I am teaching in china and there are over 50 people in each class.I am teaching"oral english". Any ideas?

The students also aren't very cooperative with "group work". I think most aren't that interested in oral English. I am not connecting well with them, maybe because I'm so much older than them. They are 18-21. This has been the worst job ever and I'm really struggling. Thanks.

Start with topics that Chinese students tend to be interested in. Dating, making money, Western movies, pop culture, etc. Don't waste time with artificial role plays that you yourself would be bored to try (e.g. the McDonalds role-play mentioned above), unless there was some real incentive (e.g. cash prizes for bargaining role play). We use language in almost everything we do, so keep open to a wide-range of possibilities. Ask students what they would like to do, and give them time to think about it - let them know they can choose what to do with their time in class, and also for homework. Here are some examples:

1) Watch clips of Western movies in class. Have students act out the clips, improvising and creating new versions, or endings. Do oral exercises to work their vocab and grammar, based on the movie clips.

2) LIsten to Western pop music, and teach the lyrics. Have students do exercises to create new lyrics, to discuss the songs, or to modify and transform lyrics (good for grammar and vocab practice).

3) Ask students to find a pen-pal/date online. Have them maintain regular correspondence with online contacts, and report on their experiences in class. Have them make extended presentations.

4) Ask students to find interesting English-language blogs. Have them discuss why they find these blogs interesting. Alternatively, have them locate Chinese-language blogs, and ask them to orally translate entries for the interest of their classmates.

5) Have students formally debate each other about topics of interest. Pick controversial or serious topics, or silly/funny topics.

6) Have students prepare and tell jokes or riddles (e.g. 20 questions).

7) Ask students to teach you about Chinese culture. Have them research a specific topic, and present these to you and the class. Show interest, ask questions, and challenge cultural assumptions in your conversations about these topics.

It's really up to your students to decide what they want to do, with encouragement/leadership from you. Impart to them the mindset that they have to be in class anyways, and since language acquisition is so open-ended in terms of usage, they may as well make use of the time to do something useful and fun.

Make your classroom an English-only zone. All communication, even between students, must be in English. Only allow the use of individual Chinese words only after an attempt has been made to express the meaning in English, and in every case make sure that the correct word in English is used, before and subsequently. Most conversations consist of a small percentage of high-frequency words. Make sure to keep teaching and repeating these words to students, including writing them on the board. Repeat, repeat, and repeat these basic words, phrases, and structures until students understand and continue to use them reflexively. More complex vocabulary is nice to have, but not the foucs of your class. Consider your class a success if students walk away having mastered a few hundred functional words, phrases, and sentence structures that they can use with confidence - that is the basis for oral english, and new words can be added on over time later.

If the content of your classes is truly interesting for your students, the size of your class is much less of a factor. Consider sending half the class to the library/computer lab to do preparation while the other half works with you in the classroom, working on a staggered basis.

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oral english wtf are u talking about? Teachin them to speak english?
The best way to catch their attention is by having hands on works such as "Games", Drawing...you could play Jeopardy.......Skits would be great also, bring props...make it funny and lively. Have your students teach something to each other!
yay another person in china... I haven't tried with so many people, i've only helped single people... well, your class probably already knows the abc's, and i, me, she, he, etc.. I'd used example through pictures, like big pictures, or bring in items for the class to practice on, like glasses, cds, ring, books, etc.. it keeps them amused, and gives them something visual to condition their memory around. I'm 21, and the way I'm learning chinese in the school here is awful, they can't teach at all, its page by page, no examples....
Are you in Beijing?
wow. you really have to try all kinds of different approaches. Do you have some kind of lesson plan to go by? my husband teaches english in south korea. He has problems with the older students too. Just try to keep them focused. If its the worst job ever, then you have nothing to lose. Just do what you want. Make it fun for you. Talk to them about whatever you want. Try to get a good experience out of it for yourself. Were your expectations that much different? good luck.