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Chaim Cohn is an Israeli English teacher in GTIIT. He was born in America and got his bachelor degree in Boston University in sociology. He went back to Israel and achieved his second master degree in Technion in Labor Relations and Management after he got his first master degree in University of Michigan in Social Work. Since then, he became one of the faculty in Technion and teaches English for over twenty years. He moved to China in the early August and is now an English teacher in GTIIT.

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Q: You jumped from one major to another, and now, you are an English teacher! Why did you change your major from time to time?

C: Because I love different things. I can do it well. And I enjoy different experiences, the result is, I am a happy man with rich experiences.

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Q: Why did you choose to become a teacher instead of going after a business career?

C: (humorously) My students listen to me! They need to listen to me and I enjoy it when they listen to me.

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Q: Why did you come to GTIIT?

C: I love traveling around the world. Last year and the year before the last, I taught a group of Chinese students in Technion, so Technion wants me to teach Chinese students in China. So I said "yes, I will do it"£¬ and I came here. So far, I am very happy about it.

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Q: What do you think of GTIIT students?

C: Well. They are very serious. Their level of English is good. But they need to practice in speaking English, especially girls, they should speak English louder and not feel shy. When they are in the working environment, expressing themselves boldly can benefit their promotion and prospects for climbing the career ladder.

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Q: What is the key for GTIIT students to learn English well?

C: The key is exposure to English as much as possible. They can listen to news, like BBC, CNN, TED Talks, etc. They don't have necessarily to read the news ¨C there are other forms of English - books, magazines are also available. Reading and listening are very important.

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Q: What would you do to make students active in the class?

C: I would like to tell jokes. Students will listen humor. There are breaks between subjects, and there are some students who have a short attention span. So, I tell jokes to make them focus. Students expect a funny ending, and they would smile, and listen carefully. Jokes also reflect another culture, so, jokes have positive influence in the classroom.

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Q: GTIIT is a brand new university. What do you think about study in a new university?

C: Nobody can guarantee everything. You are the pioneers because you are doing something new in the new semester and break new ground. The success of GTIIT cannot be separated from administration, students and faculty, especially students. It is a good investment, you can make huge differences. If students enter high-level international companies as engineers and researchers, their salary will pay off what they pay today. No one can guarantee success; it is a challenge for administration, students and faculty. To become successful, you need to be serious, professional and work very hard.

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Q: Getting better education is not necessary being paid well in the future, why should students still go to GTIIT?

C: It is just like chicken soup. When you are sick, your grandma will ask you to eat chicken soup. Will it help? Not necessary, but it won't harm you. In GTIIT, you can contact with intelligent people, teachers and peers. Some classmates might become their colleagues. Students are building their networks. Enrolling in a good university will increase their chances to succeed in the future, both in terms of financial income and having a rich and fulfilling life.

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Q: Some people said that, going university is useless, and it is better to start business earlier. What do you think of it?

C: We went to visit the technology incubator in Shantou last last Saturday. They showed us a lot of opportunities, but they didn't talk about the danger of starting business. Statistically speaking, approximately 10% of startups survive. 90% of them fall to ground. Therefore, after students get enrolled by high-ranking international companies, when they become real expert in their field, then they can start their own business. Success is related to time and place. Without experience, it is very hard for an 18-year-old or 19-year-old to become successful.

Text/ Photo by News and Public Affairs Department