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I need to vent or I might go postal
There is a student in my French class who is making it incredibly difficult for me to learn and improve. He was held back into our level (B2) and I have no idea how he was ever promoted into our level in the first place. He either doesn't understand or doesn't pay attention (I suspect it's some combination of the two) and forces almost everything to be repeated, even the answers to homework. He refuses to contribute to discussions we have in class unless it's interrupting to ask why we're not talking about French films and old French actresses or to add something else equally random and off topic. Also, he insists on translating every single thing into English OUT LOUD. It's gotten so bad lately that the teacher has started speaking English with him just to speed things up and move the class along.
It's becoming increasingly difficult for me to concentrate on the French when English is being thrown about all over the place. I no longer live in a Francophone country and I go to this class to speak and better my French. I don't need to be helping someone translate something that at this level they should be able to understand on their own into English. He is grating on my last nerve.
Do we think I would be justified in speaking to the people in charge about him? I'm trying to decide if him handicapping my learning isn't being overly clouded by the fact that I really don't like him.
Re: I need to vent or I might go postal
I would definitely start with the teacher. Going straight over her head immediately could step on toes and what knows, maybe the teacher can do something to remedy the situation.
If you get no resolution from her then I'd move up to the administration. Have you talked to other classmates about this guy?
As an ESL teacher who has had difficult students before, here's my recommendation
1) Talk to the teacher. He's obviously aware of the problem and probably can also sense that it annoys other students, but let him know that you're considering quitting the class because of this guy. I'm sure your teacher would rather have you in the class than him, so he'll probably be very motivated to come up with a solution that allows you to stay.
2) Ask your teacher if he would like you to complain directly to the administration. Although of course I would want a heads-up, I actually like it when students take a complaint about another student up a level. If a client brings the problem directly to my boss, then she feels obligated to come up with a solution that the client is happy with, and she has options that aren't always open to me. Refunding the cost of lessons taken so far and offering private lessons for the unhappy student, for example. I can't do that, but my boss can.
This. Definitely tell the teacher and see what he recommends. I hope they are able to fix this for you.
LOL! Thanks for the offer but he's got to be around 70. I'm not sure his knees would heal