Korean Job Discussion Forums

[riley]

I say this only because the students are studying English from this book that the principal gave out. It has about 400 words and phrases that the principal wants them to memorize. Not that they'll understand it or know how to use it properly in a sentence, but hey, it looks good.

This type of teaching is why they want foriegn teachers, to correct the mistakes made from rote memorization. But we come here, and they still use invalid, crappy teaching methods. So what's the point of my teaching when some superior is going to run around saying how learning should be, even though it's obviously fucked up.

[icicle]

I don't think that this type of teaching is actually why they need foreign teachers ... It is more because the way in which much English is taught here gives them better skills in reading and writing than in speaking. Speaking is the recognised weakness in Korean English education and it is seen as something that foreign teachers can help with ... because they can supposedly speak English well ... Hence the reason that much of the "interview" for an English job here is in listening to what you sound like much more than any other factor or actual question ...

Icicle

[rhinocharge64]

You have two choices: continue with this nonsense, or do it your way, and ignore the big chief. It's quite common for foreigners here to nod, and smile but then continue with their ideas, and teaching methods.

Good luck, but if it was me I would do it my way. If they don't like it then go find another 'white monkey'.

[JJJ]

You're preaching to the choir here my friend. I hear ya. Just take the money and have fun.

I used to care, tried my darndest to keep on caring and finally gave up. No one listens to me anyways. I am lower than the janitor at my school. Oh well, just have to keep hoping that the next job will be the one for me.

[riley]

Luckily, I don't have to teach to it, it's just that later, I and other teachers have to spend time undoing the nonsense that the principal forced the kids to learn. It's the homeroom teachers who have to jump through the hoops on this one.

It sounds like, except for the principal and maybe some kissassses, no one likes this idea.

[VirginIslander]

[riley]

[wylies99]

[Privateer]

One thing I've noticed about adults - raised in the Korean education system - is they may not have any ability to speak and their grammar is all to pieces, but they have really impressive reading skills. By which I mean they can look at a quite complicated, say, contract, and understand nearly all of it.

So I'm guessing the education system is all geared to reading comprehension and not much else.

[ontheway]

Actually, the ability of most Koreans to understand what they are reading is even lower than their speaking level. They just nod and pretend to understand. The Korean/English dictionaries are filled with thousands of errors and mistranslations. The Korean teachers, publishers and translators are oblivious. They teach translations for words that have no equivalent. Book translations, movie translations, contract translations are wrong, even when handled by the experts. The Korean grammar books are filled with errors.

Every day I have students come to me complaining that their Korean English teachers are teaching incorrectly, not just pronunciation and grammar, but meaning.

Today, a mother brought me her son's middle school mid term English test. The test, which will help determine which high school the students can attend, is riddled with errors. This means that students who know little English will have a better opportunity of guessing the incorrect answer which will be scored as "correct," than a truly high level student, who will try to analyze a question that, in reality, has no correct answer, or where the answer accepted as correct is actually wrong.

[seoulman1]

foreigners in Korea are treated as objects. We don't have emotion and our opinions are disregarded. Our sole purpose is to facilitate the needs and wants of the Korean.

Time to Rise up!!!