If you happen to be passing through my Chinese city on a sunny day, you might see me wandering the streets with my head pointed down at the ground. I am a humble person, mind you, but that is not why I am walking in such an unpretentious manner. Simply put, I am looking for money. That’s [...]
Archive for May, 2008
Have You Looked at the Ground in China Recently?
Posted by Robert Vance on May 31st, 2008
Posted in The Vance Report 
Tags: China, Chinese Cities, Chinese Currency, Chinese Yuan, Fun in China, Money in China, PRC, Yuan in China 
No Comments »ESL Conversation Topics — Bosses and Employees
Posted by Robert Vance on May 30th, 2008
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun teaching an ESL social talk then when I did this activity about bosses and employees. There was controversy and humor and all of my students left class laughing.
Warmup: Ask your students if they have recently been looking for a job. Make sure they [...]
Where is the China Earthquake Donation Money Going?
Posted by Robert Vance on May 29th, 2008
“I don’t think that the donations are getting to the earthquake victims,” a friend of mine somberly told me recently. “A few of my friends came back from Mianyang recently,” he explained, “and they told me that the earthquake survivors were not being given enough food and water.” It was feared, he said, that the much [...]
Posted in The Vance Report Tags: CCP, China, China Corruption, China Earthquake Donation, Communist Party, earthquake in china 9 Comments »Tips for Hunting for Hotel Rooms in China
Posted by Robert Vance on May 29th, 2008
I have never paid more than 20 USD for a hotel room throughout all of my travels in China. Somehow, I’ve almost always managed to avoid the dark, damp, dirty, and rat infested rooms that are the stuff of legend amongst travelers in China. For under 20 USD, I have usually been able to secure a private room [...]
Positive All the Time: China’s CCTV
Posted by Robert Vance on May 28th, 2008
I have been trying to catch a few minutes of CCTV’s earthquake coverage every evening as I eat dinner. While I am still impressed with the new level of information flowing from these broadcasts, I cannot help but feel that I am watching one big advertisement for the CCP. There are plenty of sad stories [...]
Posted in The Vance Report Tags: Asia, CCP, CCTV, China, China Television, Chinese Earthquake, earthquake, sichuan province No Comments »ESL Conversation Topic — Crime
Posted by Robert Vance on May 27th, 2008
Level: Intermediate – Advanced
Talking about crime is always an interesting ESL topic because you can go many different ways with the discussion.
Warmup: Print off some information about the 5 most dangerous cities in your home country. Go through the cities and then ask your students to tell you what the 5 most dangerous cities in China are.
Discussion:
Why is [...]
The 1-Child Policy Debacle in the China Earthquake Aftermath
Posted by Robert Vance on May 26th, 2008
It is being reported today that those residents in China who lost a child in the earthquake or have a child who was seriously injured or disabled will be exempt from the Chinese government’s infamous one-child policy. According to an AP story, Chinese officials have also said that parents who had been paying fines for having [...]
Beijing Slams Britain for Meeting with Dalai Lama
Posted by Robert Vance on May 25th, 2008
It was back to ‘business as usual’ for the Chinese government on Saturday when it condemned Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown and members of the British Parliament for meeting with the Dalai Lama. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing was quoted as saying that the meeting in Britain “interferes in China’s internal affairs and hurts the [...]
Posted in The Vance Report Tags: 2008-Olympics, Britian Dalai Lama, China, dalai lama, Gordon Brown, hu jintao, Tibet 72 Comments »Dating and Sex in China
Posted by Robert Vance on May 25th, 2008
“Two American men were deported for sleeping with too many girls,” a foreign friend reported to me sometime ago. “They gave a number of girls hope about marriage and traveling to America and the girls willingly gave themselves to the guys.” My friend was a teacher in a small town in Central China were news [...]
ESL Conversation Topic — Role Playing
Posted by Robert Vance on May 24th, 2008
Level: Beginner to Advanced
ESL Role Playing is a fun way to lighten up the mood and ’shake things up’ a bit. Of course, the role of your ESL role playing class will largely depend upon the participation of your students. Encourage them to ‘be actors’ and not worry what others think about them.
Warmup: Divide the [...]
