Job Discussion Forums

Steppenwolf · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 1769

Probably dobule pressure from having the same Confucian ethos while living in a foreign country where nothing but money and status count...if you lose your parents lose too, and that's a serious moral depressant.

Brian Caulfield · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 1247 Location: China

WW I spent 8 years in Korea . It is maybe the most competitive country in the world . I think the Korean kids I met here in China would be like your students . The kids get everything they want except their parents love . The father works hard and is never home . The mother is busy spending his money and worrying about the kids . They hire tutors to come to the house everyday . It is all about getting the kids into Seoul National University . So the children have no time to play or dream . They have everything but are angry .
My suggestion is to lighten up the class . Play some music and have them do close exercises with the lyrics . Do role plays . Get them moving around in your classes . Don't let them hide in the corners of your classroom . Take them outside and play running dictation . Teach them the kimchi song . You replace sugar in the song ( Sugar in the morning sugar in the evening )with Kimchi . Kimchi is the staple of a Korean meal .
Your a lucky guy Willian . Have you noticed that the Koreans are better listeners than the Chinese ?

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

nothing to say

richie122 · Joined: 15 Nov 2004 Posts: 101 Location: Seattle, Wa, USA

I'm currently teaching Korean highschool kids. From what I see they are either really serious, or really tired! These students arrive school at 8:15 everyday, have the pleasure of home room class for 15 minutes, then begin the academic day. 8:30 to 12:00: Four classes. One hour lunch. Then 1:00 to 3:30 three more classes. After school they are taken by bus to an academy where they have more classes until 7:00 pm.

If the depressed geek goes to a school anything like the high school I teach at, he'll hang himself.

jg · Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 4:46 pm Post subject:

I taught Korean teens in Shanghai and I was amazed at their lack of seriousness - it was a pass/pass system, and everyone knew it. Sorry to hear they see themselves as "depressed" but I translates into them being good students for you and not napping, day-dreaming and grooming themselves (and each other) in class.

Korean Intl School my butt!

furiousmilksheikali