Hi Everyone,

I am just finishing up my second course using TBL and have had some 
disappointing feedback.  I teach medical English (in Japan), so 
basically it's an English as a Foreign language class concentrating on 
medical terminology.  The negative feedback came mainly (I think) from 
students who hate English as a subject.  They basically have English 
foisted on them  from junior high through high school as a means to the 
end of passing university examinations.  Many of them don't want 
anything more to do with English after entering university, so would 
prefer to be left alone to sleep through lectures.  I got some pretty 
strongly worded comments in the student feedback to the effect of "how 
dare you expect us to use English in class in our teams?!"  They are 
calling for the class to be an elective rather than compulsory, which is 
something I agree with,but don't have any control over.

So, my question is, _do any of you teach students using TBL in 
compulsory courses where a large number of students would rather be 
taking any other subject but yours?_  I honestly think it has nothing to 
do with TBL and everything to do with their feelings about English--but 
_what is a conscientious teacher to do?_  I think that TBL is great for 
the course --100 students who would be sleeping if they weren't in 
teams. But even the enthusiastic students are making comments like "you 
should divide teams into students who want to use English and those who 
don't"-- which would basically nullify one of the important principles 
of TBL.

On a brighter note, my boss has decided to use TBL in a course next 
Fall--so there is hope for the spread of this excellent teaching 
strategy here at Kyushu University.

(heavy sigh)
Christine

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Christine Kuramoto, Assistant Professor: Medical English
Kyushu University, Department of Medical Education
Faculty of Medical Sciences
3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582 Japan
Phone: (+81)92-642-6186 Fax: (+81)92-642-6188
E-mail: [log in to unmask]