Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Privateer]

I've often been struck by how ludicrously unrealistic a lot of lessons designed for the ESL environment are for the Korean situation. Maybe because they're written by ESL'ers rather than EFL'ers they'll never be ideal, but at any rate they definitely don't work in Korea.

For example:

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Ha ha. There are so many books that suggest activities like 'have the students in groups of four take turns playing waiter and customer', etc. Yeah, that's great for a class of four but goof-off time for just about any Asian EFL class over 10. The problem I think is that so many books are written for adult classes in western countries and so little for children or adolescents in non-western countries. Everyone who writes an EFL / ESL book should do at least a one-term practicum in Asia to see what simply doesn't work here.

[Vicissitude]

I'm sure glad someone else had the courage to bring this subject to the forefront! After about a year of teaching in Korea, I thought it would be a really great idea to take a month long teacher training TEFL course and get my "certificate." I was thinking it might help me to gain some good ideas for lesson plans and improve my job prospects. Unfortunately, the course was filled with lesson plans just as you describe. After a few days of us practicing said lesson plans with each other, I just had to interject the teacher trainer and the discussion went like this:

Me: Sir, I work in Korea and sometimes my classes are up to 45 teens whose maturity and English levels are extremely low. Also, I have a situation where I can't move all the desks and chairs around for these types of lesson plans. Sorry, but this stuff just will not work in my situation.

Him: If you are a good teacher, these lesson plans will work in ANY situation. Look, I've been doing this for over 35 years. I think I know what I'm doing...

Me: Sir, have you worked in Korea before?

Him: No, but I worked in China (a zillion years ago). Look I'm telling you that ANY GOOD teacher can use these lesson plans under any sort of circumstance or you just shouldn't be working as an English Teacher in this field. And I don't believe you when you tell me you can't move the desks and chairs around. Hey, I've been in this field for 35 years and I've never had that happen to me. So I don't believe you...

Me: The tables are too heavy and there is nowhere to move them.

Him: Then talk to your school and tell them you need this changed immediately. You have a dynamics problem. Either they change THAT situation or you find employment in another country.

Me: I'd like a refund please!

Him: There are no refunds. Read your contract! Also, I want to make this perfectly clear that and I am fully ready to fail anyone in this class for not cooperating. In such a case, there will ALSO be no refunds. Now, everyone get started on your homework I assigned to you and I'll see you back here in two hours. BYE!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Vicissitude]

[butlerian]

[oneofthesarahs]

I think that Korean kids are easier to manage than American students in elementary school. I used to teach an ESL art course to Hispanic students in the US, and it was disaster. I took a lot longer to establish good discipline and authority in the classes than it did here.

[kat2]

ANything creative is also very difficult.
-making a flyer, poster, promotional material for a concert or something .Even if you let them choose the band, locale, whatever. They just stare
-any let's write a story about ----- turns into a disaster.

Its really frustrating for me.

I also had somewhat of hte same experience with my TEFLcourse. About half the stuff they talked about, I was thinking "there is no way." I never had a confrontation over it, but brought up the special challenges of Korea several times

[Sody]

This is an interesting thread and it confirms what I have believed strongly all along, that TESOL or TEFL certificates or any of those dumb certs are worthless. Yup, you heard me, most of those people couldn't teach or teach how to teach to save their lives. The best teachers are the ones who get experience in the classroom. If you want to learn how to teach you get a Bachelor of Ed and you spend time teaching and developing your teaching skills by doing.

I can totally understand what Privateer and Viciss are saying.

Most people would disagree with me however and that's ok. Most people also disagree with me that I don't allow games in my classroom. They don't play games in math or science class so why the hell should they insist on games in English class? Teachers who insist on games lack teaching ability and are losers.

Sody

[kat2]

We played games in a lot of my classes growing up. I think is a nice way to motivate kids taht aren't really motivated by grades or praise from the teacher. I play games in my classes now too.

[Privateer]

[dridgway]

Any ideas for some games that work for groups of 40+?

[Boodleheimer]

[bosintang]

[bosintang]