To think if you are getting free lessons you should be respectful to the tutor?

[Boomerwang]

I had my first lesson at 'Swedish For Immigrants' today and I was shocked by how many people were late and didn't apologise for it. Several people got up and walked out talking on their phone or went to the toilet for a crap and came back ten or twenty minutes later without even looking at the tutor. A group of women started chattering away to each other while the teacher was trying to show us something, several were playing around with their mobiles and not listening and when the teacher attempted to get people to call out the Swedish alphabet in unison only about five of twenty-five bothered.

Not only that but I noticed there were folders and notepads dotted around at the start of the class. It transpired that people left them there overnight so they could claim the desk in the morning. One young girl was told to move by another classmate because her stuff was there so the desk was already 'claimed'. That one got up my nose big time.

Tomorrow I'm going to sit there. I can't wait.

These lessons are given at great expense, the least you can do is turn up on time, pretend to listen, leave the phones off and away and address the tutor if you have to leave for any reason.

/rant

YANBU.

That sounds terrible. And what kind of impression of the UK are they giving the tutor, for god's sake?

Were there any ground rules agreed by the class?

I would be pretty hacked off to if this sort of carry on was taking place around me when I was trying to learn.

ImperialB, the OP did not specify what nationality her fellow students were. If they are immigrants in Sweden, they could be a complete mix, so not necessarily giving a bad impression of the UK.

YANBU. Am I right in thinking this is in Sweden?

Actually I work with a charity and we used to offer all sorts of things as part of our charity work. (eg English lessons - this was not in UK)

The conclusion we came to was that free lessons are NOT usually respected, and if you have something worth offering, then make a small charge for it. It totally changes the attitude of the participants.

If something is free, people tend to undervalue it, eg by not bothering to show up. Stupid but true. I bet the attitude would change if they started charging, eg at half the market rate.

I agree with dromedary, also with you.
I teach twice a week. The only problem I have is when one of my pupils - generally the 17 or 15 year old has a job on a building site that day. On the whole, my class are engaged and want to learn.

I'm the only person from the UK or any English speaking country in the class. There's no need to list where the rest are from (although I know because the first two days of lessons were PURELY spent asking everybody their name and where they came from) but I think in any language you can surely look at the teacher and attempt to communicate your need to leave the class. If your phone call is urgent you can at least make the effort to learn the words for 'excuse me' and you can save your chatter for after class, or if it's about the lesson and some are helping others, you should do it quietly, not bawl across the room at each other.

As for hardly speaking up during a group vocal session, that could be shyness I suppose.

State schools wouldn't have issues with their kids if the OP was possible, sadly. Someone will usually spoil it for the majority.

This must be really frustrating for you Boomer. You would think the others in the class would be glad to be in Sweden and would behave. Sounds like they are immigrants Sweden could do without.

YANBU. Just rude.

However, what I really need to know is did you sit in the seat

Good for you OP in making an effort to learn your host country's language.

I've found out by accident that the majority of people in the class are only there because it's a condition of their acceptance to live in Sweden. That would explain those who can't be bothered to do any learning. I'm allowed to come and go as I please for as many or as few sessions as I want because I live in the EU, but others must do a minimum number of sessions per week.

So the difference is that I actually want to learn, and a lot of others don't.

I didn't sit in that woman's seat because she was too close to the front. The teacher often stands directly next to the first table so my neck would ache looking up at her.

I did take someone else's seat, though, but it was a man's seat previously and he didn't have the courage to do anything about it as he sat in the seat I'd vacated.

I feel very confident in the class despite not chatting with anyone at all, which is odd for me.

I used to run free classes for immigrants to this country, and experienced the same as the earlier poster who said that they weren't respected because they were free. I was also not allowed to tell people that their behaviour was unacceptable as it was "cultural" and would "offend". I left that job pretty sharpish.

You're not in Malmo are you Boomer?

Sorry for resurrecting this thread.

No, I'm not in Malmo. I'm in Avesta (Dalarna).

I seem to be getting along a little better with the rest of the class now. Not exactly chatting, but on 'god morgon' terms and chairs are offered to me etc. I'm sat next to the only person in class who can't be bothered to do any work at all. I rather wish the teacher would chuck him out.

My partner went to the classes when he came to Sweden and quite enjoyed them. He spent ages on learning to pronounce Swedish vowel sounds =)
I think the idea that something that is free isn't valued is spot on, and perhaps some of them people don't see the need to learn Swedish which is a shame as Sweden has been very open to immigrants.
Lycka till med dina svensk studier och jag hoppas att du trivs i dalarna. I'm envious of anyone getting to celebrate midsummer's eve there.

ok to show how far I've come with my lessons so far I can only say that I have managed a literal translation of 'good luck with your swedish study and I hope .... in dalarna'
thanks!

YANBU

Sadly people are rude & selfish & generally rubbish.

Maybe the government shouldn't just make turning up compulsory but also put into place rules about a necessary level of engagement with the classes e.g. certain standards of behaviour (so no mobile phones bar in real emergencies & no talking over the teacher); completing work set to do outside lessons if there is any of that; taking notes/completing worksheets as appropriate; taking part in discussions even if only to contribute a few words. Not having to attain a certain level of proficiency, though, given natural differing aptitudes for language-learning.

Am wildly jealous of people getting free classes in a foreign language. Do you think the Swedish government would like to provide free classes for people who want to learn to cheer their teaching staff up & give them a nice holiday in other countries? [wishful-thinking emoticon] More seriously, you'd think people would be grateful for the chance to make it easier to integrate & communicate. Mnyang.

I've found out by accident that the majority of people in the class are only there because it's a condition of their acceptance to live in Sweden. That would explain those who can't be bothered to do any learning.

that was my exact first thought as soon as I read your OP. They are just jumping through the hoops. As long as the tutor can say they turned up that is enough to fulfill their obligation.

So that also implies that there is no test at the end that the class must pass, no goal for them to need to achieve. Which is a mistake IMO.
If there was an oral exam to test basic fluency that they had to pass, they would all have more of a sense of purpose.

I agree TNB

They need to go there as a condition of receiving their integration benefit I believe. Making it similar to a job. Go there, do stuff, get paid. There are levels that everyone needs to pass and there are additional financial incentives for doing it at a faster rate. Studying other subjects, continuing to study further swedish or gaining entry to most jobs requires that you have SFI level C or whatever.

I also give free classes (to both Swedish people and immigrant groups) and the level of rudeness and disrespect both for me and for the facilities is appalling. The place is left in a mess after most classes, the toilets are vile, people wander in and out when they feel like it and most of them are surgically attatched to their phones. A lot of my time I feel that they behave worse than my DC (aged 4 and 2) and I have said as much when I occasionally have a rant at them.

In SFI terms Boomerwang, it gets better as you progress to SAS. I met some lovely people there and found friends. Stick at it!!