Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Corporal]

Actually the thing I found most annoying was, when you asked a specific student a specific question (looking directly at him or her), they immediately looked at the students to their right and left as if you just asked THEM the question. Or as if their seatmates would magically proclaim the answer so as to avoid them having to open their mouths. Or they stare at you for a few minutes and then point at themselves going "Me?"

[jajdude]

I guess the minimal responses like "nothing special" or "me too" or "same here" or just a "good" when you would like to hear more, are ways the students avoid speaking English. Many who can speak better than they often show are probably embarrassed to speak or believe they are not good enough and afraid to make mistakes. I've had students who could speak well but had little confidence in themselves and believed they could barely speak or understand much at all, all evidence to the contrary. I guess they have unrealistic ideas about having to speak perfectly or being on a par with a native speaker. Just because they don't fully comprehend a movie or understand everything, all idioms and slang and so on, doesn't mean they can't carry on a decent conversation. But some believe this sort of thing, lacking confidence. Maybe that's behind the minimal one or two word responses. Naturally the way to improve is to speak in a supportive classroom where mistakes are encouraged or maybe gently corrected. Another thing I experienced with adults though is that they ask you to correct but actually dislike it when you do. Loss of face or something like that even though they maybe were making a pretty bad mistake that could use the correction. I usually just let 'em make the misatkes - as long as they were speaking more than two words at a time.

[billbile]

"It is not interesting to me."

"The joke is not interesting."

"It is very healthful to my health."

[BTM]

[Tiger Beer]

"YOU MUST TRY THIS, YOU ARE IN KOREA"

Usually, something you've tried a million times, like rice or bokkimbap or something really everyday and mundane.

"PLEASE UNDERSTAND YOU ARE IN KOREA"

Another variation. My boss took us out to dinner, beforehand we are basically coerced her to take us to a galbi restaurant, as we all love it. As the side dishes started arriving, her facial expressions became a shock of horror and repeatedly said "I'm sorry its Korean food. Can you eat Korean food. Please understand you are in Korea"... grrrr.. WE KNOW!! and we like it! Please don't misunderstand us!

[rockr1]

So this thread is about students? And I thought from the heading it was about girlfriends...