Friday, May 15, 2009

Hot Topic 3 - Are Students at HULIS - VNU Passive?

Hi there,

Some people say, "Students of HULIS - VNU are very passive in any way. They prefer waiting for chances to creating chances. They don't like asking questions and they like waiting for answers. They study English without critical thinking. They study in this university just because they don't have to pay money, not because they want to become teachers or interpreters."

I am wondering whether they are right or wrong. As a teacher of English Department, I am so concerned about this statement.

Please share your opinion.

Cheers,

English I.
Posted by English I at 5:14 PM
Reactions: 

24 Comment or Q&A:

  1. Ohhh God, I must regretly agree up to 70%:( First, I think only about 15% of HULIS students who took at the entrance exam did have a dream of becoming a teacher or interpreter. I myself had no intention of doing that job, just for no tuition fee^^. And abt another 15% of Ss has strong passion and interests for social and Youth Union's activities. Abt youth union's activities, I think that is easy to share them sympathy coz I myself got disappointed wiz their working style^^. I prefer contributing in other social and community ones.
    So, abt 70% of ss have no idea of what to do after the graduation, in my opinion.

    that's only my personal point of view. Hope to hear other voices.

    Thanh Vu Khac
    ReplyDelete
  2. I dont know about the others, yet I myself truly fell in love with this university - MY university. ;)Although I do not choose it as the first choice, or whatever, I am proud of being a student of ED,HULIS,VNU now.

    You never know until you fall in love...
    ReplyDelete
  3. Since I was at High school, I had a strong intention to become a teacher of Eng. although i am really not good at Eng skills as well as teaching, i still love this kind of job. After graduating from this university, i will try to make my dream job come true...Espcially after the teaching practicum, I love it more and more....However, I know clearly that it will be very difficult for me and other Ss to find a stable job ( esp, as a teacher of Eng in a public High school..) quickly.
    I believe that if we try, sooner or later we can find a job that we can apply what we've leant n live a good life. Of course, we should know our capacity and never give up our efforts for 4 years at this uni...
    Best wishes to all new graduates......!!!
    ReplyDelete
  4. oh my God! I can not believe it. why do they state that? I am sure they might not have ever come to my University. It is very great, frankly. studying here, I can meet kind friends, good teachers.
    notes for those who think that: come and see how active we are or do not say anything.
    I am very proud of being a members of this big family!
    ReplyDelete
  5. A Hulis studentMay 15, 2009 11:04 AM
    From outsiders' point of view, HULIS students are much less active than that of other foreign language universities (HANU and FTU for example). In my opinion, the phenomena that are raised in the topic question, to some stands, are true to most of HULIS students.

    Chance:
    In fact, they thirstily want to grasp a chance. However, they do not know HOW and WHERE they can find it. Once they get it, they do not want to share with any other.

    Questions and Answers:
    Many HULIS students even do not think they have to ask anything. Some ask a lot but do not themselves find the answers, and if there is no answer provided by teachers or supervisors, it is still OK. Some do not think or do research carefully on an issue before raising their questions, which results in the fact that their questions sound weird and stupid. Many other just ask many things which mean nothing while the core problems are neglected.

    Critical Thinking:
    (Please let other people discuss this point!)

    Studying and Career:
    The reality has shown that nearly 70% of HULIS students did not purportedly enroll in the university to become a teacher or an interpreter. There are many reasons for such inconsistence besides the tuition fee factor raised in the topic question. The reasons are that:

    (1) Tuition free (as mentioned in the topic)

    (2) They do it just because their parents like it.

    (3) The entrance requirements are suitable for them as their utmost target is just to go to a/any university/college. If they fail to do it, their parents must be very disappointed and they must feel so ashamed with others, (this might happen solely in Vietnam).

    (4) They think that with language they can do many jobs other than language teaching or interpreting. For example, they think they can work for a foreign company which needs some particular language speakers. So they study the language first. (However, they do not know or cannot imagine exactly what the ‘imaginative’ jobs are like and what other knowledge/skills it requires.)

    (5) They don’t want to be a teacher or an interpreter at first. However, they think someday they will change their opinion and fall in love with the jobs. God knows! It is like: marry a man first and someday you will find you love him =))

    (There must be many other reason but let me stop at 5)

    These reasons themselves can prove the fact that that 70% HULIST students are not very serious about and responsible for their future career.

    However, it is not only the students but also their parents, the social, the education system, and the whole gov. that is to be blamed.
    ReplyDelete
  6. First of all,
    I have to say thank you to our teachers who raised this question. Very interesting to debate.

    Someone said "Chance:
    In fact, they thirstily want to grasp a chance. However, they do not know HOW and WHERE they can find it. Once they get it, they do not want to share with any other." Cannot say that because Internet, forum, posters are full of. It is easy to find. For me, I never wait for someone giving me something but go ahead and find. Even FTU students, they have to find their chances too.
    However, it cannot denied that a big number of our students are passive. They only get used to the easy life, school- home- friends. Some of the students who have good learning skills are very active in class but some are not.
    However, i myself at first, did not like HULIS but because of my parents, i had to. Time has gone by and i have studied for 3 years. I enjoyed it especially when i studied in Australia for a short time, School of Education, i can see that our teachers have tried their best to give us somehow good teaching methods and environment to study too.

    I'd love to be one part of HULIS.
    ReplyDelete
  7. A Hulis studentMay 16, 2009 01:21 AM
    @ Thanh Nhan: you are right when saying that our teachers have done so great and tried so hard.
    It can be easily seen that generations of our teachers were among THE MOST ACTIVE ones in our college when they were still students. That is why they are so competent and energetic for the time being. :D
    ReplyDelete
  8. WE SHOULD NOT COMPARE ANYTHING! ^^~
    Just compare the past,the present and the future of our UNIVERSITY then u may relize some changes ;)
    ReplyDelete
  9. vu hongtam vuhongtam247@yahoo.com

    i am really interred in teaching English so i decide to choose HULIS. i like it very much. i really like my university. i think that Students of HULIS do not only wait chances, they can create chances. Some of them create Englich club especially ETDC where you share knowledge of English. All of students in the club teach us enthusiastically.i don't become student of teaching course because i don't have enough mark however i still want to become teacher in the future after teaching course. Now, i am studying interpreter course.. i think that i am more and more love the job.i think in my university, many students really want to teachers or interpreters not because they don't want to pay money. i passed another university however i decided to do enter exams again to become a student of this university because it will teach you how to be a good teacher. i become student of HULIS because i want to be teacher of English.
    ReplyDelete
  10. one idea just pop up from my mind. It will be great if we have chances to go to school more often not only just 1 month in the last year. In Australia, from the first year, students in School of Education will visit school and see how teachers teach kids. Maybe from that, we will love teaching more once we are clear about what we are gonna do as a teacher.
    ReplyDelete
  11. That's a very good idea, Nhan. I think it's the administrators' job to think about this issue. Also, we should raise our voice.
    ReplyDelete
  12. I think who said that we are passive
    and not interested in teaching and interpreting jobs are wrong, just because half of a cake is still cake, but half of the truth is not true any more.
    Students who study to become interpreters still have to pay tuition fees, so how can they say that all of students study here for no tuition fees and don't like to become interpreters at all?
    Many students are passive, but others are not. Any way , you can find passive persons anywhere. As for me, my dream is to become an interpreter. I love meeting and talking to people very much. It's an very interesting job. isn't it?
    ReplyDelete
  13. Some one has said up there is correct. Not all students are passive. However, do you know that, in the entrance exams to our university, it will depend on your total marks to decide whether you will study in interpreting or teaching class. So what do you think about that when you said "Students who study to become interpreters still have to pay tuition fees, so how can they say that all of students are here for no fees..."
    ReplyDelete
  14. @someone who used my stat: you should take note that the number 70% is that what appear in my mind, not taken from any survey or stat:D. So, please CRITICL THINKING. I love one of Chinese statement that: "Nếu bạn tin vào tất cả những điều người ta viết ra khi đọc sách thì tốt hơn là bạn đừng nên đọc gì cả".

    Abt love for HULIS: I đon't mention that students of HULIS have no love for their school. The points here is ACTIVE or PASSIVE. So, I do think some of you here gone too far from the topic. Of course, I DO BELEIVE that every HULISer has his love for this school because as Che Lan Vien said "Khi ta ở chỉ là nơi đất ở/ Khi ta đi, đất đã hóa tâm hồn"

    Cheer! Come on!

    Thanh Vu Khac
    ReplyDelete
  15. Some of your comments are in Vietnamese. Therefore, they will not be posted. Please use English in all discussions. We love to hear more opinions from you.
    ReplyDelete
  16. @Thanh: You talk about critical thinking so i think you should start basing on some documents or statistics to support your idea. It's better.

    This topic is created for everyone to share their ideas. So please be opener to have different perspectives. who knows, maybe from those, we can learn something.

    I know that it's not a good way to be off topic but it is reasonable and acceptable to think out of the box.
    I really enjoy such topics. Hot and open discussion
    ReplyDelete
  17. Yes, of course I love to use some stats to support my ideas. But where can I find them? I wonder there hasn't been any number abt this in our uni.
    Btw, I'd like to hear your sharing abt some forums that are useful and informative that you guys log in regularly? Coz I think that there are many things we can learn from such debate. I myself love to follow the discussions on forums, so that, my critical thinking may be improved.

    Here are some good ones I suggest you:
    vietmba.com
    dotchuoinon.com
    usguide.org.vn
    ReplyDelete
  18. to some extents, some supporters are quite right. however, I , again, require ur statistics or evidence to support ur idea, especial u , a Hulis Student. Hulis Student, I have a feeling that u are stating up ur own idea, ur own thought. the number 70% is correct or not? do u have done any survey?
    I am also the member of this family. be4 I took part in the entrance exam, I had wanted to become a translator/ interpreter. I always find it difficult in studying. However, I also try my best to do a good job.
    I mentioned "the imaginative job". Are u sure that most students think that? NOT All. Because my friends and I often share ideas. They all know that if we can study a language. We can not find a good job. We are old enough not to think of the imaginative job as u mentioned.
    one more point I want to make it clear is that someone compare our University with FTU. it is impossible. as far as I know, students in each university are active in different ways. FTU's students are more active in social activities. Our students are more active in part-time jobs. I must say most of students from the 1st year or the last year are trying their best to accomplish their ability and gain experience. u should notice that ACTIVE here means not only in social activities. if u know that, How can u said our students are not be active?
    i agree with u that, some students are passive, but NOT all of them. Thus, we CAN NOT say Students of HULIS - VNU are very passive in any way.
    ReplyDelete
  19. It was very the first time I said that the number 70% is just my personal estimatation. Thus, plz don't try to drill the number^^. This topic seems to be hotter. That sounds good.

    I've just googled and found this "An active lifestyle, a lifestyle characterized by frequent or various social, intellectual, and (particularly) physical activities" from Wikipedia. Of course, Wiki is not a truth-teller:P. Just want to share a food for thought:)). Hope it fun for a continiued discussion.

    Btw, I am crazy to share you an actually intersting article on an example teacher. I hope it will light up your love for teaching career. And one more, the techniques and tools in the article will be widely applies in English Classrooms in the future!

    Cheers!
    ReplyDelete
  20. I am surprised with the title that students of ULIS - VNU ARE passive ? I wonder whether why we always compare our university with HANU or FTU ? Each university has own stlye. If we continue to do such, we ourself are passive.

    I really want to, instead to arguing so much this problem or something like that, why do not the head more srtive to organise the short course aiming at enhancing soft skills for Ss, such as English for Projects, presenting skills and so on. I think it is better.
    ReplyDelete
  21. "I am surprised with the title that students of ULIS - VNU ARE passive ? I wonder whether why we always compare our university with HANU or FTU ? Each university has own stlye. If we continue to do such, we ourself are passive."- I do not think that as in my own view, it is good to compare and see people around you doing stuff. HANU, FTU students are the same like us in terms of age, education level, so why can they do lots of things? Why can't they? That will make us think further. I do not think keep yourself in your own style and assume that we are active and different. If that, why our teachers and even students have to go abroad and learn from such developed countries. Facts are facts. We have to look at that and have lessons from that. I agree that each university has their own style but be open and learn good things, we will be more perfect.

    "I really want to, instead to arguing so much this problem or something like that, why do not the head more srtive to organise the short course aiming at enhancing soft skills for Ss, such as English for Projects, presenting skills and so on. I think it is better."--- This is a good idea. And apart from such theoretical courses, why do we have some clubs to apply the theories and never let theories be. I just think we are future teachers so some activity related to teaching will be nice.
    ReplyDelete
  22. Yeap. Agree wiz Nhan at that point. Certainly, positive thinking is good, really good in life. But plz, do not abuse it:P. I think a great number of Vietnamese got this "disease"lol.

    I myself feel highly motivated when talking to a stranger who has st better than me. my passion gets bigger and I desire to work more, learn more. Keep comparing yourself wiz others, of course, on certain norms. if sb is stubbornish, I do think he would not learn anything. Love the statement: TO LEARN IS TO CHANGE.
    ReplyDelete
  23. I am a teacher, and I have been teaching here for six years. I think that I can compare generations of students, from K36 to K42. The result is, sadly, that since K40 the general quality of students seems to decrease remarkably. I am giving lower marks. I seriously question myself whether this is because I am becoming stricter. After careful reflection, I conclude that I am not stricter. Many students have the expectation of getting marks as high as the previous generations did, but actually the previous generations did much better. Sometimes I am really angry at my students' expectation of high marks. I wish to tell them that they should not overexpect their results as their performance not only fails to meet task requirements and but is really worse in comparison with the previous generations' as well. However, it is demotivating to tell them that.
    I am quite frustrated by this situation. Hopefully the trend will stop soon.
    ReplyDelete
  24. ôi mẹ ơi, hôm nay con hạnh phúc lắm lắm ấy!!!! Piklets đã vô địch trong Beepro! 887 points luôn hic hic!!!!Ngoại ngữ đỉnh đỉnh đỉnh!!!!
    ReplyDelete

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