Korean Job Discussion Forums

[xCustomx]

I just started the 2nd week of classes with the 2nd and 3rd graders and things haven't gone as well as I had hoped. I think part of the reason is because of the hagwon where I previously worked and the high level that most of the kids had. Now I'm in a situation where at least 1/2 of the kids have no idea what I'm talking about.

The biggest problem is getting the students to talk. Even when I call on them, they are barely audible and some of them almost refuse to speak. It's extremely frustrating for me and the korean teachers to make them do much of anything. What do you do to get them more active? I don't want to just pass out worksheets and give them busy work. I've explained to every class that they need to get comfortable with speaking because that is what I will focus on and eventually everyone will be required to talk in front of the class.

For the 2nd grade class I gave them 2 different dialgoues which were mixed up and had them work together in pairs to put them in the correct order. I then had some of them read the dialogues to the rest of the class, who seemed to be falling asleep. I wanted them to try and make their own conversations, but I skipped that since I thought it would be nearly impossible.
After that I gave them different character cards which has information such as name, age, weight, job, hobbies, interests, etc... They are supposed to memorize the important information, and then they introduce their character to the rest of the class. The 1st graders really had fun with this but the 2nd grade this morning was terrible.

The other korean teachers talked to me and mentioned that I need to lower the level for the activities that I give them. They worry that I will get discouraged by their lack of participation and ability. I told them that ideally the students would be grouped together by ability, but since that's not possible, I'm doing the best I can. Also, who can I really design my lessons for? There are of course some students who can understand about 70% or more of what I'm saying, but the majority have no clue and lack any confidence with speaking. How can I motivate them to WANT to TRY to speak? That is my biggest obstacle now. I can always make the activities easier, but getting them to want to speak is frustrating the hell outta me right now.

Sorry for all the rambling, but I hope someone can give some helpful advice or share experiences. Thanks

[Yu_Bum_suk]

You could try breaking them down into smaller and smaller groups. Do a dialogue where you're A and they're B. Then divide the class into A and B. Then have them practice in pairs as you go around and check.

Teaching MS classes of 25-34 I've basically given up on having every kid try to say something. It just takes way too long. It's too bad but that's the reality of the situation.

[boss penguin]

by far your greatest asset as a teacher is patience.

I just taught a grade 1 middle school class, and we're still doing introductions. At least half of the class aren't able to tell me their birthday.. so it's back to basics. Months, Days, Years.. repeat.

I've had more success doing dialog demo's with my Korean co-teacher for the Grade 3 Middle schoolers. The grade one's simply aren't ready for practicing conversational English.
But the grade threes, we did 2 dialogs, Meeting Someone Again, and Talking About the Past. Then seemed to enjoy practicing..
having students rearrange the sentences is probably a little ambitious.. but a good idea.. one you will want to try later in the year..
in the mean time. Dumb it down, and keep it simple. Get the students to repeat what you say, then repeat that. repetition is key.

[rothkowitz]

For High School,I grouped my classes randomly,but they still yak away so i have to remove students from groups and put them where they'll chat less.

I have to make sure they're facing the front.

Have a mix of cumpolsory participation tasks and optional ones where they get some acknowledgement for their effort ie marks.

Back at middle school even this would be simply unpractical.There I had a mix of activities and text style work with some reward(candy....)for participating ie coming out to the front.Class seating was row-styleso I could see everyone.

Perhaps something to keep in mind is that they mightn't understand the language of instruction."Open your book",for example, might just fly over their head.

MS-"reward"-that can be given and taken away and postive reinforcement.They're still babies in a lot of ways.

[xCustomx]

[rothkowitz]

Yeah,that lack of continuity can make it seem a bit futile.

Perhpas in that case I'd try to have as much variety as possible,dispensing with written work as much as possible,and making the classes activity based.Let the activities serve the purpose of repitition/production.

Might be a little less dreary for you too.Just make sure they don't all bunch in a corner holding hands.

[passport220]

I would generally agree that you have to have lower expectations than if you where at a hogwon where the kids are higher level and you see them much more often.

I suggest you have activites that graduate up in difficulty and level of effort requried.
- Have a few complete sentences written down for them. Listen and replete. Drill the class as a whole.
- Do a dialogue drill where there are a few choices of sentences where they have to pick the correct one. First you go over the correct answers and then you conduct a dialogue with them.
- Last a line or two of free speech. Give a question and they have to write a response and practice it with a partner. Call on a few to give their response to the whole class.

[mrsquirrel]

Make a life size photocopy (preferably color) of your head and tape it to the board.

Then go back to your office and play on the internet for an hour.

Go back at the end of the class to dismiss them. Job done.

---

Seriously though. They have the same problem that Thai kids have that their basic foundations have never been laid so that they can't converse or understand simple instructions. I'm finding it rather hard to stop my co-teachers translating.

Slow going but I'm sure that with perseverance some of the kids will get better. Some of them will stay the same. Thankfully it's pretty hard for them to get any worse. It could happen though.

[crazy_arcade]

You need to create incentive for them to speak. There is a lot of social pressure in school and students are shy to speak English in front of their peers...if they make a mistake....oh my god!

Try to bring in some things that they are into. We were just doing "Have you ever...." and I used pictures of TVXQ, Shinhwa, starcraft etc. do get them talking and using the target language.

Also, create a point system with possible rewards. In some of my better classes it's too hard to even choose a student because literally every hand is up and I don't want to play favourites. Also, I'll set it up so that they can answer and practice in their team together. That one one student alone doesn't feel the pressure. Students can feel more secure and confident because their entire group is speaking together.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[bosintang]

Here's an easy worksheet-based lesson I pulled off introducing present perfect (First of two classes):

- downloaded 20-30 food pictures from http://images.google.com, using a random grouping of foods (Korean, American, normal, exotic, weird).
- Showed the students the pictures, had the students say (or guess) what they are. Gave them hints for the foods they didn't know and made short conversation points about the foods.
- elicited a dialogue ("Have you ever eaten...?") / Practiced with a couple of the pictures.
- Did a demonstration with co-teacher how to do an information gap worksheet exercise. Then paired the students up and had them do the worksheet.
- Co-teacher and I worked with student pairs individually while others were practicing.
- Wrote a chart on the board with different verbs and their past participles (eat -> eaten).
- Assigned students to write sentences about their partners answers from the worksheet exercise for homework.

[bosintang]

Some points that work for me:

- I don't do class presentations and never make students demonstrate in front of the class or anything like that.

- Vast majority of conversation with me is group conversation and short. I do my best to arrange activities so that students are speaking with each other, and I work with students individually only when the other students are busy.

- If classes are noisy and talking over me and not listening, it's a good sign that I'm talking too much and the class is about me rather than the students.

[xCustomx]

Thanks for the input. I'll try to use a couple of the ideas you guys gave and hope that things will improve. It's 4:30 so im outta here

[blynch]

[rothkowitz]

Visibly count to 5 then tell the students who've willfully ignored you(after a warning or two)to p-off to the back.

I do.By the end of the week I can't be bothered with it.If they don't organise a pen it's the same deal-bye.See you next next.You can stand at the back by yourself and listen though.

There's 40 students,not much time;if they won't allow the teacher to explain and set things up and pay a modicum of attention,I'll reduce the effective class number for the day.