one on one lessons can be a different matter, I think, and there is a lot more chance to use the time very effectively for the learner’s benefit.

Actually, that’s what learning on one’s own is about, isn’t it? 🙂 I also think that’s why people like teachers and courses, because they believe that these will safely guide them to fluency without risking to miss anything important on the way. I think most people who study on their own are well aware of the fact that they might be missing things. The danger for them doesn’t lie in the fact that they aren’t aware of the problem. That, however, is the problem for most students enrolled in language programs.

I think it’s good to take stock of such things and take the right measures to balance more, just as in the way you talk about doing this for a class.

Thanks!

I think you hit the nail on the head here. Your rephrasing of the original question captures the situation for most students, but I do have a reason for including my version rather than yours. I realise that most people who read Hacking Chinese aren’t average students who don’t care much about their learning (those students would never bother to find this website). Among more serious students, I would say it’s quite common with private lessons of some kind (even language exchange might count). That means that the concept of “classroom” becomes a bit blurred. What you say is of course still true, though.

The worst part of it is that some teachers/courses don’t provide enough support for the things that are actually covered by the curriculum. Take pronunciation as an example. This is something which everybody knows is important, but schools seldom have the resources to actually teach pronunciation properly. Few students realise this, most think that when the teacher doesn’t correct them, it means that their pronunciation is up to par. It almost never is.

He upset the teacher, but excited the class by teaching some colorful colloquial English rather than the dry ESL curriculum.

Most schools are dependent on a curriculum that is in turn dependent upon the available published teaching materials. It really doesn’t matter if it is English, Chinese, or French. It is just more efficient and economical to run classes that way.

So I suspect the real question should be, “How are you going to extend your Chinese language learning beyond the classroom?” And “How soon are you going to begin to do so?”.

If you are living in China or Taiwan, it is rather easy to be engaged in active use with real people, but studying Chinese in your native society requires more effort, more creative solutions. Try to watch Chinese movies with Chinese subtitles (video rentals or theaters), get actively evolved in cultural exchange within your local Asian community. Teach English to Chinese kids in exchange for them teaching you Chinese.