Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Arthur Fonzerelli]

it's really funny to hear westerners who don't speak a lick of korean critisize semi-bilingual korean teachers for being less apt to teach english to young learners...

Learning a foreign language for young learners is most effectively done by BILINGUAL teachers....Most of the western hogwan teachers in korea are FAR from being bilingual....many of us us are less qualified than the korean english teachers we teach with.....

[Squid]

The Fonz is getting there, up the ajummas for giving it a go I say!

If some of the more "Professional" elements on this board don't see the grassroots of their own industry when it's staring them in the face I feel genuine pity for their students.

Squid, as outraged as a squid gets.

[Corporal]

[GRK]

Have to agree with Kiwi on this. These kids fossilize at an unbelievably early age. The accent issue is neither here nor there, they will never sound like a North American anyway (unless they study overseas). To change fossilized language is a huge undertaking, both for the teacher and student. What these students may eventually produce is Konglish.

[HardyandTiny]

Let me ask the English teachers.
Is there a standard?
Is there one book that you all agree upon?
Is there some way to standardize the teaching of the English language to foreingers?

[Homer]

Hard and tiny,

The anwers is : not yet.

Also, remember hagwons are private businesses. This gives then lots of latitude as to curriculum. The lack of regulation is a problem of course.
However, this does not mean ESL teachers are not "real teachers".
There is more to teaching than a common book that all have agreed upon.

Back home for example, private schools routinely use their own material. thay have to use government approved books for basic curriculum but often use their own materials on top of this and even sometimes instead of it.

As for standardization it has not happened in Korea. Again this might be due to the private nature of the hagwon industry.

[HardyandTiny]

Do you know if the Korean education system uses a standard method in their middle schools?

[peppermint]

Not sure about middle schools, but I have seen the textbooks they use to teach English in sixth grade. There's a maximum of two sentences on any page in English, and even those are pretty much useless.

A lot of the reason that Korean people all ask the same questions when they meet a foreigner is because that's what they've been trained to do, in English class. The teachers who teach English as well, are often unable to speak the language clearly. They may be fantastic at teaching grammar and reading, but there is more to a language than reading.

I teach adults and I have many students who can't send a reasonably well written e-mail in English, nevermind write an essay. Often they have trouble understanding news broadcasts in English, and sometimes they even have trouble understanding eachother (Korean accent, grrrr)

There are huge problems with the Korean approach to learning English- that's widely acknowleged, especially by Korean teachers who teach English

[Gollum]

[Sarah-in-Korea]

Ok Fonz, you have a point that many of us can't get by too well in Korean so shouldn't criticize those who try to speak a second language. BUT! I'm not trying to make money off people by teaching them something I'm inadequately qualified to do!
Oh, that's right. I am! I'm teaching English!

[Son Deureo!]

[kiwiboy_nz_99]