Korean Job Discussion Forums

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

I'm thinking of giving my HS students English names. Is this standard practise in EFL classrooms here?

Also, how well is this received by admin and students?

Thanks!

faster · Joined: 03 Sep 2006

Some do, but I never push them to do so. Right now, I'd say a small minority of my students, maybe 15%.

Zark · Posted: Tue May 29, 2007 6:16 pm Post subject:

Mine never had them and I never assigned them.

Never saw the need to do so. Pretty much left it up to them.

rawiri · Joined: 01 Jun 2003 Location: Lovely day for a fire drill.

You shouldn't do that. It's a sign of laziness.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

No, I just read their Korean names off their shirts if I can't remember their names.

ilovebdt

SHANE02 · Joined: 04 Jun 2003

In my first year here I worked at a hakwon that actually encouraged it. Some "teachers" really took the piss. In one class a teacher named one child for EACH of the Simpsons characters. It was embarrassing, but then so was the hakwon.

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

99% of my kids already have English names when I get them. I call them whatever they want to be called...

spyro25 · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

all of my students do except one. my reason for letting them choose english names are that if the students go abroad to study most of them end up using an english nickname, so they might as well pick one they like now to get used to it.

jmbran11 · Joined: 19 Jan 2006 Location: U.S.

My students are adults and required to have English names so they don't refer to each other by their Korean hierarchial title. I don't think that's necessary for kids or teenagers. What do they call each other in Korean? If it's not by their names, then maybe you should assign them English names to facilitate free conversation.

wylies99 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: I'm one cool cat!

Yes, but almost all of them have the same names. Wanna guess which ones? Laughing

Harry, Harry, bo Barry, banana bana bo Barry, bi by bo Barry, Harry!

David, David, bo Bavid, banana bana bo Bavid, bi by bo Bavid, David!

Sarah, Sarah, bo Barah, banana bana bo Barah, bi by bo Barah, Sarah!

Lisa, Lisa, bo Bisa, banana bana bo Bisa, bi by bo Bisa, Lisa!

Sean, Sean, bo Bean, banana bana bo Bean, bi by bo Bean, Sean!

Lucy, Lucy, bo Bucy, banana bana bo Bucy, bi by bo Bucy, Lucy!

oneofthesarahs · Joined: 05 Nov 2006 Location: Sacheon City

All of my students had English names when I started. I'm willing to learn Korean names, but it takes me a lot longer. My brain is used to hearing English names, so of course remembering "Charlie" is going to be easier for me than remembering "Junho." If I get new students, I usually tell them they can choose their own English name, but if they don't want to, I'll call them by their Korean name. 99% of the students opt for choosing an English name. They seem to think it's kind of fun. One of my advanced middle school classes refer to each other by their English names even outside of class.