowl, and a glass were broken) things were in fairly good shape.
The biggest issue was probably the preceding week, where we were having unpleasant and stressful discussions with the movers, who insisted that we had to pay 110 euros for a 'local agent' to have parking in front of our building reserved for the truck on the day of delivery. Needless to say, it was fishy because we were to pay the movers in cash when they arrived and, furthermore, the local agent (who was supposed to handle everything himself), didn't follow through and, hence, we paid for a service that wasn't provided. Cars were still parked there and the moving truck had to unload while essentially blocking a lane of traffic.
After Erika and I composed a strongly worded letter to both the local moving company, as well as the company in the U.S. who we contracted to oversee this process, they have agreed to refund us the 110 euros. Now let's just see if it actually shows up!
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