作者: 爱尔兰都柏林大学 赖小琪
今天一个朋友和我说, 他想参加深圳某大型外语培训机构(名字不说了, 免得被告上法庭,呵呵) 的英语培训课程, 为期一年半, 学费接近4万, 让他吓了一跳. 这位朋友本身英语水平就很好, 平时在自学口译, 听说那个培训机构有外教小班授课, 心想通过与外教面对面对交流可以提高得更快, 于是他才想去报班. 不过幸好他聪明, 没有立即交钱, 而且回家后上网查了相关的信息, 包括一些网友的评价, 才发现那个公司的推销员说的课程有多么多么好, 其实是严重失真, 说句不好听的话, 是 “欺诈”. 那个推销员和他说, 会以小班授课, 而且是外教的, 其实这都没有错, 但问题是一些参加过该课程的网友说, 授课的时间超少, 绝大部分时间是去他们公司的电脑房通过他们的软件来自学. 我想这个软件很多人都不陌生了, 以前我在深大的时候就有一些培训机构愿意给深大学生试用.
首先, 我并不是说这些学习软件不好, 相反, 这些学习软件还是挺方便的, 而且内容也不少. 但是, 花四万多块钱后却在用那个软件自学, 这样值得吗? 我实在不敢恭维. 你交了四万多块钱, 培训中心就定期给你一张椅子, 一部电脑子, 让你去到以后用那个软件自学, 或许还有一个老师在前台 “坐镇指挥”, 回答你在使用软件过程中或者学习中遇到的问题. 这样的话, 这个钱也真的太好赚了吧? 再者, 那个学习软件是否真的值这个价钱也非常值得商榷. 如果去报班的学员要在培训中心自学的话, 人家为什么不在家自学呢? 现在网络这么发达, 网上的英语学习资源可谓是多得扑天盖地, 随便一个英语网站都可以让你耗尽半生了. 而且网络上的资源绝对比那些学习软件的内容丰富得多, 为什么别人还要花钱去自学?
其实, 说句不好听的话, 这些把戏就是很多培训中心用来忽悠不知情的大众的. 我曾经做过外语培训老师, 所以对深圳的培训业还是很了解的, 对那些主要大型的外语培训机构的一些运作以及教学活动也有一定的了解. 看到这些机构的一些运作以及一些老师的教学方法, 我除了摇头冷笑以外, 真的不知如何表达我失望的心情.
首先, 如果你想报某个机构的培训班, 当你去咨询时, 那些 “老师” 会对你非常热情, 同时不断吹嘘他们的课程有多好多好, 吹得天花乱坠, 连树上的小鸟也会被他哄下来，让你士气大增, 对未来的学习充满憧憬. 这时候, 哪怕价格有点贵, 为了学好英语, 你也可能会豁出去. 要是你的经济状况稍微好点的, 简直眼皮不眨就把钱给交齐了. 可是等你交了钱正式上课以后, 你就会大跌眼镜. 要么你就是大部分时间对着软件自学, 要么那些老师就对着课文和讲义一直在念, 念完了就各自解散. 那些老师根本就不愿意花时间去备课, 不会去仔细了解学生的总体水平, 更不会提醒大家平时该怎么用功, 朝哪个方向努力, 更别说对症下药, 采取适当的教学方法了.反正培训中心有现存的讲义和PPT, 他们只要照着来念就行了. 就算培训中心没有教案, 一般培训老师都有好几年以上教学经验的, 他们也储备了不少以前的教案, 于是每期的培训课就按那些教案来念, 而下面的学生都在昏昏欲睡. 这样做的话, 老师可真的就省事了, 课前不用备课, 上课就一直在念, 下课了就立即走人. 然后一个小时拿个两三百的薪酬, 要是教一些高端的课, 薪酬会更高. 至于你学没学成, 这可和老师没关系.
还有一种老师, 上课不是无聊, 而是 “太有趣”了. 这类老师一般都是教出国英语考试的, 像雅思托福. 他们一般是出国留学回来的, 所以有一定的海外生活经历, 因此上起雅思托福培训班, 就可以大吹特吹他们的海外生活经历, 而且一吹就一发不可收拾, 完全忘记了他是在上课, 不是在吹水, 让你感到 “山重水复疑无路, 柳暗花明又一村”. 可是学生去报你的班, 不是去听你吹水的, 而是想你真真正正地教他们一点东西, 让他们的英语水平得到提升, 以应付考试. 我不否认, 老师应该与学生分享一下他们的求学经历或者一些人生趣事, 这样一方面有助于活跃课堂, 另一方面也有助于学生吸收别人好的经验, 为己所用. 可是这些 “经历或者经验之谈” 也总得有个限度吧? 不可能一个小时的课有40分钟就在吹水, 只有 20分钟才是真正的上课, 这样也未免太忽悠学生了吧? 结果, 我认识的很多上过一些培训机构的雅思托福班的朋友, 当我问起他们学习的情况时, 他们总是摇摇头, 然后扔一下一句话: “没用的, 那些老师就会吹水!”
不过, 尽管很多培训机构的教学质量让人大跌眼镜, 可是它们的生意却丝毫不受影响, 可能还在不断地增长之中. 为什么会出现这种现象呢? 我想, 这与日益增长的英语学习群体以及很多人对培训情况的不了解有关. 像一些已经建立了良好品牌的培训机构, 现在的教学质量已经不是最关键的问题了, 因为只要大家一提到英语培训, 就会立即想起它们. 特别是对一些英语基础本身不太好甚至只认得二十六个字母的人来讲, 他们往往首选名气大的培训机构, 就好比我们高考都想考清华北大一样. 更何况, 这些培训机构也都是大同小异的, 你觉得这家不好换另一家, 想不到最后也是一样, 所以最后就索性不换了. 它们都先采取 “诱客深入”的策略, 收了钱以后, 再将你置之不理, 你学得好不好已经和它们无关了. 很多培训机构更声称在报名后的某段时间内不满意者可以退钱, 可是当你真的要退钱时, 那程序和手续可就麻烦了, 如果钱不太多的话, 你宁愿放弃退款也不想等了. 以前我就有一个朋友花了接近两万元报了某培训机构的课程, 学了一周后他觉得不满意, 想退回余款, 可是居然闹了差不多一年才退款成功, 而且在退款前他亲自上那培训中心理论的次数不下于 10次, 也就是平均每个月一次, 就像债主讨债一样.
其实我并不反对培训机构赚钱. 培训机构也是商业型公司, 也是以盈利为目的, 否则没有盈利谁会去做这个苦差事? 可是盈利的同时, 也要讲一下社会良心吧? 其实盈利与教学质量的好坏根本不冲突. 哪怕你收费再高, 如果学员真的喜欢上这个课程, 而且上了这门课真的是获益良多, 觉得物有所值的, 那样你盈利再高也只会让人拍手叫好, 因为你要的价钱对得起你付给学员的知识. 而反观现状, 暂且不说培训机构如何用 “花言巧语” 吸引学员, 如何对学员在合理的期限内要求退款百般刁难, 单是看一下那些培训老师的教学, 都让人感到绝望. 一个不关心教学效果, 只想教完就走的老师, 能够让学生学到多少东西? 作为一个英语培训老师, 不仅要上课好好教学生, 为学生解答疑难, 课后还要布置相应的作业给学生做, 并且检查学生完成的效果, 还要传授给学生相应的学习方法, 如此方为一名好老师. 但是反观现在的培训老师, 能够把课讲好都不错了, 更不要说留作业给学生并且检查学生的作业. 我曾经有一个参加托福培训的同学向我抱怨说, 他课后自己写作文发给老师改, 老师居然说没时间改, 而且还说课后的时间他不负责帮学生改作文的, 那不是他的工作内容. 这界线划得可真够清晰的. 本来老师不是希望学生在下面多用功的吗? 老师看到学生主动写作文给自己看不是应该感到高兴的吗？看到上进的学生，老师不是应该更加用心帮助他的吗？可是现实却是，很多老师不是怕你不上进，而是怕你 ＂太上进＂了而麻烦到他．
不管怎么说，我对现在很多培训机构感觉都有点心灰意冷，对很多老师更是感到相当失望．很多事情我虽然有意见，可是却是无法改变现状的．我想，我所能做的，就是以后有机会继续做兼职英语老师时，可以用心教好我的学生，特别是一些上进的学生．要是有机会，说不准还会自己开一个培训中心，呵呵．不过能够做好一名老师已经算不错了，想事情还是不要想得太远，免得不切实际，最后空想一场．最后我想和大家说一句，如果你要报一些培训课程，一定要慎重再慎重，特别是当价格非常昂贵的时候，否则最后不仅钱没了，时间没了，学习也学不好，还可能会受气．
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Today I did not translate an article as I used to most of the days. I just feel very tired and want to take a break. So I prefer to write an English article noting down my subtle feelings these days. After all, it seems to be a long time that I have not composed my own articles. I used to translate loads of articles from Chinese to English or vice versa in the past. Though I enjoy translating, those articles translated are not written by myself. However wonderful they are, they are not mine. So sometimes I would feel kinda sorry for not being able to compose something good and unique to myself. So maybe tonight it is a precious opportunity for me to truly pen down something belonging to myself.
To be honest, I feel considerably depressed these days due to tons of work piling on me. While some of my friends here have finished their summer courses and are enjoying the remaining days in Ireland, I am still overridden by a lot of assignments and classes, as well as a formidable final exam coming up in several days. If I were only left to handle the studies of my major here, that would not be too difficult for me. But the fact is that I am still battling out with another monster—CPA. Its full name is Certified Public Accountant Exam held in September in China every year. It is horribly difficult that few candidates can pass it every year. I have learnt accounting in my bachelor’s study before, so I have the foundation needed to handle it. If I can concentrate myself on this exam for two months, I firmly believe I can pass it. Nevertheless, I cannot spend most of my time on it because I still have to deal with endless assignments and classes. So I can only squeeze my time to study CPA every day, which seems too tiny for the difficulty of the exam. So now I really have no confidence in passing the exam coming up in September, which makes me so depressed!
But whatever the result may be, one thing I am sure of is that I will take the exam as planned. I would not give it up just because I am not fully prepared. If I decide to give it up now, I would lose the engine for continuing studying it. But if I still keep in mind that there is a colossal exam howling ahead, I would try my best to fight until the last moment. To my mind, a true warrior is not the one who decides to combat because he knows he will surely win, but the one who still continues to fight until the last moment even though the hope of success is frail. After all, as a saying goes, losing is nothing, but learning is something. I believe I have reaped a lot in the process of preparing for this exam and even if I fail at last, my failure is glorious.
As I have undertaken so much work at the same time, I feel terribly fatigued every day and I think I have become a poor time manger. It is quite easy for me to lose balance in the studies on various subjects. Sometimes I would feel very self-piteous, because many students here have a lot of free time now wandering around Ireland, while I am still struggling with my studies. In retrospect to my one year in Ireland, I just feel that I am working most of the time without rewarding myself with some travelling pleasure. Strange enough, the more you have learnt, the more you would realize you need to! Then you will just work as a “perpetual motion machine” that is functioning nonstop. Take English for example. I have been learning it arduously for ten years. Particularly in the four years of my college life, I think I couldn’t have worked harder than I have done. But the reality facing me now is that I still feel my English level has not reached my expectation, which propels me to learn every day. I think most of overseas Chinese students would not specially spend some time memorizing new vocabularies every day, but I do, and it does have taken up quite an amount of my time! Sometimes I would wonder where the end of my English learning is. But soon a firm voice would be echoing in my mind, telling me that there will never be an end so long as I want to pursue for the better.
Yes, learning is a lifelong commitment for you if you are ambitious and enterprising, and always yearning for a better leap. When you are obsessed with what you are engaged in and forget how far you have gone, you are already far superior to your peers and have left them far behind. Oftentimes we should not always focus on how much we have gained, but how much we have paid. The day when you can feel your gains notably, is the day you have made huge progress! |
