Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jajdude]

I think maybe my attention span is shorter now than say 10 years ago. Are kids' attention spans shorter now than when you were a kid? A lot more stimuli in the modern day. Computers, more tv channels, surfing, cell phones, constant need for preoccupation. More images per commercial if you can sit through a full 30 seconds. It's easy to pay attention when you are interested in something but how quickly the mind is diverted when not so interested. Elementary students absolutely cannot help it. A minute is forever to a kindergartener. Even when something is fun kids seem to get bored with it more quickly than in the past. The demand for entertainment has grown over the years. Now our lives are largely about how to entertain ourselves. Does a shorter attention span mean we cannot focus well on how to deal with the aparently increasing number of troubles the world faces? Are kids getting worse at school? Well more information is available now. Perhaps too much? How to solve a difficult math problem with a short attention span, unless you happen to find it interesting? How do you keep the kids into a foreign language they can barely follow? Always a challenge to keep classes interesting. One thing I have got a lot of mileage from is lots of flash cards and "hint games"... where you guess what the word is through hints or pictures or actions. The "I know something you don't" aspect, and competition and listening involved usually keeps their attention. And they also struggle to give the hints too. That's been my best thing for a while now. Haven't really come up with anything as good that has lasted as long. Just get a lot of flash cards, like the entire "Let's GO" series or whatever, and it can be invaluable for dealing with the attention span shortages.

[The Den]

Interestingly enough I was at an educational conference last week adn one of the presenters, Martha Kaufeldt, who has done quite a bit of research on brain development said that the research states that the amount of time in minutes that a child is able to pay attention to something is equivalent to their age in minutes. So for example a 10 year should be able to pay attention to something for a maximum of ten minutes. She also stressed that environment plays a big role in this as well. If the child is hungry or tired. These will all affect how the child or student can pay attention to something. For adults attention span tends to peak at about 18 minutes.

She varied her 4 hour presentation and took all this into consideration. Every twenty minutes or so she gave us a little task meant to divert us and then she brought us back with a chime. All of this is not really new but it was interesting to hear her speak. More on Martha Kaufeldt here.

http://www.marthakaufeldt.com/

[simulated stereo]

Sorry, what was the question?

[Tancred]

i think it will all come out in the wash...as for me, my attention span has grown exponentially ever since i started engaging in deep-focus metitation and tantric sex, but then i don't watch television as a rule either and i think that has a lot to do with it.

As for the kids of today, and relating back to my admittedly ambiguous "it will all come out in the wash" quip, i just think that if the kids don't want to learn the language...too bad for them...it's their future. I have some students who genuinely get excited about learning english and it's my pleasure to help them learn. And for those that don't, they can get a job at one of the hyundai factories (i firmly believe that speaking english fluently will be a prerequisite for many employees in white collar jobs in korea in the future).

I realize you're referring more to younger kids, and i know what you mean...but i just don't worry about it anymore. I could honestly not care less if the little rugrats want to run around and play games all day...they'll soon buckle down when they hit a grade and realize they're slipping. Anyway...man, this post of mine is all over the place...forget all i said...i have no opinion on the matter...that's all...nothing more to see here...quit reading...goodbye.

[jajdude]

I doubt fluency in speaking English will be necessary in many white-collar jobs anytime soon. It isn't realistic to require fluency in speaking English when so few Koreans can manage a few good sentences right now. Perhaps in the not-so-near future they might get a little more exposure to foreigners and then maybe have to communicate more in English. Right now that isn't happening. You can tell this simply from living here and seeing how they look at you and react to you - they are not accustomed to anyone who isn't Korean. Period. And I doubt that'll change soon.